Admittedly, Darren Marshall has a bounty of great material to
work with at Steinway, it being an older company with a rich
history and beautiful products, still intricately constructed by
hand. "To realize that this level of craftsmanship happens in New
York City to this day, much in the same way that it did 100 or 150
years ago, is pretty incredible," he says, "particularly in a world
where disposability is the norm."
This craftsmanship is a main focus of the Steinway story, as is
"the artistic expression that it empowers, and the beauty it adds
to homes and lives," says Marshall. The story is told from the
artists' perspective, showcasing the music that flows from the
product. It's also told from the perspective of the piano owners --
knowing that the two aren't always one and the same. "It's the same
story," says Marshall, "but told through different lenses. It's
almost like the books of the Bible are the same story, but told
from different apostles' perspectives. And so it's the same sort of
idea."
Why it works
Storytelling has long had a natural fit with marketing, says
Marshall. Stories are inherently engaging, for one. "Bedtime
stories are all about captivating someone's imagination and taking
them someplace else so that you can relax and calm yourself and go
to sleep. That's what any advertising or communication should be
about." And while there will always be customers to buy the product
for functionality alone, layering the functionality with a human
story adds meaning, novelty and imagination to the purchase.
"That's the irrational piece where you can exchange value," he
says. "When you think about antiques, it's one thing to say this is
an antique revolver, but to say that this was the revolver General
Custer used during the Battle of Little Big Horn -- that has a
story that goes along with it and there's huge value."
Reading the room
The caveat here is that even a perfect story can't pull on the
heartstrings of every audience member. Marshall says that
storytelling is effective only when you know your listeners well,
and this is especially true for products like, say, a piano. "At
the end of the day, we address a very small group of humanity,
people who have the buying power to buy one of our instruments and
who have the interest in our category," says Marshall, meaning that
engagement with Steinway's target needs to hit deeper, rather than
more broadly.
"I need to be able to really help them understand what the brand
stands for and why it's three times more expensive than other
alternatives that may look the same," he says. While a concert
pianist would understand, the rest of the target might not. "The
value of what we do is not necessarily seen to the naked eye ...
You've got to be able to bring that to life why it is different for
mere mortals like you and I."
Targeted delivery of a story, and brand positioning, for that
matter, involves a great deal of research and strategy -- even more
so when your product is a high-value, likely once-in-a-lifetime
purchase, says Marshall. As a veteran marketer at Coca-Cola, he
says there are certain advantages to dealing with a more specific
target and costlier product at a smaller operation. "It's very
entrepreneurial," he says. "There's a lot more subjectivity.
Although the process is very similar, in terms of just finding the
North Star, if you will, or the story arc that is essential to your
brand, and then bringing it to life across the various different
touch points."
While the resources to measure effectiveness might not be as
large, Marshall says it is easier to determine whether content is
on-brand or not. "I wish I had more data," says Marshall. "I am
glad I have a good story, but I'd love to have a little bit of
both. But you know, with the lack of data, then story is where I am
going."
