Ten years ago, I wrote a book called Storytelling for Startups. At the time, startups were struggling to explain what they did in a way that made people care. Although writing the book was satisfying, it never gained traction. The highlight? My family made 100 sandwiches for people at the launch event.
Looking back, it was either the right book at the wrong time—or the wrong book at the right time. The book I should have written? Obviously Awesome by April Dunford. When that book, focused on brand positioning, came out, I remember thinking: “That’s it. That’s the one I should’ve published. Crap.” It’s not surprising that I spent a few years disillusioned with brand storytelling. It felt like a miss. I wasn’t sure that companies, especially in B2B, wanted storytelling. They wanted clarity, positioning, and proof points. But lately, there has been a renewed and rising interest in storytelling—this time, it has real traction. The Wall Street Journal recently ran a story suggesting that “brand storyteller” is one of the hottest new jobs. I saw another article making the same point. More companies are looking for people who can tell the story of the brand—not just what it does, but why it matters. So why now? My best guess is that we’ve hit peak content or content fatigue. With AI, anyone can create content at scale. In minutes, you can fill your calendar with blog posts, newsletters, LinkedIn updates, YouTube videos and never run out of ideas. Content isn’t the bottleneck anymore. But connection and resonance are huge problems and opportunities. The challenge today isn’t creating more content—it’s creating content that matters. It’s content people rally around, that inspires action, and gets remembered. That’s where storytelling comes in. But this is where it gets tricky: storytelling means different things to different people. To storytelling a narrative arc: hero, villain, journey, lesson. Some involve a one-liner that perfectly captures a brand, an amazing photograph, a campaign, a commercial, or a 15-second TikTok video that makes you laugh, cry or think. Emotion is the common thread. A good story makes you feel something. It creates a spark. It taps into curiosity. It builds empathy. And most importantly, it makes you care. That's where storytelling earns its place as a strategic asset. Because in a noisy market, emotional resonance is what breaks through. Here are a few examples of great storytelling in action. Mailchimp’s "By the Books" documentary series is a good one. It follows small business owners navigating the complex word of entrepreneurship. They’re emotion-laden, unscripted stories with real people, real tension, real payoff. They reinforce that Mailchimp understands small businesses, that it supports the underdog, and that it sees itself as a partner, not just a tool Another example: Apple. Look at their “Shot on iPhone” campaign, which features real photos and videos by iPhone users around the world. It’s about seeing the world differently. It’s a visual story of creativity and possibility. The campaign appears globally, ranging from billboards to short films, Instagram posts and YouTube videos. But here's the catch: storytelling isn’t easy. You need to know your audience inside out; what they care about, what they fear, and what they dream of. It takes creativity to bring that to life in a way that feels authentic, not manufactured. That’s why great storytellers are becoming valuable again. When a brand knows its story and knows how to tell it, everything gets easier. Marketing becomes more consistent, customers become more engaged and loyal, and attention becomes something you earn. Storytelling might have seemed like a luxury ten years ago. Today, it's becoming a critical strategy asset. If you're trying to stand out from the crowd, storytelling is worth the time, effort and investment.
If you're a B2B or SaaS company looking to attract and engage better prospects, let's talk about how I can help as a fractional CMO or strategic advisor.
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