Gone are the days of selling a product or service simply by communicating it’s benefits / unique selling proposition. Brands need to work harder at connecting with new customers and building stronger relationships with existing customers.

Saatchi & Saatchi CEO Kevin Roberts talks about this in his book entitled “Lovemarks: The Future Beyond Brands“ in which he states that without some kind of emotional connection to a brand, the relationship will dry up like a generic raisin in the sun.

One of the oldest and most effective ways to communicate an idea is through telling a story. The online environment has evolved, and it’s the ideal place to take the user on a journey (that they can control) and weave a story around a brand or product.

A fantastic example of this is a new campaign for Dove. It’s called “Waking Up Hannah” and here’s a brief summary courtesy of Creativity-Online:

With “Waking Up Hannah,” visitors can choose from three storylines–Energize, Refresh and Cool Moisture–then watch the adventures of the title character as she recovers from a drunken night and gets ready for a blind date. Each of the narratives corresponds with different Dove deodorants and body washes. Within the interactive film experience, visitors can click on Hannah’s phone to view her pics and text messages, hear commentary and get Dove coupons. In fact, each scene offers four different views and there are seven different endings overall to Hannah’s day.

Additionally, you can send the film to friends, learn more about the products and participate in forum discussions.

It’s INSANE! A very girly example indeed, but a great one none the less. Even though this example happens to include a crazy amount of video and no doubt has a seriously large budget behind it, an online experience need not look like a big-budget movie in order to hinge around a story. All a website needs to do is take the user on a journey.

Our objective as people creating online experiences for brands should always be to MAXIMISE the length of time users spend interacting with the brand. So next time you have the opportunity to create something truly amazing, think about how you can weave a story into the experience. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the results.

An agency that never ceases to amaze me is Goodby, Silverstein and Partners. Their ideas are groundbreaking, and their work is top-notch - definitely a company who’s work I check out regularly for inspiration.

Since 1993 they have been working with the California Milk Processor Board, and were responsible for developing the Got Milk? slogan, credited with putting life back into milk sales after a 20 year slump.

They’ve done some incredible work over the years, from print to TV to direct, but the stuff that really blows me away is the interactive work. Over the last few years they have produced a number of award winning digital campaigns that really set the benchmark in terms of (a) generating outstanding ideas for marketing a relatively bland product, and (b) pushing the medium (and the budgets by the looks of things). I could talk about each one of their amazing campaigns for hours, but I thought it would be good to give a short(ish) overview of their most recent online work… so here goes:

Cow Abduction & Brittlactica

In 1996 they launched a website entitled Cow Abduction that details the mysterious disappearance of countless bovines going missing from dairy farms across the globe. The site includes a whole host of features like eye witness accounts, photos of farmers’ messages to aliens, and even a catalogue of products like decoy cows, UFO traps and ‘Cowoflauge’. Watch the eye witness accounts, and prepare to laugh your ass off.

At the same time, another site launched - Planet In Need. The website centers around a planet called Brittlactica, whose citizens suffer from a range of ailments and who live in regions like ‘Insomniastan’, ‘PMStonia’, ‘Papau Hairthinny’, and ‘Cavitopia’. In a recent visit to Earth, they stumbled upon a ‘miracle elixer’ that fixes all their problems. Genius.

Get The Glass

In 1997 they launched a beautifully executed 3D board game called ‘Get The Glass’ that centered around the Adachi family who are afflicted with a genetic condition. They also happen to be thieves…. on a mission to do whatever it takes to steal a glass of milk located in ‘Fort Fridge’. The board game features a number of micro arcade-style games to keep the user entertained - just try and avoid landing in ‘Milkatraz’. Be sure to check out the case study on Goodby’s website.

White Gold is White Gold

Their latest campaign (2008) focuses on a musician (glam-rocker) called White Gold (and his two band mates, ‘The Calcium Twins’) who rates milk above any other white substance. The site features White Gold in all his milk-tastical glory, and allows the user to explore the White Gold world, unlocking various widgets and freebies along the way. As always, the campaign is complimented with a strong presence on Facebook, Myspace, Youtube and even iTunes. Serious follow-through.

The Latest: Got Milk? Brand Site

A few weeks ago, a brand new mother site launched - Got Milk?. It features a stack of games and quirky characters highlighting the many benefits of drinking the beverage, for example testing your milk IQ or head-butting milk cartons. The site is highly engaging and interactive, and is bound to keep you entertained for quite some time.

I can’t wait to see what Goodby will come up with in 2009.