Antonio Damasio, professor of neuroscience at the University of Southern California, argues that emotion is a necessary ingredient to almost all decisions.

This infographic shows that emotionally-charged storytelling creates a rush of dopamine in the brain, which is linked to memory.

This Ted talk “Storytelling, Psychology and Neuroscience” by Amanda D’Annucci, supports this idea about storytelling enhancing the listener’s memory of the story.

As you can see, building an emotional connection through brand storytelling is pivotal to the success of your digital marketing.

Leading brands aim for the heart, not the brain when it comes to marketing. It has been proven that we buy products because of the way they make us feel. Brands need to develop distinct personas in people’s minds that project an image they want to buy into. How brands achieve this is through well-crafted storytelling. Brands need to make an emotional connection with their target audience through interesting storytelling and authentic communication.

Stories are the perfect catalyst to building brand loyalty and brand value. Great stories make people feel something, and those feelings can create powerful connections between the audience and the brand. This results in brand loyalty and increased sales.

Is your branded content connecting this way?

Click here for several key factors to focus on as you begin to create stories for your brand.

Tell us in the comments how you plan to engage consumers’ subconscious and create an emotional connection with your 2017 digital marketing and storytelling.