At Content Works, Postmedia’s award-winning, full-service branded content studio, we believe in the power of great stories. But what makes a great story and how can you use storytelling to start a conversation with your target audience?
According to American psychologist Jerome Bruner, facts are approximately 22 times more likely to be remembered if they are part of a story. Facts are just data points; stories link them together.
Stories connect and stories change minds: Stories create patterns when we can connect what we’re hearing in a story to our own experiences. An engaging article taps into people’s emotions and lets them come to their own positive conclusions.
How does this help you, and how does this help your brand? Because brand storytelling is a key marketing tactic to connect with audiences.
It allows you to…
- Join conversations related to your target audience and industry
- Establish your expertise on a subject matter
- Emphasize your unique value propositions in ways that are hard to explain using other marketing products
Ultimately, stories help forge emotional bonds with audiences that cause them to choose your services over their competitors.
Every month, Content Works partners with advertisers across Canada to create impactful content that combines our expert storytelling with their marketing goals to create content that resonates with readers. Here’s a selection of the best content partnerships we created with brands last month.
For more examples and to learn about working with Postmedia Content Works, visit www.postmediasolutions.com/solutions/content/.
Bristol Myers Squibb
The purpose of this article was to capture the essence of what innovation in medical research means to patients. The article tells the story of Linda Morse, who was diagnosed in her late 50s with stage-4 lung cancer. Devastated by the diagnosis, Morse experienced her first glimmer of hope when she was accepted into a clinical trial for a new infusion treatment. Her subsequent remission has given Morse a deep appreciation for the effort and dedication that goes into developing medicines that help improve the outcomes of patients with advanced cancer and other serious diseases. In telling Morse’s story, the article demonstrates how the relentless search for the next best-in-class medicines can transform lives.
See the content here: Healthing x Bristol Myers Squibb
Community Natural Foods
Community Natural Foods, a natural and organic food brand out of Calgary, wanted to promote its sustainability efforts as part of its larger Planet Protectors brand campaign. To support this, Content Works created an article that offered tips for readers to get the most out of their grocery bill — while shopping sustainably at the same time. A dynamic infographic embedded in the article offered food storage tips to keep your produce fresher, longer, creating additional value for readers. Overall, the execution was a good example of content that gives more than it takes.
See the content here: Calgary Herald x Community Natural Foods
OASIS Immersion
Montreal is a city filled with cultural experiences, but the latest offering from OASIS Immersion brings storytelling to life in a brand-new way. This in-depth feature from Content Works brings readers behind the scenes of the new transformé exhibition, which showcases real-life stories in an immersive experience. By exploring how empathy can be showcased within virtual reality, this article is an example of how we can align deep and interesting topics with client marketing goals to create engaging content.
See the content here: Montreal Gazette x OASIS Immersion
Saskatchewan Union of Nurses
To raise public awareness about the need to do more to keep experienced nurses from leaving the profession, the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) partnered with Postmedia on a sponsored content campaign that coincided with National Nursing Week. SUN used the article to call for a nursing task force to be established to address the nursing crisis. Published on both the StarPhoenix and Leader-Post sites, the campaign is enjoying a high volume of page views, interactions and comments.
See the content here: Regina Leader Post x Saskatchewan Union of Nurses
Brookfield Residential
Brookfield Residential wanted to position The Orchards, a thriving community in south Edmonton, as the must-see first stop on a person’s homebuying journey. While the community itself launched in 2011, Content Works used this opportunity to highlight a newsworthy announcement: the opening of The Orchards’ new off-leash dog park. The article included photos of real dogs and their owners, plus testimony from pup parents about how the dog park has connected them to their neighbours in The Orchards. A feel-good piece, the story succeeded by painting a picture of a growing community where dog parents and people who love the outdoors can flourish.
See the content here: Edmonton Journal x Brookfield Residential
Ultimately, as shared in these examples, strong storytelling should give more than it takes, emphasize human connection and inspire and engage the audience. For brands, collaborating with Content Works allows you to tell your story in a way that resonates with readers. We’ll help you find the right story. If you’re ready to start a conversation about content and how we can help, click here.
