Every religion, from the worlds great ones to the meanest cult with a few deluded followers has something in common.
They communicate their message, engage their followers, with stories.
In most cases they are setting out to explain the mysteries of the human condition, to get at the essential truths that underlay behaviour, to explain the complexity in a simple and memorable manner, that makes recall and retelling easy and consistent.
The story of Adam and Eve is set in a perfect garden, with a snake representing evil, and an apple representing the pressures of the human condition.
Try explaining that without a story.
Every story in the Christian bible, from Cain and Abel to Jesus walking on water and making a crippled man walk contains a message. It is the same in the Koran, Hindu Bhagavad Gita and Buddhist Tripitakas.
With effective storytelling, they have all succeeded at the marketers dream.
Brand differentiation, and effective segmentation within the brands
Longevity
Strong loyalty and commitment that is multi-generational
Sustained commercial success
It may be a touch insensitive to make these observations as we are about to go into Christmas, but think of all the stories around Santa, and traditions that have built up over generations about what you eat, how you behave, and who you commune with.
All communicated by stories that support the central proposition, and even if you do not believe it, the behaviour still prevails.
You have to give it to the clergy, of every brand, they have this marketing gig nailed!
