When customer stories go wrong

Tell me a story about me doesn’t cut it. [View Message in Browser]( / [Add Us to Safe Sender List]( WEEKLY NEWS 2.23.24 WEEKLY NEWS 2.23.24  FEATURED [How Technology Marketers Lead the Way in AI Experimentation [New Research]]( By Robert Rose Tech marketers reveal their creation and non-creation challenges, resource woes, AI’s impact, and more. Plus, what do the most successful do differently? Find out in CMI’s newly released technology content marketing research. [Read more](  READ OR LISTEN TO MORE STORIES FROM THIS WEEK: [Look Inside Your Brand’s Community for People To Help Lead It]( by Ann Gynn Having a thriving online community requires a lot of work by your brand. But what if you could get help? Learn how Intuit’s TurboTax, Women in Tech SEO, and CMI incentivize, hire, and support members as leaders. [Marketing’s Musical Chairs: Why So Many Reorgs (and What It Means for You)]( by Content Marketing Institute Team Almost half of companies restructured their marketing teams in the past year, according to Marketing Week. About four in 10 restructured the year before that. Why? And how can you thrive despite it? [Shift Your Storytelling Strategy To Co-Create (and We Don’t Mean More Case Studies)]( by Robert Rose Great brand stories can attract and retain attention long enough to develop trust with your audience no matter where they are in their journey. But to get great stories, marketers must shift their storytelling thinking. [ICYMI: How Storytelling Gives You the Best of Both Worlds in B2B Product Marketing]( by Robert Rose You already know how storytelling connects your brand with audiences. But you might not realize how powerful it can be in product marketing, too. Robert Rose explains how stories help you teach customers to care about what makes your product unique.  A NOTE FROM ROBERT ROSE When customer stories go wrong My wife and I have a running bit of banter. Occasionally, as we do our end-of-evening ritual — close up the house, brush teeth, get a glass of water, etc. — I demand a bedtime story. When she inevitably refuses, I offer to tell her a bedtime story. She doesn’t want that either. We go back and forth in a faux heated negotiation. I ask for a song, a poem, or even a reading of a legal contract as an alternative. I offer to sing a song, recite a limerick, or read a contract to her. She refuses. Ultimately, we end up where we always end up: Agreeing we’ve engaged in a story and going to sleep. The last time we bantered, I was inspired to write about a change I see in marketing and brand storytelling. I think it’s one of the most important shifts in the last 10 years as the growth of generative AI makes access to how-to content even more commoditized. Buyer trust in digital experiences will wane in the short term, especially with the challenges of using search engines to uncover valuable information. Audiences will continue to value the more personal ([not personalized]( content sources they discover — content that makes the consumer say, “Wow, this is exactly what I needed. I’d like more.” Leaning into stories that create relationships requires getting and holding attention long enough to develop trust from audiences no matter where they are in their journey with your brand. But — and this is the crux of the shift I see — marketers must unlock what counts as “great stories” to their audience. When I ask a marketer to tell me their story for a particular audience, they might say, “We need our customer to understand how innovative we are,” or “We need that audience to understand how our brand will save the planet.” Nope. That’s not how a successful story works. Your customers and audience will go about their day just fine without understanding you are innovative. No one gets out of bed worrying they don’t know how your brand will save the planet. In my column on [developing meaningful brand relationships]( I admitted that I bristle when someone (usually a speaker at a conference) says, “No one wakes up wondering why they don’t have a better relationship with their butter provider.” While that’s true, it doesn’t negate the need for the butter provider to develop more meaningful relationships with its customers. I’m not refuting your need to make audiences understand how innovative your brand is. I get it. I do. But that point can’t be the heart of a story intended to develop a level of trust. At best, putting your brand’s innovation claims front and center might reinforce that notion with your most ardent fans. But it’s unlikely to make anyone aware or change the mind of someone who doesn’t believe. If you’re the butter provider (or, really, any brand), you must demonstrate why your customer would want a storytelling relationship with you. This is why, in CMI’s classes, we [teach the difference between the brand story and the brand’s stories](. The brand story (“we are innovative”) is NOT a “great story” for the audience. The brand’s stories (how you get to innovative value) are. But another extreme exists on that spectrum. In figuring out the heart of the brand’s stories, some marketers put the customer at the center of it too literally. They ask them to tell their story about the brand. On the surface, that strategy seems better. But the story is still about you — you’ve just shifted who’s telling it. Instead of saying, “We need our audiences to understand how innovative we are,” you say, “Our customers need to tell the rest of our audience how innovative we are.” As with the brand story, customer perspectives are important. Testimonials, case studies, and customer stories can be extraordinarily valuable in persuading customers to purchase, stay longer, or get more value from your product or service. But having the customers tell your brand stories isn’t likely to create, deepen, or expand a meaningful brand relationship with audiences either. So what’s the answer? The story should center neither on the brand nor the customer. It should exist as a story you tell with your audience (and in which the audience can see themselves). I explain how to do this (with examples) in [Rose-Colored Glasses this week](. Do you create stories with your audience? [I’d love to hear your examples](. In the meantime, remember: It’s your story. Tell it well. Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute Would any of your colleagues or friends benefit from Robert's weekly updates? Please invite them to [subscribe]( here.  MORE FROM CMI Next Week: AI Masterclass for Content Marketers Go beyond ChatGPT in our free virtual AI Masterclass on February 28-29. Discover AI's untapped marketing potential as we share ideas to move your strategy, process, and policy forward. The lineup of six sessions will explore how to leverage AI to build your strategy, scale your content operations, fuel your creativity, and more. [Sign up here to join live or on demand.](  Deadline Approaching: CMI's Mentorship Program Ready to invest in your professional success? Want to learn from others who have paved the path in content and are eager to share their knowledge? CMI’s Mentorship Program pairs content marketers in need of career guidance with leaders from the CMI community. As a mentee, you'll broaden your network and get one-on-one guidance from someone outside your organization who understands the content marketing landscape. Submit your application by next Friday, March 1, for the 2024 program. [Apply now »](  To change your email preferences or unsubscribe, visit our [preference center.]( Copyright © 2024 Informa Connect, All rights reserved Content Marketing Institute, an Informa Connect brand 605 3rd Ave | New York | NY 10158 [Terms of Service]( | [Privacy Statement]( [informa tech]