In this MarTech Martech Zone, we speak to Award-winning Microsoft storyteller Miri Rodriguez. Ms. Rodriguez is responsible for finding, crafting, and leveraging stories that motivate and connect with the modern consumer. Now, she’s offering practical tools to help you become a skilled brand storyteller, both at the personal and business levels. A brand’s story has become so crucial to its marketing strategy that Microsoft has an entire department devoted to storytelling. Unfortunately, most companies struggle to make genuine connections, resorting to outdated strategies to engage audiences. If you don’t have the budget for a storytelling department, how can you stand out from the crowd? In her book, Brand Storytelling, Ms. Rodriguez wants to bring you back to the heart of brand loyalty, consumer behavior, and engagement as a business strategy, revealing how storytelling triggers the emotions that humans are driven by. Her book will guide you to assess, dismantle, and rebuild any brand story, enabling you to celebrate and strengthen your success, rather than simply trying to win it. On this interview, Ms. Rodriguez discusses: How to tap into authentic brand loyalty and human connection by aligning brand voice with individual customer values, experiences and aspirations The five essential elements to humanize your brand through storytelling The Robin to Batman effect: Why it’s essential to make yourself the ‘sidekick’ to the customer’s ‘batman’ in every story Empathy Matters: Why this soft skill is essential to storytelling in the digital age Four magic tricks that can rev up your brand story into action, and make it enchanting and unforgettable Get comfortable with being uncomfortable: Why vulnerability is key in the practice of telling stories Ms. Rodriguez's advice is more important than ever in a time where consumers are demanding your brands take a stand for social justice. Special Guest: Miri Rodriguez. Sponsored By: Highbridge: With a minimum of a decade each in the technology industry, Highbridge are leading the way on helping clients maximize their Salesforce and Marketing Cloud investments. Promo Code: martech zoneSupport Martech Zone Interviews Links: Miri Rodriguez — As the child of a Preacher, Miri was exposed to the art of storytelling since before her fledging brain could even make sense of this skillset. It always amazed her how social influencers knew just the right mix of story elements, structure, and techniques to take their audience through an unforgettable storyworld. Miri used to think this alchemy was reserved for an elite few, but story design showed her different - and now she spends a good portion of her time turning story words into worlds.Brand Storytelling: Put Customers at the Heart of your Brand Story — In today’s digital world, the words "story" and "storytelling" are often being misused or misunderstood. In Brand Storytelling, Miri Rodriguez wants to bring you back to the heart of brand loyalty, consumer behavior, and engagement as a business strategy, revealing how storytelling triggers the emotions that humans are driven by. This book will guide you to assess, dismantle, and rebuild any brand story, enabling you to celebrate and strengthen your success, rather than simply trying to win it.