Julie Roehm | Brand Essence and Storytelling

Julie RoehmChief Storyteller, Senior Vice President Marketing, SAP

Customer Storytelling:

Brand essence and storytelling:

Overcoming the noise with simple

2Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World

Great story tellers inspire people to

create nations, develop new markets,

and change the world.

3Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World

Without them, ideas die, businesses fail.

4Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World

Today, in our highly digital and

socially connected world,

brands around the globe are

harnessing the power of

storytelling to build audiences

and move markets.

5Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World

But the genesis of today’s technology is based on human storytelling that

is as old as time itself…

6Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World

Earliest story: Lascaux cave paintings 17,300 years ago

7Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World

Literature: Epic of Gilgamesh 2000 B.C.

8Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World

Oration: Homer’s Illiad 1,260 B.C.

9Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World

Print: Gutenberg Bible 1450

10Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World

Film: The Great Train Robbery 1903

11Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World

Radio: FDR Fireside Chat 1933

12Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World

Radio: War of the Worlds 1938

13Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World

TV Advertising: The first TV ad 1941

14Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World

Political Ads: 1964

15Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World

Advertising Comes of Age: 1984

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYecfV3ubP8

16Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World

The Internet: Mosaic browser 1993

17Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World

The first online banner ad 1994

18Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World

This is the most exciting time in

the history of human

communication. The access,

possibilities and worldwide

reach are unprecedented.

Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World 19

2,802,478,934people online

Source: http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm

Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World 20

Over 750,000,000websites

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-many-web-sites-are-are-there-2012-3

Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World 21

8,000,000,000,000text messages are sent every year (that’s 8 TRILLION!)

(2.5 trillion in the U.S. alone)

Context: 8 trillion seconds ago Neanderthals walked the earth.

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/video/how-many-text-messages-are-sent-each-year-RDvLwi1WRgii6HMmiVk_Fw.html

22Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World

But…

The world around us has become

exceedingly crowded and complex.

And it hurts business.

$237Bin profits are wasted

annually due to complexity

(in just the top 200

companies)*

Source:

* ”Complexity Kills (So Kill Complexity)”, Jonathan Becher, Chief Marketing Officer at SAP https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20141027033105-24136-complexity-kills-so-kill-complexity

* *Three Ways that Simplicity Pays”, Jonathan Becher, Chief Marketing Officer at SAP https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20140707044618-24136-three-ways-that-simplicity-pays

75%of consumers are more

likely to recommend a

brand if it offers a simpler

experience**

SIMPLE

The solution is

25Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World

Source:

Siegel Gale #SimplicityPays: Global Brand Simplicity Index 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6nvzlvTDDo

Simpler experiences pay

dividends. And storytelling is a

key widget in our toolbox.

So companies are harnessing

the power of storytelling to

convey the essence of their

brand and the value they offer

their customers.

And in the process enabling

them to do amazing things.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MV3HWQHl1s

29Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpOjnXcy8NE

30Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57e4t-fhXDs

4 take-aways to help prepare

you for your journey towards

simple…

Simple isn’t easy

1

Find your true essencePeel the onion back and look at the things

that are truly driving your business.

2

Eradicate complexityFind the complexity that exists, kill it. And most

importantly, don’t fall into the same trap that got you

into this mess. Keep complexity at bay.

3

Get back to basicsA great story is a great story, no

matter how you tell it. On paper

or in pixels, with the sound of our

voice or via your phone.

4

So what’s your story?

How do you

#RunSimple

38Customer Storytelling: Elevating the Voice of the Customer in a B to B World

Thank youJulie RoehmChief Storyteller, Senior Vice President Marketing, SAP