Have you ever sat and listened to someone badly recount a supposedly amusing tale? The facts are suspect, the delivery warbled and the punchline is divorced from humour. If the person is lucky, they might get a sympathetic laugh and follow up with an apologetic “you should have to have been there”. Some people aren’t naturally gifted in the art of story telling.
Ireland has a rich history of story tellers known in Irish as “seanchaí”. These comprise of poets, writers, thespians, comedians, scholars and bar stool rogues. We are a nation of communicators, we rarely suffer fools and we prize the art of story telling extremely highly.
A good story teller is someone who has the ability to listen intently, edit the relevant information and present the facts in an entertaining and evocative manner.
Can the art of story telling work for your business?
Yes. Every business has a unique story that sets them apart from their competition. Unfortunately most businesses simply don’t have the ability to tell this story in an engaging manner. By enlightening the audience on the story of your business you can inform them on how your business operates and provides a unique product or service. Effective story telling can build up trust with your audience and gently persuade them to believe in your brand.
How is this done?
Put simply, by telling your story to your target audience and building brand awareness. This can be achieved through visually communicating your business through your brand identity. This is essentially your logo, printed materials and online presence that should visually communicate your story and how you want to be perceived.
Why should I invest in branding?
This is probably one of the most common questions that clients ask. In short to effectively communicate with your target audience. Most brands will get seven seconds of an individuals attention. In this very brief amount of time you have to communicate your message and affect the viewer enough to want to find out about your brands story. If the brands visual language is wrong or the message is ineffectively communicated then you risk evoking a negative impression from the viewer.
Think of a story teller entertaining an audience with an enthralling tale. These people can shape a positive impression on a group of people and can influence an audience through skilled oratory. An effective delivery method for your brand through skilled planning can be the difference in being ignored or being successful.
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For any more information regarding our article on ‘The Art Story Telling’ or to avail of our services please call Opus Creative on +353 (21) 242 8689 or email us on hello@opuscreative.ie
