When we think about using storytelling as a marketing tactic we often get confused about the purpose of the story. Most marketing tries to tell the story of the product. We invite prospective customers to pay attention to our widget by describing what it does or why it’s better and think we’re telling a story.

Analyse any piece of marketing collateral that resonates with you and you’ll realise that the company doesn’t tell the story of the product at all. What they do instead is tell the story of the customer in the presence of the product. The customer, not the product is the hero of the story.

From Apple’s ‘Shot on iPhone’ billboards and IKEA’s ‘Start Something New’ folding chair, to Cook Republic’s Panna Cotta and Johanna Basford’s colouring books. The customer is the star of the show and the product is the supporting act.

Your job is to show your customer how your product makes him the hero of his story.

Image by Billie Grace Ward.