Think about the last time you bought something because of a social media ad.
Did you buy it because the company threw jargon or fancy words like “synergy” or “market-leading solutions”?
Probably not.
You likely bought it because you felt a connection with the product. Maybe other customers’ stories resonated with you, or perhaps you found the brand’s goal genuinely helpful. This is because we are not just consumers; we are looking to build a connection. This is the power of humanised brand storytelling. It is the way to show the human side of your brand, rather than imposing a pushy sales pitch on your potential customers. It is all about moving away from “corporate speak” toward building a real, human conversation.
Why People Remember Stories Better than Data and Facts?
Human brains are hardwired for stories.
According to several neuroscience studies, stories engage our brains in multiple ways simultaneously. A story activates emotions, senses, and memory. Facts and statistics, on the other hand, mainly trigger the language part of the brain.
According to Jennifer Aaker, the Professor of Marketing at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, stories are 22 times more memorable than facts. Shocking part of the study? Only 5% recalled statistics, while 63% remembered the stories.
Imagine you are a water filter brand and adopt two approaches to sell your brand.
Option A: The Raw Data Approach
“Our water filter comes with a 5-stage ionic exchange resin and activated carbon block. It lowers Lead and PFOA/PFOS by 99 %. It is BPA-free and fits in standard refrigerator doors.”
When you walk through this description, Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area (the language processing centres) get activated to decode those numbers and technical terms. But you are likely to forget the exact percentage of lead reduction or flow rate five minutes from now. It felt like reading a manual.
Option B: The “Humanised Story” Approach
“Last summer, Sarah found that her little son John was not drinking much water because he didn’t like how it tasted from the tap. She bought our water filter, and things changed. Leo liked the taste, so she did not have to keep pushing him to drink. She has a great peace of mind that her family is drinking safe and healthy water.”
This story version activated Neural Coupling, which is a sync of brain activity between people during communication or shared experiences. Simply put, your brain did not just process words; it created a mental image of Sarah’s kitchen.
The humanised story part wins here as the brand moves from the customer’s logic centre to their memory centre.
Why Storytelling Works for Your Brand Storytelling(in Context of Modern Audiences)
Today’s digital world is quite dynamic. People see ads everywhere, on their phones, laptops, and social media. With so much content vying for attention, brands need to cut through this noise. This is where storytelling helps.
It makes your brand, as I said before, more human. A good story captivates us and makes us feel connected. This is why storytelling helps brands communicate better with their audience. Instead of just selling a product, they share emotions, experiences, and values that people can relate to.
Out and out, humanised storytelling is about unleashing the soul behind the logo.
Keep in mind that modern audiences—especially Gen Z and Millennials—are likely to consume content differently from older generations. The embrace brands in the same space as their beloved ones. But they also want to avoid listening to a sales pitch. They prefer content that is equipped with value, personality, and purpose. They are the ones who like memes and cultural moments. Plus, they switch seamlessly between channels and devices, often in a single minute.
In his book “The Future-Ready Brand”, Mitch Ducker perfectly explains this content-consuming habit of Gen Z—
“Gen Z prefers messaging that looks like they created it themselves, especially in social media. If it looks homespun, user-generated, or unpolished, Gen Z sees it as more authentic and credible.”
Humanising Your Content for Modern Audiences
There was a campaign launched in 2024 by JanSport using funny and real content to promote their backpacks. The ad featured students singing awkward songs about everyday moments like school bathrooms and breakups. This honest and playful style helped JanSport connect better with Gen Z. As a result, it registered over 380% spike in engagement and helped JanSport record its highest grossing months in their 50-year history.
The point is here that the content should be authentic, but funnier than a polished sales ad to captivate the modern audience.
Humanising your brand storytelling means:
- Admitting you aren’t perfect.
- Sharing the “behind-the-scenes” struggles.
- Focusing on people (employees and customers) rather than just products.
