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In school, storytelling is often the overlooked necessity of humans. Other subjects are always encouraged, especially in STEM, but storytelling is a long forgotten cousin that you only see on the holidays, or when there’s a death in the family. Perhaps storytelling is often equated to conversations in that it is more inherent within us than learned subjects such as the sciences and mathematics. I digress; without writers and bookkeepers, there would be no civilization standing today. Storytelling as much as the STEM subjects, can be learned and mastered. In fact, what differentiates between a good movie and a bad one? Their pacing, cinematography, score, and the script makes the backbone of a well-written movie. Our stories are littered with literary devices that we learned in English, which is more of a passing scene in our minds than it is a fundamental block of life that connects us. Can we really function without propensity for storytelling? The mak cik bawang gossips, cuneiforms, cave paintings—do they present an often overlooked necessity?
Storytelling is indeed a necessity, not a cultural amenity. It is the primary operating system for human memory, cooperation, and survival. Biologically, narratives unlock our capacity for empathy and connection. Neuroscientist Paul Zak’s research confirms that hearing a compelling story causes the release of oxytocin, the neurochemical responsible for bonding and trust. This chemical response means stories physically compel us to care and cooperate. In a business context, this translates directly to revenue: marketing campaigns built on emotional narratives perform approximately twice as well as those focused purely on product features.
We don't buy products; we buy the feeling the brand’s story sells.
The propensity for story is the foundation of the complex human condition, bridging solitude with massive, shared identity. The earliest records of human endeavor—from cuneiform tablets detailing complex commercial transactions to cave paintings illustrating seasonal hunting patterns—were not random artistic sketches, but codified narratives designed to transmit complex, non-instinctual knowledge across generations and distance. These were, fundamentally, survival documents and strategic manuals that allowed dispersed groups to manage risk, pool knowledge, and maintain continuity, proving storytelling’s functional necessity was rooted in evolutionary advantage. Furthermore, on a mass scale, shared narratives like national founding myths, common histories, or religious epics bind millions of strangers into a functioning social unit, creating a powerful collective identity that supersedes individual experience, demonstrating that human civilization is built not just on law, but on mutually agreed-upon fictions.
The transformation of isolated experience into a shared, externalized story is crucial for affirming self-identity and connecting the inner world to the outer one. This necessary act is seen in the solitary process of writing a memoir or engaging in therapy, where personal chaos is ordered into a cohesive narrative to find meaning and reconciliation. Furthermore, narrative acts as a powerful social regulator. Phenomena like local 'Mak Cik Bawang' gossip or even digital social media trends are, at their core, localized narratives that enforce community boundaries and define a collective moral code; by sharing stories of who acted how, the group collectively determines acceptable behavior and maintains the social contract. Without the capacity for story, we would be limited to communicating simple, emotionless facts, unable to process intent, context, or moral frameworks, rendering any complex social or commercial endeavor unworkable.
In high-stakes advertising, especially for emotion-driven products like the perfume portfolio of Seputeh Rasmi, narrative always wins. The narrative transportation theory in marketing and psychology demonstrates that when consumers are deeply immersed in a brand's story, their critical, logical judgment is significantly lowered, making them more receptive to the core message and increasing both their purchase intent and long-term brand recall. This deep engagement is the key to achieving the cult-hopping and continuous re-hooking necessary for viral success; the story gives the customer something deeply personal to share, transforming a product transaction into a shared cultural belief. Therefore, spending money on a professional to craft an authentic, emotionally charged narrative is not a cost, but an investment in the fundamental human nature that drives all major commercial action.
The mechanism by which story drives sales is rooted in the suspension of critical thought and the creation of emotional value.
The Transportation Effect: The narrative transportation theory demonstrates that when consumers are deeply immersed in a brand's story, they become "transported" into the narrative world. Once transported, their critical, logical judgment is significantly lowered, making them highly receptive to the message and its associated product. This is how the brain bypasses the typical "advertisement filter."
Emotional Data vs. Rational Data: Campaigns built on emotional narratives perform approximately twice as well as those focused purely on rational product features and pricing. For emotion-driven products like the perfume portfolio of Seputeh Rasmi, this emotional leverage is the difference between a forgotten commodity and a desired luxury. We buy the feeling the narrative promises, not the chemical composition.
Increased Purchase Intent and Recall: The emotional encoding provided by story leads to a significant increase in both purchase intent and long-term brand recall. The memory centers of the brain (the hippocampus and amygdala) are heavily involved in emotional processing, meaning a story is simply more memorable than a fact sheet.
Viral Momentum (Cult-Hopping): This deep, emotional engagement is the key to achieving the cult-hopping and continuous re-hooking necessary for viral success. The story gives the customer something deeply personal and cultural to share, transforming a product transaction into a shared cultural belief that is marketed by the consumer, not the brand.
Therefore, spending money on a professional to craft an authentic, emotionally charged narrative is not a cost, but an investment in the fundamental human nature that drives all major commercial action.
Ready to craft a story that sells? Schedule your free strategy session with us now.
