Two Examples of Amazing Corporate Storytelling

These Two Examples of Corporate Storytelling Show Just How Impactful a Good Story Can Be.

Okay, I know what you’re thinking—what is corporate storytelling?

I’ve written before about video storytelling, and how the human brain is wired to remember stories. Well, corporate storytelling puts that to work in promoting a brand.

Corporate Storytelling

For some time, marketers have been moving away from the old-fashioned selling tactics of traditional TV advertising. It’s no longer enough to simply tell your customers to buy a product.

Now, corporate storytelling is a popular tactic for engaging audiences.

Online videos that tell an entertaining, emotional or memorable story are more likely to be liked and shared. Storytelling is the secret ingredient that makes videos go viral.

Here’s an example—the Google Chrome “Dear Sophie” video:

An Emotional Product Demo

At its core, the Sophie video is a demonstration. It shows how Gmail connects with people. But the way they tell the story is incredibly memorable.

A young dad sets up a Gmail account for his daughter on the day she is born, then continues writing to her as she grows up. We see the first baby picture, birthday videos, happy memories, losing baby teeth and other life events.

I love this video because of its simplicity. There’s no narration or unnecessary elements. The entire story is told through a series of Gmails as they’re being typed.

Emotional? You bet. I get tears in my eyes every time I watch it.

It’s also effective—Google posted this video on YouTube back in 2011, and it currently has over 10.8 million views.

An Amazing Story of Customer Service

Here’s another great example of corporate storytelling—the Ritz-Carlton “Joshie” story.

After getting home from their Florida vacation, a family realized they’d left their son’s stuffed animal—Joshie— behind. 

The poor kid was devastated. To get his son to go to sleep, the dad did what any dad would do. He lied, and said Joshie just wanted to stay a few extra days on vacation. He’d be home in a few days.

Then the dad called the hotel, hoping they’d found Joshie in the room. He also admitted what he’d said to his son.

A few days later, they received a package from the Ritz.

In the box, they not only found Joshie, they found a booklet with pictures of the stuffed giraffe, meticulously documenting his time on vacation.

Here’s Joshie lounging by the pool, wearing sunglasses. Here he is enjoying a relaxing spa day, with cucumber slices on his eyes. They even made Joshie a member of the hotel staff, complete with staff card.

Blown away by the hotel’s customer service, the dad posted a video on YouTube.

The story was soon picked up by news outlets and social media, written about in marketing and customer service blogs, and repeated in countless sales conference and convention presentations.

So, in conclusion, what do these examples say about corporate storytelling? 

To me, they show how well crafted, well told stories connect with customers, in a much more memorable and effective way.

Which makes you wonder—what kind of stories would you tell about YOUR brand or business?

About the Author: 

Harry Hayes is the owner and executive producer at Content Puppy Productions, a corporate video production agency based in Charlotte. Before starting Content Puppy, he spent 20+ years as an advertising writer and creative director.