Status Stories

Brand stories are powerful. Creating a real world story where a product saves the day or puts a smile on someone's face is all the rage these days. But there's another approach that's even more effective. Instead of a company telling it's story to the customer, wouldn't it be better if they helped customers tell a story to other customers? Not to promote the brand, but to make those customers more interesting to others.

Status Stories do just that.

The folks at Trendwatching talk about this idea in detail. Here are a few highlights.

The definition of a Status Story: As more brands (have to) go niche and therefore tell stories that aren't known to the masses, and as experiences and non-consumption-related expenditures take over from physical (and more visible) status symbols, consumers will increasingly have to tell each other stories to achieve a status dividend from their purchases.

In other words, before brands would tell the story. But now, brands help consumers tell status-enhancing stories to other consumers. Why does this work?

Because people want to be unique. In the days of yesteryear, people were "keeping up with the Joneses." But now, we don't want to be like the Joneses. We want to be unique. We want something the Joneses DON'T have.

Like highly individualized things such as My Kleenex tissue that lets you put photos on your box of tissues. The slogan? "Let out your creative juices." Too funny.

Once again, this is not about brands telling their story to the masses, but helping individuals to tell stories themselves involving the brands they use.