Content that sparks conversation: How brands can connect emotionally with their audience

Our guest author reveals how relevance, consistency, and storytelling can drive deeper brand-audience connections in the digital age.

In his 1996 essay, Bill Gates prophetically asserted "content is king”. He foresaw content as the digital realm's economic powerhouse, akin to broadcasting's golden age. Gates also recognized the expansive nature of content in the interactive world, encompassing everything from software to social media. His essay talked about how every human screen interaction is a piece of content - an opportunity to engage.

While the term has since been overused and diluted, its core truth remains: compelling content is the cornerstone of modern success. In a world saturated with overwhelming information, it’s the art of storytelling that cuts through the noise and forge lasting connections between people and brands.

Now, in 2024, "content" remains an ambiguous term, often misused as a catch-all for social media posts or SEO bait. Few brands grasp the full potential of content as a strategic tool for market leadership. Plato wisely quoted, "Those who tell stories rule society." Today’s marketplace is indeed ruled by those who harness the power of storytelling to build and maintain their market leadership.

As a seasoned observer and participant in this industry for over two decades, I’ve closely monitored the evolving content consumption habits of digital audiences, particularly Indian audiences. Content consumption has evolved from a handful of broadcast channels to a vast, personalized digital landscape. Yet, at the heart of it all lies our enduring love for stories. Indians are inherently emotional, with a voracious appetite for entertainment. We'll happily sift through countless mundane reels in search of a single, captivating narrative. And unapologetically it feels good, always. This innate hunger for stories is a powerful force, and it's clear that brands that understand the art of storytelling foster deeper connections, driving loyalty and advocacy.

Delving deeper into content consumption patterns, I was keen to dissect the fundamental difference between boring content and engaging storytelling, between content that is skipped and content that sparks conversations. Broadly, Indians are avid story consumers, embracing narratives across all formats and platforms. Whether it's a short video clip or a feature-length film, the key lies in the story's ability to ignite conversations and foster engagement.

To consistently create content that sparks conversations, brands must master both the art of storytelling and the discipline of relevance and consistency.

Relevance is about deep consumer insights. It's about knowing what your audience wants. By leveraging AI and ML, brands can uncover deep insights, predict trends, and tailor content to resonate on a profound level. Brands must invest in understanding not just consumer demographics but consumer psychographics too; crafting narratives that align with consumers' values, aspirations, and emotions.

Psychographics delve deeper into consumer psychology, understanding their lifestyles, attitudes, and interests. Further, AI technologies, like Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO), allow brands to customise creatives at scale and integrate a blend of programmatic signals with deep consumer intelligence, to create highly personalised and impactful campaigns.

Consistency is the cornerstone of a strong brand identity. Brand love is cultivated when consumers feel good about every interaction that they have with the brand, be it a small advertising teaser, a grand long-form campaign, a small app notification, or the subtle product description on the packaging. Traditional agency models, often siloed by discipline (creative, media, digital), can hinder this consistency.

The industry’s reliance on siloed agency structures often hinders a cohesive content strategy. To thrive in today's interconnected world, brands require partners who can orchestrate content seamlessly across platforms and formats. By maintaining a consistent tone, style, and narrative, brands can build trust and loyalty, fostering a deep emotional connection with their audience.

When relevance and consistency converge with compelling storytelling, brands can ignite conversations that resonate, building deeper connections with their audience and driving long-term growth.

(Our guest author is Neena Dasgupta, CEO and Founder of The Salt Inc)