- Speaking like a friend, not a manual.
As Edelman’s Trust Barometer has frequently pointed out, consumers now trust “someone like me” as much as they trust academic experts. When you tell a human story, you become “someone like them.”
The Pillars of a Humanised Story
To tell a story that sticks, you need more than just a catchy slogan. You need these four pillars:
A. Vulnerability
If your product launch has failed and you learned a hard lesson from it, you can share these moments to look relatable. In the late 2000s, Domino’s was going through one of its leanest phases. Thanks to the substandard taste of its pizza, as reported by the customers. But the brand made a perfect opportunity out of this crisis as they launched their “Pizza Turnaround” campaign. They admitted that their “pizzas are not good”. In fact, their chefs read out loud even the most negative feedback from their customers. Later, they shared how they made a comeback.
As they were honest about their failure, the customers gave them a second chance.
B. Empathy
Don’t brag about what your product does. Instead, start talking about the problem it can solve for a real person. It is all about saying, “I see you, I understand your problems, and I can help.” For example, Slack created a friendly bot that talks like a real colleague, reducing the stress of learning a new tool for beginners.
C. Consistency
Stop acting as a human on Monday and a corporate robot on Tuesday. Keep your voice consistent across your website, your Instagram, and your customer support emails.
D. Purpose
Why do you exist (besides making money)? Modern audiences want to support brands that stand for something. Whether it’s sustainability, social justice, or just making the best cup of coffee in the world, your purpose is the heartbeat of your story.
Real-World Examples of Brand Storytelling Done Right
Let’s look at some brands that have aced the art of being “human”.
Nike’s Winning Isn’t Comfortable
In this campaign, Nike shifted its focus to the real-life struggles, such as sore muscles and the lonely early mornings experienced by the fitness community. It aimed to create the universal experience of “motivating yourself.”
Dove: “Real Beauty”
For ages, beauty brands featured airbrushed models. Dove changed the game by showing real women with real bodies and “their flaws” in their ads. This was more than a mere ad campaign; it was a story about self-esteem. By showing the real struggles of their audience, Dove became a brand that people felt understood them.
Mailchimp’s Bloom Season
Mailchimp has launched the Bloom Season docuseries to spotlight Black Entrepreneurs who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic, as well as show the struggles of entrepreneurs from the LGBTQIA+ community.
Adidas’ You Got This
Like its rival Nike, Adidas focused on something unusual. Instead of showing glories and victories, it highlighted self-doubt in its latest brand campaign. “You Got This” is a series of global films with each one showing the moments of encouragement from teammates, family, and coaches.
How to Start Humanising Your Brand
You don’t need a million-dollar budget to tell a human story. You just need to be observant.
Step 1: Find Your “Why”
Ask yourself: If my company disappeared tomorrow, what would the world miss? The answer to that is the start of your story.
Step 2: Use “Real” Language
Read your website copy out loud. Does it sound like something you’d say to a friend over coffee? If not, rewrite it. Use “I” and “We.” Avoid jargon. Instead of “leveraging cutting-edge solutions,” try “using tools that actually work.”
Step 3: Feature Your Team
People bond with people, not logos. Introduce your team. Show their hobbies. Let them take over your social media for a day. When customers see the faces behind the brand, the “corporate wall” disappears.
Step 4: User-Generated Content (UGC)
Let your customers tell your story for you. When a customer shares a photo of your product, they are sharing a piece of their life. Sharing that content is the ultimate form of humanised storytelling because it proves your brand exists in the real world.
Let’s Humanise Your Brand, Together
At the end of the day, your customers are just people trying to escape a busy, loud, and often confusing world. They don’t want to be chased by the sales copies and pushy ads. They want brands to highlight their stories and concerns. By humanising your brand story, you start being a meaningful part of their lives. If you want professional help, reach out to our digital marketing experts at iSonic Media. We create the copies that resonate. Let’s start talking to your audience.
