Narrative based marketing: How to change the world of your customer

Now let me start this off by telling you that this is a super short summery of a system that took 10 years to create. So I'm not going to go as deep into it as I'd like to. Book a workshop if you like. People seem to love it. Anyway… they topic is

Why story is the key to everything. And today we're talking about marketing.

‍

The key distinction of narrative-based marketing is its fundamental approach – placing the customer, rather than your brand, as the protagonist or hero of the story. Your brand serves as the guide or mentor, enabling the hero to navigate challenges and achieve personal or professional growth. It is this shift in perspective that allows audiences to deeply resonate with your message.

It’s not about explaining your features. It’s about showing someone how their world could change – and how you can help them get there.

This isn’t copywriting. It’s transformation design.

‍

why narrative-based marketing matters. More than that. It's amazing

the key distinction of narrative-based marketing is its fundamental approach – placing the customer, rather than your brand, as the protagonist or hero of the story. Your brand serves as the guide or mentor, enabling the hero to navigate challenges and achieve personal or professional growth. It is this shift in perspective that allows audiences to deeply resonate with your message.

the four building blocks of narrative marketing

1. brand

At its core, your brand is not just a visual identity; it’s an economic and emotional entity. It should encapsulate your mission, vision, values, and the overall reason why you exist and why customers should care.

Your brand connects three layers:

- The identity level (mission, vision, values, competencies),
- The expression level (design, wording, sound, feel),
- The performance level (what you do, who for, and how well).

The brand is the reason behind all communication – and your North Star in the narrative. If you don’t know what you stand for, your story won’t stick.

‍

‍

2. personas

Creating detailed, authentic personas enables your brand to truly understand your audience’s needs, frustrations, and goals. These personas aren’t vague profiles; they are richly described characters with real-world concerns and ambitions.

We look at what they see, say, do, and hear. What jobs they need to get done. What they fear, hope, and desire. We work with demographic insights, but also with empathy and emotional mapping.

Today we use a comprehensive combination of big data and AI to create very detailed data-based personas. but you can also do it plain and simple like in the old days.

The goal stays the same: to understand their world, so you can guide them out of it.

‍

3. narrative

The heart of narrative-based marketing is storytelling. Employing structures like the hero’s journey, your narrative guides customers from their ordinary world through struggles and successes, ultimately arriving at a transformed realityfacilitated by your brand.

In practice, this means every campaign has a beginning, middle, and end:

• a problem your customer faces,
• a transformation they desire,
• and a role your brand plays to enable that shift.

A good narrative doesn’t just entertain – it frames your brand as essential to a better future.

‍

4. marketing

When your marketing is rooted in narrative, every channel – from digital ads and social media to offline experiences – consistently reinforces your story, enhancing awareness, deepening consideration and driving conversions.

Different narrative stages call for different formats:

• In the ordinary world, awareness-building content shows you understand the status quo.
• In the call to adventure, your ad copy invites people into a new possibility.
• In the ordeal, testimonials and case studies validate the risks.
• And in the new world, onboarding and product experience make sure you deliver.

Each touchpoint becomes a chapter in the story.

‍

‍

the hero’s journey in marketing

Central to powerful narratives is the hero’s journey, a widely recognised storytelling method. Wikipedia it. The point is that it’s an amazing tool to structure story.

Use it to frame everything from your landing pages to your keynote. It helps:

• clarify your positioning,
• unlock emotional resonance,
• and guide people step by step toward belief and action.

From the ordinary world to the new world, the structure allows your brand to become a story architect.

‍

transfer planning: ensuring lasting impact

Beyond storytelling, narrative marketing employs principles of learning psychology—known as transfer planning—to ensure your audience retains your message.

This involves:

• transfer motivation: ensuring your audience genuinely wants to engage
• transfer volition: helping them stay engaged and focused
• clarity of expectations: making it clear what’s coming
• content relevance: ensuring your story matters to them on a real level

‍

What now? Start with this … applying narrative marketing to your brand

Go ahead and put narrative marketing into practice. It's easy, actually.

Start by identifying or refining your customer personas. Then, construct a narrative arc around their experiences, clearly defining how your brand facilitates their transition from struggle to success.

Then go one step further: check that your marketing channels support each phase of the story.

Ask:

• What part of the journey is this ad/page/email supporting?
• Are we speaking to their world – or just about ourselves?
• Do we have content for the central ordeal? The mentor moment? The reward?

This is going to be fun.

‍

Ok, let's summarize with 5 questions, 5 answers about narrative-based marketing

‍

1. What exactly is narrative-based marketing?
it’s a strategic approach where your marketing revolves around storytelling, positioning customers as heroes to create emotional resonance and memorable experiences.

‍

2. Why should brands focus on detailed personas?
detailed personas help brands truly understand their customers, making their messaging more relevant and impactful.

‍

3. Why isn't the brand the hero?
the customer as hero creates empathy and deeper connection. your brand serves as the helpful mentor, enabling customers to reach their goals.

‍

4. What role does psychology play in narrative marketing?
psychological insights ensure your storytelling resonates deeply, is memorable, and effectively drives behavioural change.

‍

5. Can narrative-based marketing work for small businesses?
absolutely. small businesses often benefit significantly by sharing authentic, relatable stories that create deeper personal connections with their audience.