A story about ……

Posted by Peter Ivanov on May 16, 2009 under Articles/Cases/Analytics/Advices | Be the First to Comment

There is one thing that always astonished me – “yellow” novels (so-called soap operas). Those glossy books with naked people on the covers became over-popular in the 90th.
What exactly attract readers’ attention (women mostly) in soap operas? An answer is quite simple – a Story!
This cannot be overestimated of how important is a Story in PR practice. During the crisis times it can be used for promoting services or products because there is a need to create unusual ideas in order to succeed nowadays. A Story is able to “sell” a product even to those consumers who don’t need it at all. There are such well-known stories as Marlboro cigarettes image which is based on relation to the cool cowboy persona. Another example is concerning Swiss watches that today are embodying watches as an object at all. Although, we should keep in mind that different Stories were born in different times and reflected adequate issues. What are crisis Stories will look like? Will they be able to achieve their goals?
So, at first sight, in the core of every Story you may find fiction element. It’s not 100% true. If we are trying to create a PR Story in crisis times there is a need to forget about fiction or lies. And this is differs PR Story from soap opera.
Let’s describe some examples of good Stories.

1)Nokia N85.

Nokia N85 was positioned by Finish vendor as multimedia computer even though it looked as mobile smart phone. In other words, PR specialists tried to widen understanding of PC in consumer minds. A Story about N85 multimedia computer either was targeted not only at rich buyers (the price was rather high for Ukraine), or it should create Nokia image as innovation brand in heads of mass consumers.

2) Logitech + Skype = High Quality Video.

Another good example of a Story is the result of cooperation between Skype and Logitech Company. The plot of a story was based on declaration that Skype communication can be exclusively qualitative only through Logitech peripherals (web-cameras, headphones). The project was called High Quality Video. The message box used in a Story for Logitech devices promotion in cooperation with Skype contained: communicating with family or relatives who live far away can be lifelike; find your love in Internet (on-line dating) and so on. Naturally, all these messages were forced to underline the high quality of the devices.
I can easily go on with other examples but in the end let’s analyze a Story that was created in crisis.

3) Erste Bank.
Recently in Ukraine, banks have the most active informational position. Banks that have lost trust of clients try to find new path to their hearts. Bright TV advertising demonstrating profitable rates doesn’t work anymore. A few weeks ago I’ve read an article about Erste Bank in popular Ukrainian business magazine “Contracts”. It was a PR Story. Key message of this Story may be spelled: “only conservative bank can handle financial crisis”. An article tells about conservative and slow development banking strategy, little mortgage and car credits shares in debt portfolio. That issue confirms liquidity and stable position of the Erste bank. PR specialists proved conservatism with external loans absence and declining of consumer crediting. At the same time, Erste bank PR Story is adequate to advertising activity – “190 years of stability”.
Besides Erste I can’t see other efficient examples of PR Stories in Ukraine. Even those companies which spend a lot of money on PR not often try to create a Story. Although, I am sure that crisis will make business to use Stories for confirmation of stability.

(I have used actual brands names not for advertising. It would be incomplete picture if I described fake cases )