Stories as Cultural Currency Suzanne Gibbs Howard

People share stories as a way to own experiences and reveal parts of themselves to others

Every product needs a story, as does every brand. The product’s origin. The creators’ ideals. Or a unique experience. These stories provide value.

Consumers are looking to share narratives as a way to express their knowledge, identity, status, and connections. As the DNA of viral marketing, these stories help people connect more deeply with a brand, a product, and others around them.

The Evidence — Stories from around the globe

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Shoes make the man

A self-proclaimed sneaker geek, Carl has over 500 pairs in his collection. His current favorite? A pair of laser-etched Nikes he picked up in Japan. The detailing is subtle, but to those in the know, they have enormous value.

The specialty stores he visits on his travels, like Alife in New York or Kicks in Los Angeles, fly a bit below the radar. Knowing about them is all about making the right connections. To garner sneaker cred, Carl participates in online communities, sharing his knowledge and proclaiming his status through his collection.

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Bragging rights on a global scale

A lot of people travel to Costa Rica to take surf lessons. But only a handful can learn from an internationally renowned pro during a weeklong, invite-only surf camp.

Lee, a 36-year-old investment banker from Manhattan, works hard to attract opportunities like this. She and her banking industry friends are adrenaline junkies, always on the hunt for the next exceptional experience.

Whether it’s indulging in local treatments at an exclusive $1200 per night spa in Thailand or bypassing the months-long waitlist at a trendy restaurant in Vegas, Lee gathers experiences to increase her social and professional profile.

Working in a typically male-dominated industry, she may not always get invited to go bear hunting with the guys in Alaska. But she can still impress the firm’s partners with her access to exclusive resorts in remote parts of the globe.

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Discerning chickens cause a stir

In Andhra Pradesh, India, a region where clean water is scarce, one humble local farmer’s chickens are better off than most people. Searching for a way to differentiate his product, he took a big risk by starting to give his chickens purified water to drink.

Soon after the switch, the farmer’s chickens started growing faster, suffered less disease and produced more eggs. Overall, they were much healthier than the neighboring villagers’ chickens being fed water from the local well.

News about these high-quality chickens spread rapidly through the local community. Not only did the entrepreneurial farmer’s sales shoot up, but sales of purified water went through the roof.


Image credit: Jennifer Chong

Red Cross

With IDEO’s help, the Red Cross not only has a redesigned mobile center, they have a deeper connection with their donors. The key to altering the overall experience was to switch the focus from the recipients to the donors. Each donor now writes a postcard with their own personal story about why they were motivated to donate blood. These postcards are then posted on the wall at the center for others to read and be inspired by.

The perfect ingredient for self-expression

Lori’s cupboards overflow with obscure artisan food products. She spends a great deal of time scouring the Internet and boutique stores, focusing on details about ingredients and the artisans themselves. To deepen her knowledge, she also subscribes to online newsletters and attends food conferences.

Thirty and single, Lori isn’t that engaged with her career, so she has a lot of time and money to spend on food. And her friends reap the benefits. “All summer long, I entertain on the front porch,” she says. “My friends tell me I’m in the wrong line of work.”

Tesco

Tesco is a company that emphasizes locally grown food as a link to safety. From health challenges like Mad Cow to environmental impacts due to importing, Tesco encourages regional sourcing whenever possible. And by finding local products across the UK and Ireland, they can connect not only with consumers’ sense of security, but also their national pride.

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Shun knives

The shimmering pattern of a Shun knife’s layered steel blade is a distinctive visual clue that can elicit pangs of jealousy at a dinner party. This “Damascus look” tells a more evocative brand story about Japanese heritage and craft than anything Shun could ever express focusing on SUS410 High Carbon Stainless Steel or a VG10 core.

