the four ‘checkpoints’ have been outlined and explained, it’s time to work out how brands apply this to their marketing and advertisement strategies. Once it is understood how these brands apply storytelling, it will become visible how they can “create identification, engagement and relevance” (Fog, 2004:164) with their consumers. Brands use storytelling as a sales promotion tool, and “More and more companies are looking to create a story universe surrounding their products and services. In doing so, their story becomes the driving force behind their brand values” (Fog, 2004:164). When companies can tell an immersive story through their marketing and advertisements over a long period, Klaus Fog refers to brands being able to create a “story universe surrounding their products and services” (Fog, 2004:164). The fact that Fog identifies the stories that brands tell as a fictional universe, allows the consumer to get fully immersed in the story. This is where the story becomes “the driving force behind their brand values” (Fog, 2004:164). By creating this other ‘universe’ revolved completely around the brand, they can strengthen their image, and make an even stronger emotional connection to the consumer, which separates them from other brands.

Storytelling can be applied to many different marketing techniques, including advertisements on television, online campaigns and even static posters/banners. Advertisements that appear on TV can be believed to be the most popular, where it’s you’re your 30 second gap to shine. However, the arrival of YouTube, Netflix and on demand streaming where the consumer decides which advertisements they want to watch, the effectiveness of television ads have decreased (Edson and Beck, 2012). This suggests that companies need to create a thirty second story/experience that will completely captivate the consumer after only seeing it once or twice, making them part of a brands experience and image. The reason they must make it memorable is, because as research shows, the reason these campaigns are becoming less effective because online streaming and on demand are becoming more popular. People no longer sit there through five minutes of advertisements that disturb their favourite programme if they have a connection to the internet. Everything is available at the click of a finger, so long as you are connected. I’m not suggesting that TV ads are beco