The Impact of Storytelling: A Marketing Tip From the Women's World Cup

Let me begin by saying that I am not a sports fan. I would much rather binge on Netflix than spend four hours watching a football game – or any other sport for that matter. And though I have lived in the South for 25 years – right smack in the heart of the SEC – I have never really understood the connection sports fans have to "their team." 

"WE played great last weekend."

"WE need to put <insert player's name here> on the field."

"We can win this!"

(We? Excuse me but I didn't see you on the field ... or the bench.)

That is, I never understood it until this summer.

Let me back up... In April, I was super excited to find out that someone from my hometown of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, had been named to the Canadian Women's National Team for the 2015 Women's World Cup. And it was not just anyone. It was the little sister of my very best friend growing up! I remember helping Selenia Iacchelli learn to ride her bike and jumping on the trampoline in her back yard; now, she would be donning No. 18 as she represented Canada on the biggest stage in the world. (Not only that, but Canada would host the WWC, and several of the games – including the opener – would be played in Edmonton.)

Now, I haven't spent much time watching soccer. (I played for one season with Selenia's sister, Stefania, when I was around 7 or 8, but that didn't last long as I much preferred dance.) But you'd better believe that when Canada played China in the WWC opener on June 6, I was watching on TV. And by the time the United States faced Germany in the semifinals, I was watching – in person – at Montreal's Olympic Stadium, all decked out in a U.S. Soccer shirt and screaming at the top of my lungs.

So how did a non-sports-loving youth soccer dropout like me go from zero to super fan in three weeks? Simple. It was the stories.

As a dual citizen (Canadian and American), I was lucky enough to have two teams to root for in the Women's World Cup. And as I watched these incredible athletes compete on the field, I found myself wanting to learn more about the game, the players, and their individual paths to the National Team. After all, as a non-soccer fan I had literally missed their entire careers up to this point (Wambach who?), so I had some catching up to do.

In my Googling, I stumbled upon something really interesting – a clever marketing move by U.S. Soccer that helped fans connect with the players on a really personal level. Check out U.S. Soccer's "One Nation. One Team. 23 Stories." by clicking here and experience it for yourself.

I, of course, watched every one of the 23 video stories back to back and, after doing so, was more invested than ever. Previously, I had been rooting for the U.S.A. Now, I was rooting for Megan Rapinoe, Ali Krieger, Alex Morgan and Sydney Leroux, among others. They wanted it badly and I wanted it for them. 

So when the U.S.'s youngest player, Morgan Brian, fell to the ground after a rough head-on-head collision with Germany's Alexandra Popp in the semifinal, I thought about Brian's video story. Though she had been cut from the Olympic Development Program team in high school, she had a coach who pushed her to believe in herself and set audacious goals. She dreamed of making the USWNT and not only had she achieved that, she was getting field time. I was so worried this injury would take her out of the game.

And when Carli Lloyd scored her hat trick in the first 16 minutes of the final against Japan (including that ridiculous 50-yard goal!), I thought about what she said about thriving under pressure and her ability to come through for her team in the biggest of moments. She wasn't kidding!

And when Megan Rapinoe jumped on her teammates and danced around after the final whistle blew, I thought to myself, "What an amazing birthday present this is for her!"

And when veteran captain Christie Rampone finally had the opportunity to hoist the WWC trophy into the air (with the help of Abby Wambach), I thought about how proud her precious little daughters must be of their mom. What an incredible opportunity they have had to grow up around such amazing female role models. Rampone and her teammates have shown them that anything – even the biggest of dreams – can be achieved with hard work.

Then it hit me. I finally understood. The USWNT was no longer just a team. They were my team. I cared about them as players, as teammates, as individuals ... and it was all because of their stories.

Storytelling has become a huge part of marketing anything in today's world. Whether it's the Women's World Cup, a Subaru or an Apple product, marketers have come to rely heavily on storytelling as a strategy for sharing their company's voice, personality and brand as well as for highlighting information about their products or services in a meaningful way.

The fact is, a compelling story that is both authentic and relevant can engage your audience (or your potential customers) on a whole different level. Studies indicate that people remember information better when it's presented in the context of a story – particularly when that story elicits an emotional response. Who has ever had to change the channel when Sarah MacLachlan's ASPCA commercial comes on? Be honest! 

And it's not just the sad stories that resonate. People will respond to any story that strikes a chord with them – whether the message is sad, happy, funny, intriguing, inspiring or personal. So for any business or product, there are literally hundreds, even thousands, of storytelling opportunities.

Here at Darlington School, storytelling is a fundamental strategy for us as we seek to provide prospective families with an authentic view of the student experience. We tell stories through photographs, videos and text, in multiple areas of our website, and on multiple social media platforms. Much like my experience with U.S. Soccer's "23 Stories," it is our hope that Darlington's website visitors will discover engaging content that appeals to them as individuals, helping them better understand who we are as a school and whether we might be the right fit for their family.

If you are interested in learning more, check out the 1,000 Stories section of our website, which we look forward to growing in the coming year. This area of the site features authentic audio, video and photo stories about our people, their passions and their place in the fabric of Darlington. After all, who better to tell you who we are than the alumni, parents, faculty and students who have lived – and, in many cases, been transformed by – the Darlington experience?

Another fun place to discover compelling Darlington stories and other content is the school's official YouTube channel. 

Side Note: There's a good chance that we could see one of our very own Darlington Tigers playing GK in a future Women's World Cup. Here's looking at you, Jane Campbell ('13)!