He is a man full of wisdom, world wide experience, salty language, and extensive knowledge about storytelling. Robert McKee is the most sought after screenwriting lecturer around the globe. Those who have learned from McKee have called him “the Aristotle of our time” because of his insight into the structure, style, and principles of the grand art of story.

There is a wealth of knowledge available today through books, podcasts, research, and online. But experience gives something that nothing else can do. It seasons us, brings hard earned wisdom, creates a broader perspective, and gives us the foundation to grow on. Robert McKee is steeped in experience with years and years of experience forming stories for film and brands. He was FASCINATING to listen to and learn from.

In downtown Manhattan, the STORYNOMICS event focused on brand storytelling, but honestly it was a study of people and how we see life around us. Business is never just business, it is people. Robert McKee said “Story is a buzz word but it is BLURRY.” He set out to define and bring clarity to brand storytelling.

Here are ten rich takeaways from the day:

1. There are several levels of interaction people have: Physical > Social > Personal (Family + Friends) > Our mind > Subconscious level. It has been said that our mind does what our subconscious mind believes. Isn’t that fascinating? Applying this to brand storytelling, our subconscious mind responds to emotions and not facts. Leading with story helps brands connect on an emotional and personal level.
2. Make every brand touchpoint with our customer meaningful.
3. The power of IDENTIFICATION is astounding. In the 20^th century, people get their identification with brands. The consumer takes on the brand’s identity and it becomes part of their own identity. Such as, we are proud that we use Apple and not Windows, shoot Canon and not Nikon, shop Target and not Walmart. The brands we use and support becomes part of how we see ourselves. This is why brand storytelling is so important, customers rarely buy for practical reasons based on facts.
4. Watch digital marketing. Don’t be annoying and interrupt. People want to be entertained. Communicate with people in a way that they are happy to be communicated with.
5. The mind does not want to keep numbers in it’s head. The mind knows that the really important things in life are not numbers. What is really going on is humans doing their thing. In your brand messaging, lead with story instead of data and numbers.
6. A meaningful brand is not the story it tells about itself. It is the story people tell about it. Our brand story is our reputation.
7. Our senses our designed to read facial expressions at 1/25^th of a second. Human communication was intended to be face to face. Bring personality and real people to our brand message. Text only leads to disconnection.
8. Create an attitude of “This brand improves my life.”  The marketplace will respond to this and get behind that message. TIDE creates this brand message during a natural disaster by filling trucks with washers and driers and giving them to people living in tents.
9. Empathy means “like me.” Our customers want to feel like we are like them and understand them. Empathy is powerful. TC Bank created empathy and heartfelt emotions through this moving film.
10. Brand loyalty is a belief held by the consumer about you. What story do we want the consumer to tell after they experience our brand? We have the opportunity to shape that story so they will tell the story we want them to share.