CHAPTER 2
The creative hook
When you go to the shop later, can you please pick up some bread, tomatoes, eggs, milk and butter?
Now close your eyes. How many items on the list do you remember?
CHAPTER 2
The creative hook
When you go to the shop later, can you please pick up some bread, tomatoes, eggs, milk and butter?
Now close your eyes. How many items on the list do you remember?
All memorable stories have common elements: they address something relatable, they are plotted and presented dynamically, and are accessible and engaging. On a par with audience insights, the creative messaging and execution is considered the most important storytelling mechanism to boost effectiveness for 68% of marketers – which leads us to the second part of this story.
In a noisy digital landscape, standing out and capturing the attention of consumers is key. It could be why the ‘start (hook)’ is considered the most important part of a story by 40% of marketers, followed by the ‘middle (climatic moment of drama)’ (38%) and the ‘end (satisfying pay-off)’ (21%).
This fluctuates slightly across the industry – with brand marketers placing a much higher focus on the start (51%) while creatives see the middle (45%) as the most important part of an effective story. One reason for this could be the brand marketer’s desire to see immediate engagement, while for creatives, a build-up to a climactic moment gives them an opportunity to flex their creativity and keep audiences invested.
of marketers say that standing out and capturing the attention of consumers is key
Where stories make an impact
The difference between organizations on the most important part of an effective story (% breakdown)
of marketers feel personal/human-first messaging is in the top five most important storytelling ingredients
Either way, to catch and hold consumers’ attention, brands should aim to create relevant content that resonates within the first few seconds of a campaign. Hana Kovacevic, head of EU CPG, Brand Innovation Lab, Amazon Ads, outlines a few strategies that can be employed to achieve this goal:
“One effective strategy is to provoke an ‘identification effect’ through emotionally engaging storytelling that connects with audiences. Additionally, brands can differentiate themselves and capture attention by posing bold and thought-provoking questions.”
Once the intended audience is interested, the next step is to keep them engaged. When asked to rank the top five most important storytelling ingredients, 79% of marketers agreed that creating an emotional response is first and foremost, followed by a focus on personal/human-first messaging (78%) and a memorable soundtrack/music (78%).
The most important storytelling ingredients
79%
Creating an emotional response
78%
Personal/human first
78%
Has a memorable soundtrack
72%
Has an interactive feature
27%
Includes a game-playing element
Audio in the mix
The power of audio was recognized among the top content formats utilized for storytelling in marketing content for a quarter (24%) of marketers – with particular importance placed on this channel to engage Millennials (37%) and the Silent Generation (those born between the mid-1920s and mid-1940s) (39%).
The recent ‘Sound It Out’ campaign from the Ad Council (American non-profit organization that develops purpose-driven marketing campaigns) and Amazon Ads Brand Innovation Lab sought to facilitate conversations between parents and caregivers with teens about mental health. [1] Collaborating with Amazon Music and Alexa, it tapped into music as a powerful way to help foster deep connections with an interactive digital experience designed to help break the ice with music.
The campaign invites parents and caregivers to visit Amazon.com/SoundItOut where they can type an emotion and get served up a curated list of tracks (selected from the Amazon Music library of over 100 million songs) that reflect that feeling. Using the Alexa app or Echo devices, they could then choose a song and share it directly with their teen.
of marketers recognize the power of audio among the top content formats utilized for storytelling
“This campaign creates a strong emotional connection with the listener; the insight is very relevant to all teenager parents...”
As Kovacevic explains, this campaign “creates a strong emotional connection with the listener; the insight is very relevant to all teenager parents, and gives them a concrete, useful solution [brought to life] through a seamless, interactive experience.”
In the UK, interactive audio ads by Amazon Ads (beta) are also helping brands start a dialogue with customers by providing a simple, seamless way to learn about products and services using their voice within their streaming audio experience. So if someone hears an interactive audio ad while listening to Amazon Music ad-supported tier on their Alexa smart speaker device, they can simply use their voice to complete an action, such as adding items to their shopping cart, requesting more info via email, or setting a reminder. Once the action is complete, the audio seamlessly transitions right back to the music they were streaming.
