5 Secrets to Make Brand Storytelling Sticky: Hint…it’s all about connection ~via Sabrina Stoffregen
What a perfect way to kick off the 2025 New Year... Sabrina Stoffregen's post about Brand Storytelling... perfectly in line with everything I believe from one of the best Communications Professionals in the business. I met Sabrina in 2014 via Brand Innovators, and immediately was taken by her innate understanding of how to run and manage employee advocacy, and the value in brand communications of storytelling, connecting with the consumer, and community building. /Ted
Have you ever been curious about why some brands excel at creating a connection with their audience? Brands like Nike, Patagonia, and Disney excel at immersive in-person storytelling. A strong story inspires action—it's not just about listening; it's about participating. For example, Patagonia's environmental activism is not just a marketing strategy; it's the central thread of their brand story, inspiring customers to join in their efforts, therefore attracting not just consumers, but community members and brand evangelists.
1. The secret to sparking connection
Storytelling is a powerful anchor, not just for big brands, but also for non-profit organizations. As a Fortune 100 brand marketer for 20+ years, I have led teams who have created compelling brand narratives and experiences that resonate with audiences through storytelling. At its core, storytelling taps into the fundamental ways our brains process information. Humans are hard-wired for connection through storytelling. When we encounter a story, our brains become fully engaged, activating multiple areas associated with language comprehension, sensory perception, and emotional response. Narratives activate areas of the brain associated with emotion, not just language processing. This engagement makes stories more memorable and impactful. It's not just about telling a story; it's about sparking a connection.
One of the ways I share my brand storytelling expertise and passion for design is as a volunteer designer for the Pittock Mansion. The mansion is a 16,000 square foot French Renaissance style historic home and museum in Portland, Oregon, and was built in 1914. It's known for its impressive architecture and 23 rooms filled with art and antiques and is infused with the story of the Pittock family. Every holiday season, the mansion is decked with Christmas trees, and features a spectacular exhibit, like 2024’s “Home for the Holidays.”
2. Lean into tradition as a storytelling platform
There’s no place like Pittock Mansion when it comes to experiencing Portland’s holiday tradition. This year, the Pittock Mansion celebrated its 110th anniversary. As a volunteer designer, I am a steward of its history and future. Each year the mansion selects a theme for the decorations. This year the theme is Holiday Classics. Room designers select a unique sub-theme for each room, related to the main theme.
This year, I was invited to decorate the Pittock Mansion’s Turkish smoking room. A remnant of the Victorian period, Turkish smoking rooms were popular from the late 1800s through the early 1900s. The Moorish-design smoking room contains the finest examples of plasterwork and wooden parquet flooring in the house. Undamaged by the Columbus Day storm on October 12, 1962, the elaborate domed plaster ceiling and walls retain their original paint. The walls are finished in a Tiffany glaze, a process of individual applications of silver, green, blue, and gold pigments.
The theme I selected this year, Joyeux Noël: A tribute to the queens and royal women of the Palace of Versailles, was the perfect storytelling platform to bring the nostalgia of timeless holiday stories and traditions to life at the Pittock Mansion.
It’s Christmastime, and you’re invited to steal a glimpse into the opulence of Le Château de Versailles, adorned with vintage fleur-de-lis, hand-beaded crystal ornaments, gilded holiday décor, and romantic images of the women of the 18th and 19th century French royalty.
The room features 15 women royals of Versailles like Marie Antoinette, Queen-consort of Louis XVI of France, Louise-Marie of France, a French princess, and Madame de Maintenon the secret wife of Louis XIV 1635-1719. The Christmas trees feature 75 gilded framed portraits of these royals. The room gleams with bespoke elements like a hand-sewn gold lace skirt displayed on a Marie Antoinette gown replica, hand-beaded crystal ornaments, and 75 gilded framed portraits of royal women, displayed as ornaments on the Christmas trees.
3. Invite your audience to step into the story
How a person experiences an exhibit varies greatly. As a storyteller, I am intentional in how I invite guests to experience the exhibit. By inviting your audience to step into the story, you can turn passive observers into passionate brand advocates. To engage Pittock Mansion guests in this Versailles-inspired room, I invite them to test their royal knowledge with 15 historical facts about the queens and royal women of Le Château de Versailles displayed on information cards in the exhibit. The guests then become part of the magical storytelling experience.
By employing storytelling, creators can mold the perception of their brands, evoke sentiments, and forge a stronger connection with their audience. Storytelling is the heart and soul of your brand and entices the audience into an enchanting journey that leaves a lasting impact.
4. Purpose-driven storytelling is a catalyst for connection
The future belongs to brands that can transform their narratives into a meaningful connection with their audience. Purpose-driven storytelling can extend beyond individual brand stories by igniting and engaging communities. Brands can be catalysts for change, fostering communities that rally around shared values and a collective purpose.
5. Engaged communities inspire action
The mission of the Pittock Mansion Society is to inspire understanding and stewardship of Portland history through Pittock Mansion, its collections, and programs. One of the most beautiful ways we continue this time-honored tradition of storytelling is by sharing the Pittock Mansion with the community and inviting them to experience a piece of Portland’s history and preserve it for future generations to come. I am proud to be a passionate ambassador of and storyteller for the Pittock Mansion, a true Portland treasure.