Discussion

design_one

September 8, 2009

A real estate developer (my client) has been the driving force behind the revitilization of a neighborhood over the last ten years. They know, however, that a neighborhood belongs to its residents and workers, so a soon-to-be-launched website will hand over the reigns to those individuals. They’ll create an anticipated 80% of the online content by posting events, stories, tips and recommendations - making the online experience of the neighborhood as messy, unexpected and vibrant as the neighborhood itself.

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tee

November 16, 2009

I think every village_perhaps even every post code_should have its own web site. A digital notice board/suggestions board…for nights when its just too cold to share this sort of thing at the other centre of the community_ the pub.

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martina

December 3, 2009

I’m an Italian student of Economics and I just want to thank you cause you have eventually shown me that what I’m studing has a real meaning and an effective purpose.. you are great!!

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Safety Training

December 29, 2009

Interesting post you have here. I especially enjoyed the “The perfect ingredient for self-expression” story.

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Online Tax Refunds

January 2, 2010

The specialty stores he visits on his travels, like Alife in New York or Kicks in Los Angeles, fly a bit below the radar. Knowing about them is all about making the right connections.

Online Tax Refunds

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Judith

January 8, 2010

I just finished reading “Shoes make the man”. Wow! 500 pairs of shoes!. Carl can give Imelda MarcosShoes make the man.
Iberostar Grand Paraiso Hotel

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Designer Bags

January 11, 2010

@Discerning chickens cause a stir: It mentions that clean water is scarce there. Maybe you’ve been feeding them with dirty water.

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Melaleuca

January 12, 2010

Oh my god! A $1200 per night spa!! That’s absurd.

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burak

January 16, 2010

i liked it. thanks a lot for this article.
online dizi izle

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education

January 21, 2010

Hello,

Thanks for provide good information.sunil agrawal and associates have created landmarks in Marketing and Branding of some of the most successful commercial and housing projects in Indore. Success in building a larger than life image for Real Estate projects has bestowed upon us the hard earned experience and expertise in marketing dream destinations to the people.

Thanks again

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Facebook backgrounds

January 30, 2010

My best friend passed away last Jan. The night that she died, her brother put a little thing that she and him always fought over on his dresser. In the morning when he woke up; it was gone. He went into her room and it was there on her nightstand….

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Industrial spray booth

February 1, 2010

Very nice stories.. thanks for sharing.

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Used Buses for Sale

February 6, 2010

We took an industry known for questionable products and turned it around. The purchase of used buses for sale has always been a gamble. So some years back I decided to step ahead of my competition by selling refurbished used buses.
This is the sell:
If you have decided to purchase a pre owned bus for sale, by all means, make sure that it has been refurbished. Confidence and reliability should be a key factor in finding your bus sale. They may be a little more expensive, but in the long run, the wiser choice. there are fewer worries of unexpected repairs. Confidence and reliability should be a key factor when looking for bus sales.
Without refurbishment you will be guessing about the condition of your used bus.

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Memory Foam Wedge

February 14, 2010

Interesting story about the purified water for the chickens. Goes to show, garbage in, garbage out.

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Used Bus for Sale

February 17, 2010

They’ll create an anticipated 80% of the online content by posting events, stories, tips and recommendations - making the online experience of the neighborhood as messy, unexpected and vibrant as the neighborhood itself.

3 people agree with this comment

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Thorlo socks sale

March 3, 2010

Success in building a larger than life image for Real Estate projects has bestowed upon us the hard earned experience and expertise in marketing dream destinations to the people.

2 people agree with this comment

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Used tractor values

March 3, 2010

Informations like this I always prefer to collect. I always open your post with great wish.

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Bus Sales

March 9, 2010

The way that people proudly display their baseball caps with emblems from different exotic locations, teams or beer! With each cap there is a story.

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Burr coffee grinders

March 11, 2010

Thanks for provide good information.sunil agrawal and associates have created landmarks in Marketing and Branding of some of the most successful commercial and housing projects in Indore.

2 people agree with this comment

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Spa Breaks

March 12, 2010

Very inspiring stories. I even got an idea on how to improve my business by reading this article. Thanks

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