See a photo of Jon, his bio, and Part 1 of this Q&A, Part 2, and Part 3.
Q&A with Jon Buscall, Question 4:
Q: You live and work in Stockholm, Sweden, though you are originally from England. To what extent do you notice differences in the way story is used in Sweden compared to how it is used in England or other places in which you’ve spent time? For example, you cite IKEA as a company that effectively employs storytelling. Have you seen different cultures using story differently?
A: Yes, I’m originally from the UK but I haven’t lived there for over 20 years, and I rarely get back, so I would find it quite hard to compare Sweden to England. What I can say, though, is that Swedish companies (like IKEA) are good at using stories to make their brands familiar.
ICA, the supermarket chain, has been running a TV ad which is like a soap opera about the staff in an ICA store for years. Stig (pictured at left) and the rest of his crew have become familiar features of Swedish daily life. This is an incredibly subtle way of using a story to engage the audience in a brand. The ads are humorous and frequently updated and as each new “episode” emerges, the ongoing story brings ICA and its audience closer.
Several companies have tried to follow this technique, notably Findus who produce ready-made-meals, but ICA have been the most successful.
Sweden is very web-orientated, and we have led the world in terms of Internet access and mobile phone adoption rates for years. However, it’s only recently that businesses have started to grasp the idea of storytelling being related to business. It’s coming, but slowly.