Storytelling: the past and future of how we connect

Photo credit: Kodomut on Flickr

My friend Leo and I had a great discussion around the power of storytelling several weeks ago, which inspired his amazing blog post about how storytelling impacts the brain.

We are at the beginning of a shift and transition in the way consumers interact with brands and companies, a shift that is largely being empowered by the democratization of media (everyone is a publisher now, and everyone has a voice), and made necessary by the sheer volume of information that we all need to deal with on a daily basis.

Brands that have been using storytelling effectively have been able to build a much deeper and more emotional connection with their customers and fans.  For an amazing example, just watch the first 30 seconds of this video of Jon Ive presenting the iPhone 5:

I'm just glad that my kids are in a school that understands the power of storytelling as a pedagogical framework for deep, whole-brain (whole being) learning.

Have you seen great examples of storytelling in action lately?  Please share in the comments section below.