Storytelling In A Digital World: Quality Over Quantity?

In today's digital landscape, the art of storytelling has undergone a dramatic transformation in modern marketing. Has technology simplified storytelling, made it more complex or merely added to the clutter?

Gunjit Jain, Executive Vice President of Marketing at Colgate-Palmolive India believes storytelling remains the key differentiator that determines the effectiveness and impact of content. "The core of storytelling hasn’t changed; it’s about how well you can tell a story that resonates with your audience," he stated. 

Jain shared an anecdote from rural Gujarat. During his visit, he observed children consuming a variety of content on YouTube, a stark contrast to traditional content consumption patterns while acknowledging that content creation has become democratised. Essentially, anyone with a smartphone can now produce content. Jain emphasised that the real challenge lies in the quality of storytelling.

Shuvadip Banerjee, Chief Digital Marketing Officer at ITC spoke about the opportunity's technology has brought to the table. He noted that unlike a decade ago when brands would release a single campaign for the entire year, today’s digital landscape requires them to craft stories across multiple touchpoints. “We now have platforms like D2C and ecommerce where we can engage with our audience directly,” Banerjee explained. However, he also stressed that the essence of effective storytelling lies in creative thought and innovation.

Vineeth Viswambharan, Vice President and Business Head of Food and FMCG at Adani Wilmar highlights focusing on the challenges posed by content democratisation. He pointed out that brands today not only compete but also with every content creator globally.

“The sheer volume of content out there is overwhelming. The challenge is how to make your story stand out,” he said. Viswambharan stressed that storytelling needs to resonate with the audience more than ever, as the battle for attention has intensified in the digital age. 

On the mediums impact on storytelling, Tushar Malhotra, Director of Sales and Marketing at Bisleri provided an interesting perspective. He contrasted the storytelling styles of traditional TV commercials with those on digital platforms. Using a Bisleri ad featuring Deepika Padukone as an example, he illustrated how storytelling must be concise and impactful in time-limited formats like TV. On the other hand, digital platforms offer the luxury of time, allowing brands to tell deeper, more emotional stories. Malhotra highlighted a sustainability-focused film by Bisleri as a case in point, demonstrating how digital media enables more nuanced storytelling. 

Further, Banerjee noted that emotional storytelling is timeless and will continue to be the key to making brands stand out, regardless of the platform. He acknowledged the challenges posed by shorter formats but maintained that the ability to connect emotionally with the audience will always be the hallmark of great storytelling. "Technology can enhance our stories, but the heart of storytelling is still human emotion," he concluded. 

Sambhav Kumar

BW Reporters