Marketers across all industries and areas of expertise are talking about the importance of brand storytelling. 

We can’t seem to go on social media without coming across a post speaking to brands and the use of stories. Here are some of our recent favorites:

But what exactly does telling brand stories mean? 

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What is brand storytelling?

According to Forbes, “Brand storytelling is the cohesive narrative that weaves together the facts and emotions that your brand evokes.”

And it was Arianna Huffington who said, “People think in stories, not statistics, and marketers need to be master storytellers,” and we couldn’t agree more. 

Brand storytelling encompasses the same elements that make up a familiar story: Recognizable characters, climax, rising and falling action, etc. It doesn't matter if the story is short or long, it needs to have elements to reel people in and keep them interested in what you’re saying. 

It can be hard to wrap your mind around how to apply these elements to your brand but truly, it comes down to understanding your audience, their pain points, and what they care about. Once you have this, lean into your own brand voice to share stories about values, products, and missions. 

With stories, aim to connect with customers, create experiences, or inspire them to take action. 

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How can brands use storytelling?

Done well, storytelling forms a deeper connection between the consumer and the brand. If brands know the needs and values of their target consumers, they can create stories that compel listeners into action. 

A brand that is incredible at storytelling is Patagonia. The brand prioritizes storytelling in several ways such as their environmental activism (remember the risky “Don’t Buy This Jacket” ad?) or their customer stories that are not about their products but the people who wear them. 

Even looking at their website product categories, each category image feels like it has a story of its own while inspiring adventure, something Patagonia customers value: 

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Brand storytelling in branded podcasts 

When thinking of storytelling in branded podcasts, it’s hard not to focus solely on podcasts whose primary aim is to deliver a story. Think murder mysteries, personal testimonials, and fictional storytelling podcasts. 

But storytelling isn’t just for this kind of podcast. In fact, all effective podcasts use storytelling to some degree. As we’ve shared above. just because you aren’t telling a traditional narrative doesn't mean that you aren’t and shouldn’t be using storytelling. 

Brands can use storytelling in various ways for podcasts. Here are a few elements to remember when deciding what story your company will tell on a branded podcast:

• What is the core message you’re trying to convey? 
• How do your brand values align with the stories you want to tell? 
• Are you trying to evoke emotion through your stories? If so, what emotions? 
• What unique perspectives can you offer? 
• How can you maintain consistency throughout the stories of your show? 

All brand storytelling is different, just like every branded podcast is different. So it's up to you and your team to decide what stories will work best for your audience. 

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Things to avoid with brand storytelling in podcasts

Sometimes brands can get lost in the “brand” component of storytelling, using their podcast solely as a means to push sales. This becomes very apparent to customers and impacts your credibility and authenticity.

On the other hand, some branded podcasts get lost in the story and, in doing so, remove all meaningful associations to their brand. Essentially, these podcasts are just producing content without a real story.

But when done effectively, brand storytelling can intimately draw in and engage your audience, differentiating you from the competition. Because when you connect with your customers on an emotional level through storytelling, whether that’s through humor, happiness, surprise, or even sadness, it’s a powerful thing. 

Here are some successful examples of how brands are using storytelling in branded podcasts:

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Examples of effective storytelling in branded podcasts

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1. Powering Travel 

In its corporate podcast, Powering Travel, Expedia features travel and hospitality industry leaders to discuss the industry, trends, and predictions for the future. 

Whether or not audience members are in hospitality or travel, these two industries touch everyone's lives. While many listeners will tune in to hear stories and predictions about the area they work in, others will tune in simply because they’re interested in the changes that the past few years have brought in these sectors. 

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2. Bring Back Bronco 

By Ford, Bring Back Bronco covers the history of the infamous Ford Bronco. The entire 8-episode series takes a storytelling approach to sharing the history of the Bronco that many know and love. 

The podcast does a great job of building a sense of nostalgia and pride that fans have over the vehicle. 

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3. Countermeasures

The pharmaceutical brand, Emergent BioSolutions, uses branded podcasts as an avenue to share stories and information about the opioid epidemic through its show, Countermeasures. Through the series, you’ll hear stories from community advocates, first responders, public health experts, and others whose lives have been impacted by the crisis. 

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4. Momentum 

Team Canada of the Canadian Olympic Committee used storytelling to prepare for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with the branded podcast, Momentum. 

The podcast follows five brave athletes as they prepare to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games. Listeners will hear the stories of celebration and accomplishments as we’re guided along this journey. 

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5. Now What? 

We know technology is changing everything. The website platform, Wix, uses its branded podcast, Now What? to share stories from leaders who are defining the future of business, eCommerce, design, and development. All very relevant areas for their target audience who are typically small business owners navigating the landscape. 

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6. SickKids VS

SickKids VS, by the SickKids Foundation, is taking listeners to the frontlines of the fight for child health. 

Crafted with the foundation’s stakeholders, potential donors, and the families of those affected in mind, each episode tells the story of a different breakthrough, revealing the raw hope and heartache that comes along with the road to discovery. 

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7. Why We Eat What We Eat 

With humorous targeting of saying the podcast is for “anyone who has ever eaten”, Why We Eat What We Eat done in partnership with Blue Apron and Gimlet Creative explores the unseen forces that shape our eating habits. 

The podcast shares a variety of stories – from food conspiracy theories to answering the infamous question “Why are kids so picky”?

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8. Not Just Fluff

Banfield Pet Hospital put storytelling to the forefront with their branded podcast, Not Just Fluff. For any pet owners out there, you all understand the love we have for our pets, and Banfield explores that love. 

The podcast shares stories from pet professionals that provide listeners with actionable tips and advice on how to care for your pets.  

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Keep brand storytelling simple

As you can see from the examples above, storytelling in podcasts doesn’t need to be complicated. It’s an opportunity to explore what resonates with audiences and the type of stories they want to hear from you. 

Here are the lessons to keep in mind when creating your branded podcast: 

• Stick to your niche: Tell stories you have the brand authority to tell. If you're a tech company, creating a podcast interviewing sports pros (while very exciting) doesn’t make sense in your brand story. Unless you can somehow creatively tie this back to your brand's mission. 
• Be relatable: By including relatable elements, you’re telling a story that people see themselves in which in its essence, is what all brand stories are trying to do. This will compel audiences to listen and build positive connections with your brand. 
• Don’t use your branded podcast to sell: You probably picked up on the fact that none of the podcasts listed above are meant to sell a product, rather they provide insight and answer questions. This is the point of a branded podcast – to increase brand authority and have consumers associate your name with a great product (your podcast!).

If you’re looking for ways to take your branded podcast to the next level, our team of experienced podcasters and storytellers would love to give you a hand. Get in touch.