The past, present and awe-inspiring future of storytelling in marketing

Ginger Shimp and Ed Shimp
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Ginger Shimp: SAP, 3999 West Chester Pike, USA
Ed Shimp: Penn State University School of Theatre 116 Theatre Bldg., USA

Journal of Digital & Social Media Marketing, 2025, vol. 13, issue 1, 6-23

Abstract: This paper provides a comprehensive exploration of marketing storytelling, tracing its evolution from ancient Egyptian marketplace hieroglyphics to today’s artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced narratives. The paper establishes that storytelling is fundamentally about change over time through a series of reactions. It challenges common marketing misconceptions, including the notion that marketers can ‘make the customer the hero’ and the accuracy of the marketing funnel metaphor. The authors emphasise that effective marketing stories follow a three-act structure of pity-fear-catharsis, rooted in Aristotelian principles. They argue that while data and analytics are crucial in modern marketing, emotional connection through storytelling remains essential for decision-making, citing neuroscientific research by Antonio Damasio and Paul J. Zak. The digital revolution, particularly Web 2.0 and social media, has transformed marketing from broadcast-style communication to conversational engagement. Modern marketers must navigate an increasingly complex landscape of mobile devices, evolving language conventions and multichannel content delivery. Looking ahead, the paper predicts a significant shift as AI becomes integral to marketing storytelling. While AI excels at content transformation and personalisation, the authors argue that human creativity remains irreplaceable. The future of marketing will likely require engaging both human prospects and AI intermediaries, suggesting a new paradigm where success depends on balancing artificial and human intelligence. The paper advocates for a ‘LEGO’ approach to content creation, using modular elements that can be recombined for different audiences while maintaining narrative coherence. Throughout, it emphasises that despite technological advances, the core goal remains unchanged: telling authentic, compelling stories that resonate with human truth. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.

Keywords: marketing storytelling evolution; digital transformation; artificial intelligence marketing; content modularisation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: M3 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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