The ‘Once-Upon-A-Time’ Strategy: Retailers Bet On Storytelling To Bypass Digital Clutter

“Next to hunger and thirst, our most basic human need is for storytelling,” said artist and writer Khalil Gibran. We are wired to crave stories — and perhaps now more than ever amid unprecedented information overload. As marketers beam a constant stream of messages to ever-connected consumers, storytelling has gained newfound value as a reprieve from the digital onslaught. A story well told can capture shoppers’ fragmented attention, impart items with meaning and in turn, drive sales. Marketing Insider Group conducted a study to investigate this strategy.  Some 100 creative writers invented stories about $129 worth of items, then listed them on eBay to see if the tales upped the value of the objects for sale. The test yielded a net profit of $3.6 million. One $1.49 paperweight later sold for $197.50. “Why? Because the stories in the handwritten note that came with the globe resonated with the buyer,” the report said. Read more at Forbes.