Christmas is about storytelling. Whether you subscribe to the nativity story as the ‘reason for the season’ or the more commercial Santa and his elves making toys at the North Pole, both are strong stories. Products ride on the back of good stories. Although the Santa story was initially based on the kindness of St Nicolas, bishop of Myra, the poem A Visit from St. Nicholas later known as ‘Twas the night before Christmas by Clement Clark Moore in 1822, changed the story. Then Santa really took off as a Christmas icon with an advert by Coca Cola in 1930, when he was depicted as a red suited jolly fellow drinking their product. The transformation from the historical figure of St Nicolas into Santa Claus (a corruption of the name) was complete.

Amid the hustle and bustle that the powerful Santa story has generated in revenue for retailers, do you take time to consider whether your business story is as strong? Increasingly customers want to know the origin of a business and what values it holds. Stories about how a company started and why are many and varied. They can be found on a sauce bottle label, a leaflet inside a packet of cereal, or be a great story on a website.

What’s your business story? Do you have one and can it be packaged in a way that consumers will engage with your brand? A feeling of connectedness between a customer and a brand increases customer loyalty. Can your story be stronger? Communication to customers needs to be engaging and often succinct (to fit on a product or keep them reading on a website). Why are they reading? Are they being entertained or learning about something new?

If you don’t have the time to write your story yourself, you can engage a NZ virtual assistant to do it for you, speaking as you. When every word counts and conveys your story clearly and easily, it takes time to get it right. If you have time away from work over the holiday period, why not have a go at this? If you would rather just relax and rejuvenate, contact us at Executive Support NZ and let us take the hard work out of telling your story.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Christine Aikenhead is the Content Writer for Executive Support NZ. She is a Communications Professional and a Massey University Scholar ready to help you with your content creation and messaging.