The curious evolution of brand storytelling [infographic]

The way we (as brands) tell our stories to consumers has come a long way. Initially, before the days of technology and constant connectivity, our marketing strategies were focused around peer-to-peer communications. Telephones and small communities meant the most valuable way to advertise your product was to get others to talk about it.

As the world evolved and technology became part of our day-to-day lives, brands were able to share their stories with more and more people. The idea of broadcasting your story became a popular one with brands, and marketing strategies gravitated towards one way communication. Brands focused on telling their stories, through a mass medium, to their consumers.

As time went on, and the world continued to evolve. Humans started to gravitate towards their small communities again — the internet allowed us to combine a mass medium with a community like culture. The development of social networks, blogs, Google search and IM platforms has brought our marketing strategies 360 degrees. Back to a place where peer-to-peer communication is what we crave, and brand stories that relate to our niche audiences are the only ones we chose to consume.

This infographic highlights my thinking on more detail: