Point of view

The art of story telling

By Andrzej Moyseowicz, Media & Innovations Director, Saatchi & Saatchi

Brand building is indistinguishable from the art of storytelling. As such, three elements are
equally essential to any brand as they are to any story:
1. Sensuality – are you attracted to the story, the scenario, the characters? Do you care
about any of the protagonists; do you have a reason to read on? Do the story and the
characters within mean something to you, can you associate with any of them, do their
experiences and insights strike a chord?
2. Intimacy – is the story honest? Do the characters behave and react in way that is
coherent with how they have been described previously? Readers feel cheated if
protagonists suddenly start acting ‘out of character’ in the absence of any clues or
insights contained within the text. Readers who have invested time and energy to
understand a character’s thoughts and motivation will become disillusioned if this
groundwork suddenly becomes irrelevant.
3. Mystery – are you sufficiently intrigued to keep turning to the next page, an act which
presumes you are going to learn more about the characters and the unfolding story?
The manner in which the mystery is handled – the revealing or explaining of events – is
fundamental to the art of storytelling.

The above elements can be found in all brands, particularly those with so-called ‘Lovemarks’.
BrandYou should be no exception.
1. Sensuality
 How could BrandYou be deemed attractive? What does it offer to its target
audience in terms of their business needs?
 Is BrandYou proposing insight and opinion, specific and relevant expertise, access
to more contacts, pure entertainment, a combination of these?
 Remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, particularly in the context of
brands. Study your target audience; learn what interests them, where they discuss,
what they discuss and how they interact. What can BrandYou offer them?

2. Intimacy
 You are human and so should be BrandYou! Really powerful brands admit their
shortcomings and try to learn from them.
 What is your biggest professional or non professional mistake, what did you learn
from it? Are you prepared to engage in this level of discussion?
 BrandYou should reflect you; your thoughts, fears, opinions, experience, learnings,
desires and ... your mistakes. People react far more positively to brands which are
perceived as ‘open’ and ‘human’ as opposed to ‘closed’ and ‘corporate’. BrandYou
will be no different.
Point of view

3. Mystery
 You don’t have to reveal everything at once. Mystery can be a powerful weapon to
inducing intrigue and desire.


 BrandYou should invite dialogue, discussion and exchange not monologue. Think
about what to keep back, tailor your discourse for your audience fund out what
interests them and – when the moment is right – reveal it.