What the writers of Barbie and B2B storytellers have not got in common

A few years ago, marketers began rebranding themselves as ‘storytellers’. Of course, we did. As ‘bringing brands to life’ sounds a lot more indispensable than ‘executing brand messaging’.

Storytelling sounds great, doesn’t it? Dramatic, life-affirming, and oh so human. Whereas executing brand messaging? Sounds so cold and robotic – a bit heartless even. So, why wouldn’t we rebrand ourselves? Not only does it make us feel warm and fuzzy (and let’s face it, a bit more interesting) – but it’s brilliant shorthand for pushing B2B where we should be: the realm of emotional marketing.

Which is all great. But are we any good at it?

Meet Darth Vader – single parent

Well, let’s imagine if B2B storytellers had written this well-known film scene.

Int - corridor - day

We are inside a futuristic mining complex. It is vast. Lots of flashing lights and machinery. On a thin walkway a dark figure in a mask and cape towers over a much smaller man. The dark figure is DARTH VADER. The man is LUKE SKYWALKER.

      VADER

      Luke . . . I am your father.

     SKYWALKER

      Dad? . . . Dad, is that really you?

     VADER

     Yes son, oh my god I’ve missed you. Come here and give your old man a hug.

The two embrace.

     SKYWALKER

     Oh dad, I love you.

     VADER

     I love you too son. Let me treat you to a pizza.

And that of course is just an overly long way of saying, no, we’re not as good at B2B storytelling as we like to think. The reason is that most B2B ‘stories' sanitize the key element of any narrative: the villain.

B is for Barbie – and bravery

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been told “we can’t be too negative” or “we only want the audience to see us as positive.”

A few years back I remember working on a cyber security-related campaign, where a 1930s Chicago gangster-style bank robbery played a part in the concept. The feedback? “We love it, but can you make the bank robbery positive?”

Really?

Now, I appreciate the fact that brands want to protect their reputation and manage how they are viewed. But if they want to create emotional marketing that reflects the real-life experiences of B2B buyers and users. And – more importantly – build post-sale recurring revenues, is it realistic to present those lived experiences as something that is only shiny and bright? Do we really think that audiences will run a mile from a B2B brand that talks to them authentically, warts and all?

I’d say no.

Look at Mattel and its decision to allow its jewel-in-the crown product to be part of a story that deals with some negative themes, like an unrealistic view of femininity, plus the dangers of patriarchy and a warped view of masculinity. Has the audience run a mile from it? Well, $1.8bn dollar box office takings and counting suggests not. And that’s before you get to the successful repositioning of the Barbie brand from a somewhat out-of-date view of women to one of total empowerment.

Whoever controls that brand, certainly understands the power of actual storytelling.

Oh, woe is me!

Before I finish up, there are of course exceptions to that B2B rule. HP’s The Wolf, for one. Also, a 2019 docu-series from Lenovo called The Fallout, which was all about how Sony got hacked. But I’m notoriously wrong about most things and if you have any more, I’d love to hear them.

So, what can we do? Well, I think we can all accept that our audiences in B2B are grown-ups and can accept that life throws up shadows as well as rays of sunshine. And that they are more likely to trust a brand that’s truthful and authentic about the challenges they face.