The End Goal
Ultimately, all stories have a message.
This ‘end goal’ is what you need to keep in mind when crafting your story.
If you think back to childhood, the books read to you inevitably had a lesson about life tucked away in the narrative.
Their ‘end goal’ was to help you shape a view of the world and teach you right from wrong.
Brand stories (told through advertising) also have a message.
They want to leave you with an understanding of what they stand for. The ads are simply the emotional vehicle to deliver this.
Let’s take a look at a few car brands as an example.
The Swedish car manufacturer Volvo has long been synonymous with safety. All of its communication builds on this, from innovations like ‘Life Paint’ to its bold goal of achieving zero fatalities in any Volvo car by 2020.
BMW, on the other hand, has always been about driving pleasure. They have famously run with the tagline ‘The Ultimate Driving Machine’ in many countries around the world, and the stories they tell tie back to this, from their involvement in motorsport to high-performance driving schools.
Lastly, there is Mercedes-Benz, which weaves its brand narrative around luxury. It wants you to feel as if owning one of its cars is a sign of having ‘made it’.
To do so, it associates itself with the Swiss watch brand IWC and sponsors glamorous events around the globe.
The point is that although they have very different stories to tell, the outcome is still the same.
To sell you a car.
Interested in learning how to tell better stories? Learn the practical tips and techniques from the world’s experts and get certified by Cannes Lions today.
