Challenge&Selection

There are a huge number of brands in the world, and new companies are created and opened every  day. However, not all brands become successful. The success and longevity of a brand depends  directly on the people who use it. Is the consumer sufﬁciently tied to the product? Can a particular  product be replaced by a similar product from a competitor? What emotion does the product evoke  in a person? One of the main ways to make a consumer feel an emotion is to tell him a story that  resonates in his personality and life values. When there are millions of similar brands on the market  the only way to become visible is not only to create a good product but also to ﬁnd your audience,  to create a strong emotional connection with them. The emotion we get from a thing is much  stronger than the thing itself. For example, why do people drink Coca-Cola at Christmas and not  Pepsi or Sprite? Because Coca-Cola made consumers desire to buy their soda through an emotional  story: every Christmas, Santa drives a huge red truckload of bottles of Coke to give families a sense  of intimacy and a real Christmas spirit, to give people a chance to gather around the holiday table  and have a glass of soda. When we buy a drink from this particular brand, we are not really focused  on the quality of the product, but on the emotion we feel from its story. So, the story doesn't offer a  solution to the consumer's problem, but it does create a reason to use a particular brand.

Application

While studying at the HSE Art and design school, I needed to design an app to support a long- distance love affair. It was important to me to not only create an attractive, user-friendly design, but  also to make people download my app speciﬁcally. Studying similar products from competitors, I  realized that none of them told a real story, but only used cliched phrases and techniques to attract  the user. Then I realized what I needed to do to succeed.

Before writing the story, I decided to research my audience. I set up an Instagram survey where I  asked people a few questions about long-distance relationships, and then interviewed people who  had experienced such relationships. In the course of the conversation, I realized, ﬁrst, what  emotions my audience was experiencing from the problem, second, what pains they were going  through, and third, what needs they were really experiencing. It turns out that the main need that  people in long-distance relationships have is to share emotions, which gives a sense of the reality of  the person on the other side of the screen. People miss feeling the presence of a loved one close by.  I thought this could be the basis of the story I would tell the user.

Finally, I wrote the story of two young people who became the collective image of my audience.  They are a guy and a girl who are going through the real experience of a long-distance relationship  and are experiencing the same emotions and pains as potential users of my app. Once the emotional  contact with the audience is established, I offer a solution: the characters in my story have  downloaded my app and a new phase has begun in their life together. I described the positive  emotions they felt and how happy they were to be able to feel each other's real presence.

Insight&Approach

I realized that a story doesn't have to be complicated or unique, the main thing it has to carry is  emotion. It should resonate in the consumer's soul, point to their pains and needs, which will  eventually lead the user to a reason to use my brand speciﬁcally.

So storytelling is an important tool that can help a brand become truly great. Storytelling is what  makes a consumer prefer a brand, despite the advantages of competitors. It is what gives a person  an emotion that is sometimes stronger than reason. It is not enough to have a quality product, good  service, but it is important to give the consumer unique warm emotions.


Challenge&Selection There are a huge number of brands in the world , and new companies are created and opened every day . However , not all brands become successful . The success and longevity of a brand depends directly on the people who use it . Is the consumer sufﬁciently tied to the product ? Can a particular product be replaced by a similar product from a competitor ? What emotion does the product evoke in a person ? One of the main ways to make a consumer feel an emotion is to tell him a story that resonates in his personality and life values . When there are millions of similar brands on the market the only way to become visible is not only to create a good product but also to ﬁnd your audience , to create a strong emotional connection with them . The emotion we get from a thing is much stronger than the thing itself . For example , why do people drink Coca - Cola at Christmas and not Pepsi or Sprite ? Because Coca - Cola made consumers desire to buy their soda through an emotional story : every Christmas , Santa drives a huge red truckload of bottles of Coke to give families a sense of intimacy and a real Christmas spirit , to give people a chance to gather around the holiday table and have a glass of soda . When we buy a drink from this particular brand , we are not really focused on the quality of the product , but on the emotion we feel from its story . So , the story does n't offer a solution to the consumer 's problem , but it does create a reason to use a particular brand . Application While studying at the HSE Art and design school , I needed to design an app to support a long- distance love affair . It was important to me to not only create an attractive , user - friendly design , but also to make people download my app speciﬁcally . Studying similar products from competitors , I realized that none of them told a real story , but only used cliched phrases and techniques to attract the user . Then I realized what I needed to do to succeed . Before writing the story , I decided to research my audience . I set up an Instagram survey where I asked people a few questions about long - distance relationships , and then interviewed people who had experienced such relationships . In the course of the conversation , I realized , ﬁrst , what emotions my audience was experiencing from the problem , second , what pains they were going through , and third , what needs they were really experiencing . It turns out that the main need that people in long - distance relationships have is to share emotions , which gives a sense of the reality of the person on the other side of the screen . People miss feeling the presence of a loved one close by . I thought this could be the basis of the story I would tell the user . Finally , I wrote the story of two young people who became the collective image of my audience . They are a guy and a girl who are going through the real experience of a long - distance relationship and are experiencing the same emotions and pains as potential users of my app . Once the emotional contact with the audience is established , I offer a solution : the characters in my story have downloaded my app and a new phase has begun in their life together . I described the positive emotions they felt and how happy they were to be able to feel each other 's real presence . Insight&Approach I realized that a story does n't have to be complicated or unique , the main thing it has to carry is emotion . It should resonate in the consumer 's soul , point to their pains and needs , which will eventually lead the user to a reason to use my brand speciﬁcally . So storytelling is an important tool that can help a brand become truly great . Storytelling is what makes a consumer prefer a brand , despite the advantages of competitors . It is what gives a person an emotion that is sometimes stronger than reason . It is not enough to have a quality product , good service , but it is important to give the consumer unique warm emotions .