Branded experiences with Alexa [2] (also in beta in the UK) are also allowing customers to engage with brands from any Alexa-enabled device in a deeper and more tailored way. For the US release of Downton Abbey: A New Era, customers could say, “Alexa, launch the Downton Abbey experience,” and be taken on an immersive journey – complete with trivia, a house tour, and way to purchase movie tickets – all voiced by the show’s butler, Mr. Carson. [3]
Customers interacted with this branded experience for an average session duration of over five minutes (exceeding the average benchmark for branded experiences with Alexa) indicating high levels of engagement. [4]
The generational divide
The de facto storytelling format of choice is video (58%) for engaging generations across the board Adult Gen Z (48%), Millennial (34%), Boomers (31%), and Silent Generations (45%) – but there are other routes that advertisers can explore to deliver on audience expectations.
“Marketers should think about the incremental reach beyond broadcast and streaming placements to deliver rich, immersive, educational experiences on [devices like] Fire TV,” explains Geary. “This channel can deliver interactive ad experiences – activated with just a remote or Alexa device – on the biggest screen in the home when people are in ‘lean back’ mode, but ready to lean into and learn something new.”
Click below for a breakdown of the preferred ingredients by generation:
Streaming stories
More and more brands are bringing their storytelling efforts to livestreaming services (38%), according to our research. A recent study projects the livestreaming market will continue to grow 22% year on year to become a $4.2bn market by 2028.
“Livestreaming is highly engaging, particularly for younger adult consumers, making it an exciting way for brands to appeal to new audiences,” says Kovacevic. “Above all, it offers authenticity, interactive features, community-building opportunities, mobile accessibility, and exclusive experiences.”
“These elements deliver real-time, unfiltered content that enables direct interaction, tapping into the ‘fear of missing out’ notion by providing up-to-the-minute content,” she adds. “It allows younger adults to stay informed and actively participate in trending conversations and shared experiences.”
Twitch has been at the forefront of this shift, in terms of how viewers and streamers can interact with brands in the moment, in real-time. This creates a powerful connection for brands to engage with bespoke activations and custom elements – a recent study found that 72% of young adults on Twitch are more likely to consider brands that support their favorite streamers.
For example, Samsung’s Christmas Gift Box reveal in Italy saw two popular Italian streamers host a four-hour livestream on Twitch, interacting with the devices to showcase features of the Samsung Galaxy product line. More than 60K unique viewers tuned in for a cumulative total of 368K minutes, and the campaign exceeded benchmarks for reach, awareness, consideration and sales. [5]
From passive to active experiences
The creative palette available today means advertisers have more channels, formats and techniques to transform the performance of marketing campaigns – if they are willing to experiment and let the viewer be part of the experience.
“Brands should strive to engage with customers in a seamless manner by respecting their existing behaviors and avoiding any negative disruption or forced interaction, and enriching their lives with new, but above all, improved experiences,” says Kovacevic.
By layering interactivity into content that audiences are streaming, be that video or audio for example, there’s an opportunity for brands to move from passive to active experiences to reinforce their brand message and add value to the user.
Take Warner Bros.’ immersive UK campaign on IMDb for the launch of The Batman movie in 2022, which brought customers even further into Gotham through a gamified ad experience on the site [6]. By integrating interactive and creative design elements including hidden messages, images, and film-related features, the brand was able to add an element of gamification and surprise and delight fans who discovered them.
At the end of the day, simplicity is key, says Kate McCagg, head of Brand Innovation Lab at Amazon Ads. “Stories that really stick will hit just a couple of beats and resonate with people in a way that feels familiar but surprises them at the same time. There comes a point where there’s just not enough motivation on the consumer side to remember five things. Brands need to prioritize what information they want customers to retain, so they’ll be more likely to.”
Top tips
Painting the creative canvas
Make every second count: keep the message simple for the greatest impact
Explore the power of audio and livestreaming and their roles in the storytelling mix
Let the viewer in: experiment with interactivity to create real-time connections
Continue the journey...
