Why Story Is Your Brand's Greatest Asset
Most marketing funnels start with the product and end with the pitch.But the brands that earn loyalty and drive growth? They don’t start by selling. They start by telling.
They lead with emotional connection before conversion. Trust before transaction. And they know that in a world of infinite options and attention deficits, it’s the story—not the shelf placement—that pulls people in and keeps them there.
We’re Not Selling Products. We’re Selling Meaning.
Every marketer talks about storytelling, but very few treat it as infrastructure. The most resonant brands don’t tack story onto the edges. They build with it at the core. They use narrative not as garnish, but as operating system for how people discover, experience, and believe in a product. This is especially true where the emotional stakes are high: parenting, play, learning, identity.
When a child falls in love with a character… when a parent feels their values reflected… Price becomes secondary. Placement becomes irrelevant. Meaning becomes the differentiator.
In that moment, the story is the product.
We say kids can’t articulate brand values – but they feel them. Safe. Silly. Imaginative. Empowering. And brands that embed those feelings? They don’t just get remembered. They get chosen. Again and again.
Meaning Drives Motion
Emotional connection isn’t fluff. It’s fuel.
The deeper the bond, the lower the friction. The more personally a brand resonates, the less it has to shout.
In a sea of sameness, story is the lighthouse. Not just in brand campaigns, but across the full funnel.
Story-First Brands Don’t Just Win Attention. They Win Trust.
In a world where reach is rented and impressions are fleeting, trust is the only true currency.
And story isn’t a tactic to get attention. It’s the mechanism that sustains it.
At Verizon, I saw this firsthand. We partnered with Disney to offer Disney+ to new customers—not just to push a product, but to tap into family time, nostalgia, and shared joy. The result? 5 million new subscribers in two weeks.
When I led marketing for Verizon’s Gizmo line, we teamed up with Toca Boca and Fingerprint – not to showcase specs, but to create a story-rich world that children could feel, and parents could trust.
And in B2B? It works just the same. At BlueJeans, we embedded the brand into cultural moments like Eurovision and Brentford FC – not for borrowed reach, but earned relevance. Because when a platform feels human, people connect with it.
This isn’t soft. This is strategy. This is science.
Your Story Is the Strategy
If your product disappeared tomorrow… what would your audience actually miss?
If the answer is utility, you’re replaceable. If the answer is emotion, identity, meaning – you’re unforgettable.
Stephanie McCarty, CMO of Taylor Morrison, said it best: “Your corporate narrative isn’t some fluffy PR thing. It’s the heartbeat of your organization.”
That heartbeat isn’t just in campaigns. It’s in the car ride. The bedtime routine. The quiet moments that shape a childhood. Family-forward brands aren’t just competing for wallet share. They’re shaping formative experiences.
Children won’t remember your messaging. But they’ll remember how your brand made them feel. Safe. Curious. Empowered. Seen.
And parents? They’re not just looking for features. They’re looking for trust. For reassurance. For meaning.
Story is how that meaning is delivered consistently, across every single touchpoint.
Get that right, and you don’t just market to a household. You become part of it.
What Sticks Isn’t the Product. It’s the Feeling.
The most successful family brands don’t just move product. They move hearts.
They shape memories. They influence identity.
They become part of the stories families tell about themselves.
So if you’re building for the next generation, don’t start by asking: “What’s our purpose?”
Start with: “What are we helping families feel – together?”
Because long after the batteries die or the toy is passed down…
The feeling is what stays.
And that feeling? That is your brand.
