Good agencies employ great storytellers. Good stories capture attention, build trust and credibility, and often evoke an emotional response, all worthy goals of any marketing communication. In Seth Godin’s book, All Marketers are Liars, he adds credence to this argument in suggesting that effective marketers don’t talk about features and benefits, but rather they tell compelling stories — stories people want to believe.

Good storytellers develop a deep, rehearsed understanding of the key elements to be masterfully woven together and delivered in engaging fashion. Good marketers immerse themselves in the products and services offered by their clients. This intimate understanding teaches the skilled marketer the key messages she will use in communicating the client’s story. The master storyteller knows well  her audience. This knowledge is used to shape and cater the story. While speaking from a common platform, the storyteller is adept at catering and delivering her message in terms with which the audience can easily and personally relate.

During this past presidential campaign this concept was on display almost daily. Famously, Joe the Plumber became the hero of John McCain’s story to America. The candidates shaped their stories to appeal to diverse groups such as unions, corporate executives, coal miners, and even Hollywood, while the platform or underlying message remained largely intact. To a citizenry feeling unprecedented concern about their future, a simple story of change was compelling enough to make history in this country.

When the master storyteller delivers the right story to the right audience, the results are often powerful and memorable.

 So, savvy marketer, tell stories about the impact going back to school will have on the lives of those that do. Tell stories about protecting those you love most with a security system. Tell stories about the sheer joy and escape of spending Saturday afternoons on the lake in a new boat. Hey, it may not be Moby Dick, but told well these stories will generate a whale (sorry, I had to) of a response.

One final note about storytelling. A wise mentor once taught me that good advertising is often about telling only half of the story. You tell the whole story upfront and you’ve taken away my incentive to ask “what comes next” and then follow up to find out (the coveted response part of advertising). The half told tale is the tool of the master storyteller.

Salt Lake City was just named “Fittest City in the United States” by Men’s Health magazine. Besides the obvious explanation that a representative from Men’s Health magazine must have seen me hard at work in the gym, I can’t help but wonder if Salt Lake City is being led by example.

Located just north of Salt Lake City is one of Studeo’s prized clients; ICON Health & Fitness. ICON is the world’s largest developer, manufacturer and marketer of fitness equipment with brands like Nordic Track, Pro-Form, Weider, Reebok and Gold’s Gym. However, ICON’s dedication does not solely rest in their manufacturing but also in their dedication to the local community.

The mission statement for ICON Health and Fitness is “Changing lives with fitness innovation.” Locally, ICON delivers on this mission with generous donations stretching from treadmills to strength equipment, all in an attempt to make the state more fit.

If ICON Health & Fitness is doing their part and seeing a direct correlation to the health and wellness of Salt Lake City, what can we do in the advertising world to better the community in which we do business?

ICON is a beautiful depiction of a company who truly leads by example and also enjoys “success” - on the side.

I know customers appreciate it when we develop campaigns that reflect how they perceive the world, not how we or our clients would like them to.

On the radio this morning I heard a radio spot for a local restaurant (The Mayan) that started with:  The food here “sucks” - yes they used s-word.    The spot went on to say that while they had great ambiance and quick service the food didn’t live up to expectations.  So they fired the chef.  Yes, they said that too.

Since perceptions are a very hard thing to change this spot goes right to the heart of the matter:  “The reason you stopped coming is because we failed to deliver on our promise. In fact we sucked.”   In essence they said we heard you (listening is good) and we’re changing.

Too bad they didn’t take this all the way to the website - it contains standard restaurant fare including a PDF of the menu.   They should have started a contest - tell us which items suck and why you’d get rid of it.   That would have been a completely integrated campaign.

We’ll need to check back in a bit and see how its changed.