“There are stories and then there are Stories with a capital S – the really good ones. For brands, it is essential to decide upfront what they want their audience to remember. It’s not about what you want to say, it is about what you want your audience to remember. To make sure they not only remember, but remember the right things, there are a couple points to keep in mind.” Maarten Schäfer

1.
The
criteria
for
a
good
story
–
by
Maarten
Schäfer
“There
are
stories
and
then
there
are
Stories
with
a
capital
S
–
the
really
good
ones.
For
brands,
it
is
essential
to
decide
upfront
what
they
want
their
audience
to
remember.
It’s
not
about
what
you
want
to
say,
it
is
about
what
you
want
your
audience
to
remember.
To
make
sure
they
not
only
remember,
but
remember
the
right
things,
there
are
a
couple
points
to
keep
in
mind.”

2. Elements
of
a
Good
Story:
The
Wow
Factor
The
first
and
perhaps
most
important
element
of
a
good
story
is
the
Wow
Factor.
You
have
to
catch
your
audience’s
attention.
The
content,
context
or
tone
and
way
you
tell
the
story
have
to
make
people
go
“Wow”.
Stickiness
The
second
crucial
element
is
stickiness.
Tell
the
story
in
such
a
way
that
people
can
easily
remember
it.
Don’t
use
too
many
complicated
words,
don’t
give
too
much
information.
Make
your
audience
curious
to
learn
more.
Make
sure
your
story
sticks.
Let
them
repeat
your
story
to
their
peers.
Make
it
Personal
Don’t
ever
tell
a
story
about
“our
company”
or
“the
brand”,
but
make
it
personal.
The
story’s
content
also
has
to
be
personal.
You
can’t
talk
about
the
founder
of
the
company
and
all
the
things
he
did
without
playing
a
part
in
this
story
yourself.
Somehow
the
story
has
to
be
about
you,
in
relation
to
the
company.
Keep
it
Authentic
The
story
has
to
be
true.
You
can’t
make
it
up.
Of
course
you
can
add
elements
to
the
story
to
make
it
more
interesting
for
people
to
listen
to
and
easier
to
remember,
but
it
has
to
be
true.
Target
the
audience
Adjust
your
story
according
to
the
audience.
If
you
are
talking
to
students
about
a
brand
that
is
targeted
at
mothers
for
example,
don’t
expect
them
to
feel
the
same
way
a
mother
would.
So
appeal
to
other
emotions.
Maarten
Schäfer
Author
-­‐
Photographer
-­‐
Storyteller
Founder
CoolBrands
and
CBNWS
Author
‘Around
the
World
in
80
Brands’
-­‐
‘CoolBrands
the
Guru
book’
‘Storytelling
Expedition
into
Brazil
Food’
‘Storytelling
Expedition
into
the
Middle
East
and
Africa