Get your pens and pads out boys and girls, The Unit Trust Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago took us back to school with a new series and gave us all a stern lesson in brand storytelling. In a digital world where new content is created daily, a lot of it unfortunately falls flat. By no fault of our own, as a growing digital industry, we are still learning what works and what doesn’t work within our culture. UTC however, may have just found the perfect mix. It isn't a one size fits all approach, but there are some key take aways that all businesses can learn from, when creating content of their own. Here are 5 lessons we can learn from UTC's "The Power to Become" series.
1. Use of REAL stories
By now, all marketers should know that using stories in your content is powerful. If not, here is the perfect example. UTC allowed staff to tell their true stories of their experiences of not having passed for their "first choice" of schools in the Common Entrance or SEA examination. They went through the motions of how it impacted them, and how they still became successful. People love stories, and authentic, vulnerable ones are even better. I wondered why we hadn't heard more stories like this and I believe it comes down to 2 factors. First, the general public is still actually very private, and when asked to tell their story they don't like their "business in the streets", so getting authentic interviews can be a challenge. However, we need to realize the power in telling your story to positively impact someone else. Secondly, corporate entities want to maintain too much control over people's stories. I have seen people do scripted stories that just don't sound believable. Of course they are followed by a product or service being directly promoted (but I will speak more on this later). Bottom line is that it just doesn't feel authentic. My advice: let people tell their true stories, all within the right context of course.
2. Relevant topic
One of the main reasons this series took off the way it did, was the timeliness and relevance of the message. The relevance of the message was timely for parents especially who will face news that their child may not pass for their first choice. The series' message highlighting that you can still be successful despite not achieving what you wanted, could have affected how these parents communicated with their children. My guess is that it took significant planning and scheduling to ensure production was complete in time for the week of SEA results. Content creators will know that some businesses tend to want things done last minute and with little planning. While it may work our for some, the fact is that good quality content takes time to plan and create. To be fair, a series like this could have even been powerful at any time of the year, but the timing was the icing on the cake.
3. Adding value to the conversation
One of the best things this series did, was that they added value to the conversation. As far as trends go in content creation, we see a lot of businesses sharing the same views on a topic or mimicking what other brands are doing. It's really easy to take a neutral stance on a topic or just say what everyone else is saying. UTC's message addressed a harsh reality that wasn't being discussed, that many people could relate to. It wasn't just "good luck," it was "just in case you don't pass for what school you want, you can still be successful." This approach gave people the courage to share their stories as well, engaging with UTC even if they never have. This helped the series to stand out with a message that was an important one to share as well. If you are saying what everybody else is saying, you can get lost in the noise.
4. It ties into their brand values
As far back as I can remember, UTC has always been about family. I think many financial institutions say the same, but UTC is one of the few that get it right. From their social media to direct interaction with them, they make you feel like part of the family. This series is just the result of their brand values. They are interested in the positive relationships in families and this series helps develop 2 relationships; 1. that of parents with their children, and 2. UTC with their customers/ potential customers. It sparks the type of conversations that family members have with each other to motivate each other in times of need, therefore making you a part of their family. Everybody's brand doesn't need to be about family, but if you are really clear on what your brand values are, you can create content around it which makes your brand feel more human and relatable.
5. It doesn’t sell anything
This is my favourite part. Your content doesn't need to sell all the time. This series did a lot of good for those who experienced the same and for those who have children that would have. It does not sell a single service that UTC has. A lot of businesses don't understand that there is a difference between advertising and content marketing. If you are creating content for social media it's more about building relationships with your audience by telling your story. Sure, if it can eventually lead to a sale is the ideal situation, but it really serves as a guiding light for your ideal client. It helps you find them and them to find you. It's a tool to assist them and open up rapport between the both of you. Don't get me wrong, you should talk about your products and services too in fact I advise it, but the majority of your content should be helpful to your ideal client. So don't ruin good content by mixing the two and confusing your audience. All you need is a call-to-action at the end of any content piece can help guide viewers to the next step if they want to continue their journey with you.
The true success of this series doesn't lie in direct ROI, or how many people signed up for UTC as a result of these videos. When you look through the comments section you can see the success. It is filled with messages of gratitude for this project, sharing their stories and tagging their friends. The success lies in positive brand awareness that thousands of people will now associate with the UTC brand. They have added value to persons lives, which might make people more inclined to check out what services they can offer, but more importantly help understand that UTC shares the same values as them.
I have to applaud UTC and whoever is behind the concept and execution of this series. As Trini's tend to do, I can see a lot of businesses attempting to follow soon. Just understand that your brand is not theirs, so find the one thing that makes you special and make that your guide to creating great content that your audience will love. If you need help finding what your brand's core values are, subscribe to our mailing list for more content like this.