Everyone loves a good story. From bedtime tales shared with little ones to decades-old personal histories recounted with friends, storytelling is a medium that crosses generations and even cultures. Recently, it has also been gaining momentum as marketing technique for brands looking to connect with consumers on a whole new level.

The power of storytelling lies in its ability to tap into our emotions and memories. Scientific research has shown that listening to a story activates numerous areas of the brain, causing our brains to react not just as if we were hearing a story but also as if we were experiencing it firsthand. From a marketing perspective, this helps consumers relate to a brand or product on a deeper level than simply recounting a bulleted list of features and benefits.

One global brand with a reputation for great storytelling is Starbucks. The coffee giant is well-known for its focus on differentiation through both products and consumer experience. But Starbucks doesn’t just tell consumers its products are different — the brand shows it through the stories that carry throughout their website, packaging and branding materials.

Take the iconic Starbucks Siren logo. At the center of Starbucks’ branding since its founding in 1971, the Siren evokes memories of the brand’s port-city origins in Seattle and is a reminder of the great sea voyages coffee must make to get to most regions of the world. Each retail package of coffee tells more of this story, creating a narrative of the coffee’s origin and tasting notes. For example, shoppers are invited on a journey to the Indonesian island of Sumatra to taste the namesake blend’s “lingering flavors of dried herbs and fresh earth, and almost no acidity.”

Whether you’re a global giant like Starbucks or a small regional or niche brand, the key to harnessing the full power of storytelling is to use it across all marketing mediums — from the package, to POP advertisements and, yes, even in-store demos. According to Roy Timmerman, Vice President of CDS International, this concept of brand consistency was as a key topic of conversation when CDS held its first-ever vendor meeting with the global Starbucks team in the fall of 2018.

“It was a very productive meeting with many discussions on how to improve [our collaboration with Starbucks via Costco demos],” says Timmerman. He goes on to explain that one of the key areas of focus was on better and more consistent brand building and improving the look and feel of demos.

When it came time to put those discussions into practice, Starbucks and the CDS Japan team partnered on plan to harness the power of the Starbucks’ brand story. First, they arranged to demo multiple Starbucks’ items together for a consistent look and feel, explains Taka Suwa, Sales Manager for CDS Japan. In addition, the CDS Japan team worked with a local company to develop pallet skirts and cart covers featuring the iconic Starbucks’ Siren logo. During the demos, Sales Advisors were able to continue the Starbucks narrative by sharing key selling points and inviting members to taste the difference first hand.

The revamped demos were a resounding success, resulting in an over 300% sales lift and multiple repeat orders since then, says Suwa. Starbucks and CDS plan to continue to work together to similarly enhance demos in other countries, using a slightly different approach tailored to each unique region, according to Timmerman. One thing that’s likely to remain consistent, however, is the focus on making the most of the brand’s narrative and the power of storytelling.