In a marketplace filled with companies, all of whom represent themselves as being healthy, it can be hard for consumers to determine which companies they can trust. A start-up healthy snack company, a client of ours, had complications that fit this profile. Customers weren't buying our snacks over those of more established companies even though their healthy snacks were truly clean-label, healthy, and delicious.
The reason was simple: people buy stories, not snacks. And the brand wasn’t telling any story at all.
The customer asked us to help create trust, establish an emotional connection with their customers, and drive repeat purchases through a successful brand storytelling strategy. Here’s how we did it:
The brand had challenges to face prior to their adoption of brand storytelling:
Retention of customers
Differentiation from other companies in the rapidly growing and saturated “Healthy Snacks" category
Limited brand recall
Customer's inability to rely on nutritional claims
Lack of emotional engagement with target customers
They had a good product, but no painted pictures around the product.
Step 1: Create the brand's core story
To develop the brand's core story, the agency looked into the history of the brand and developed the narrative to capture:
The personal journey of the founder:
A mom who was having difficulty finding healthy snack options for her children
Conducting thorough research to select only the highest quality natural ingredients
A dedication to being honest and transparent to customers about the ingredients
This became the foundation of all future brand communications.
Step 2: Create story-driven content marketing
To this end, we built a content marketing system based on a story-telling format.
Education-based content:
Nutrition breakdowns of each product
Spotlight articles detailing specific ingredients used
"Behind the scenes" videos documenting the product-preparing process, etc.
Emotional content:
Relatable parent moments as portrayed in customer testimonials
Real transformation of customers' bodies and minds through the use of these snacks
Trust-building content:
Stories detailing where ingredients come from, including inspection reports
Stories detailing the rigorous nature of third-party product testing conducted by independent laboratories
Campaigns that provide a specialised and tightly controlled label.
This has resulted in a brand that has both human connection and trustworthy credibility through its integrity.
Step 3: Social Media Storytelling (High-Impact)
Social media served as a powerful new medium for storytelling for brands rather than simply showcasing discounts and products.
Types of Stories Shared:
Mini-documentaries
Founder story reels
Ingredient journey carousels
Customer testimonial stories (real people, real problems)
Quick tip/value-based shorts (healthy alternatives)
The end result of utilizing storytelling to greater engage with customers, create a community of loyal supporters rather than just a customer base.
Step 4: Social Media Ads Based on Story Angles
Rather than running plain product ads, we launched story-centric ad funnels:
Top of Funnel (Awareness)
Emotive Founder Story Video
Problem-Solution Stories (healthy alternatives)
Ingredient Transparency Ads.
Middle of Funnel (Consideration)
Customer Transformation Stories
'Behind the Scenes' clips to build trust
Testimonials as Ads
Bottom of Funnel (Conversions)
Carousels of Value-Based Products
Snack Bundle Promos
Audience Retargeting via Story Snippets (6 seconds)
Moving away from “Buy Now!” to “This is Our Journey” had a significant positive effect on customer conversion rates.
Step 5: Leverage UGC-Focused Storytelling
UGC Exists to be Organized Rather than Random
Types of UGC We Used:
Moms Sharing Accurate Product Feedback
Fitness Experts Sharing Macro Information
Children Sampling Snacks and Reacting Organically
Nutritionists Educating Customers on Ingredients
As a result of this UGC We Were Able To Gain Trust With New Customers Who Had No Previous Experience With the Brand Immediately.
Step 6: Build the Brand Personality
An Identifiable and Recognizable Brand Personality Was Created Using the Following Attributes:
Honest
Transparent
Fun
Family-focused
Health-driven
This Brand Personality Was Reflected in All Aspects of the Business From Packaging To Advertising To Social Media Posts To Customer Service Scripts.
The Result After 5 Months
After implementing storytelling across all digital platforms:
Key Growth Metrics
Returning Customers increased by 62%
Website Engagement increased by 3X
Conversion Rates improved by 45%
Social Media Engagement increased by 8X
Average Order Values increased by 23%
As a result, we built strong relationships with our audience that go beyond selling; we connected with them as individuals, allowing for greater loyalty and higher levels of trust.
If you're looking to turn your product into a story customers believe in and create campaigns that actually convert, your brand needs a powerful Social Media Marketing strategy - built on data, creativity, and storytelling.