“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou.

In a world where attention is fleeting and competition is fierce, brands are constantly seeking ways to stand out. The answer? Emotion.

Storytelling has always been a fundamental part of how humans communicate. It taps into our empathy, our memories, and our values. And when paired with marketing strategy, storytelling becomes one of the most powerful tools for connection (What Is Storytelling in Marketing? Why It’S Important | Mailchimp, n.d.) especially during moments like Mother’s Day, where sentiment and emotion are already at the surface.

This blog explores how storytelling works, why it’s effective from a psychological standpoint, and how to apply it to campaigns in a way that connects, inspires, and converts.

The Essence of Storytelling in Marketing

At its core, storytelling is the art of taking someone on a journey. When used in marketing, it allows brands to shift the focus away from their products and toward the emotions and values their audience resonates with (Alonso, 2024).

A compelling brand story, much like a short film, follows a familiar structure. First, it introduces a relatable character, someone the viewer can see themselves in. This character faces an emotional challenge, like the pressure of finding the perfect Mother’s Day gift or the desire to express gratitude in a meaningful way. The story then reaches a resolution, often through a moment of connection, giving, or celebration.

This narrative arc taps into our natural love for stories. According to research in neuroscience, stories activate several areas of the brain, including those responsible for empathy and memory ​​(What Part of the Brain Is Activated by Storytelling, 2023). That means audiences don’t just consume stories: they feel them. And when a brand is tied to that emotional moment, it becomes far more memorable.

Take for example Procter & Gamble’s “Thank You, Mom” campaign (P&G: Thank You, Mom | Wieden+Kennedy, n.d.), which ran during the Olympics. These ads spotlighted mothers as the unsung heroes behind every athlete’s success. There was no product push, no overt call-to-action, just a powerful emotional journey. Yet, the campaign became one of the most successful and beloved in recent marketing history. Why? Because it told a human story.

Why It Works: Emotional Triggers, Psychology & Sensory Marketing

Emotional storytelling works because it speaks directly to the part of the brain responsible for decision-making. Harvard Business School research shows that emotionally connected customers are more than twice as valuable as satisfied ones(Magids et al., 2015). This means people don’t always buy the best product, they buy the product that makes them feel something.

During Mother’s Day, those emotional triggers are already heightened. Feelings of love, nostalgia, gratitude, or even guilt (for forgetting to call or send a gift) are common. A campaign that leans into these emotions can grab attention fast and hold it.

Modern marketing doesn’t stop at visuals either. Sensory marketing adds another layer of connection, combining sound, sight, and even storytelling tone to create a multisensory experience (Sharma, 2024). In 2023, DoorDash partnered with the Basement Yard podcast hosts to promote their flower delivery service for Mother’s Day. The campaign felt casual and real, with the hosts playfully reminding viewers to send flowers to their moms. The combination of humour, personality, and real-time reactions made the message feel authentic and urgent.

DoorDash Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MTrn-oWp5c

By engaging multiple senses and emotional cues, brands create content that doesn’t just promote: they stick.

Showcasing Brand Values & Driving Engagement Through Emotion

The most impactful emotional storytelling campaigns do more than tug at the heart, they reflect the brand’s deeper values and identity. These stories don’t just promote a product but they invite the audience into a shared emotional experience, one that feels personal and human.

In 2018, Macy’s launched their ‘Mother’s Day at Macy’s’ campaign, which beautifully captured the theme of separation anxiety and emotional reassurance between mothers and daughters (Bui, 2023). The short film begins with a young girl feeling nervous about her first day of school. Her mother comforts her by gifting her a purse, promising she’ll be back. Years later, as the daughter prepares to leave for college, she shops online at macys.com for a similar purse, this time for her mother as a way to say she’ll be back too.

S Lee Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWeARqqWgBM

The video’s tagline, “The perfect gift keeps us close” encapsulates the emotional heartbeat of the story. It’s not just about buying a purse, it’s about the gesture, the message behind it, and the love that endures across life stages. Macy’s positioned itself as a place not just for products, but for meaningful, personalized gifts that say “I love you” without words (Bui, 2023).

This kind of storytelling builds strong emotional resonance, driving sales while deepening customer loyalty. It aligns with Macy’s brand values reflecting thoughtfulness, family, and heartfelt moments and invites the audience to see themselves in the story. And that’s the true power of emotional marketing: turning everyday transactions into lasting connections.

Let Your Brand Be Part of the Story

Storytelling isn’t just a marketing trend, it’s a deeply human tool for connection. Especially around holidays like Mother’s Day, where emotions run high, using storytelling gives your brand a chance to not just sell but to speak to the heart.

So as you prepare your next campaign, think beyond promotions. Ask: What is the emotional story we want to tell? How do we want our audience to feel? And how can we make our brand a meaningful part of that feeling?

Because when you create stories that people feel you create stories they’ll remember.

References

Alonso, M. (2024, August 5). Council Post: The Power of Storytelling in Modern Marketing. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescommunicationscouncil/2024/08/05/the-power-of-storytelling-in-modern-marketing/

Bui, T. (2023, April 3). 10 best Mother’s Day ads of all Time. PageFly. https://pagefly.io/blogs/shopify/mother-day-ads

Magids, S., Zorfas, A., & Leemon, D. (2015, November 1). The new science of customer emotions. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2015/11/the-new-science-of-customer-emotions

P&G: Thank you, mom | Wieden+Kennedy. (n.d.). https://www.wk.com/work/p-and-g-thank-you-mom/

Sharma, K. (2024, September 12). Council Post: How to use emotional marketing to boost sales. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesagencycouncil/2024/09/12/how-to-use-emotional-marketing-to-boost-sales/

What is Storytelling in Marketing? Why It’s Important | Mailchimp. (n.d.). Mailchimp. https://mailchimp.com/resources/storytelling-in-marketing/?igaag=158635356147&igaat=&igacm=20775172523&igacr=687230856187&igakw=&igamt=&igant=g&ds_c=DEPT_AOC_Google_Search_CA_EN_NB_Acquire_Broad_DSA-Rsrc_CA&ds_kids=p78558712017&ds_a_lid=dsa-2227026702184&ds_cid=71700000115824353&ds_agid=58700008604599124&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADh1Fp0DB24wOG0pUYgRXWc1Jrci7&gclid=Cj0KCQjw782_BhDjARIsABTv_JDxZL0ugUmv2cksmR4BcNlux9THQDWzVAB1FuUxjCbX3PD7YxeXdccaAq7REALw_wcB

What part of the brain is activated by storytelling. (2023, January 14). Audio Stories for Kids, Teens and Adults Online in Popular Genres |Creative audios.in Podcast. https://creativeaudios.in/blog/what-part-of-the-brain-is-activated-by-storytelling