If You Are an Influencer, Avoid Metaphors
Metaphoric narratives may lead to a weaker connection between consumer and brand
The art of storytelling is at the basis of the success of many influencers, who often share their consumer experiences in a narrative format, whether in a social media post, with a reel or live shopping. Talking about a brand through a story makes it closer and more convincing.
To connect with the audience, one of the most used narrative resources is metaphor. For example: “Nike shoes are a bolt of lightning” or “Rosalia's music is a breath of fresh air.” In most contexts, metaphors help communicate ideas in exciting ways and build stronger connections.
However, using metaphors to review products or promotional activities may not be such a good idea, according to a study I recently participated in.
As figurative language that describes one thing or idea in terms of another, metaphors are integral part of people’s lives and personal stories. They seem to facilitate our understanding process by providing terms and concepts that we, as consumers, are familiar with. They can provide the foundation of the relationship we have with brands, like the famous “Red Bull gives you wings.” While metaphors can be powerful, what happens when they are embedded in a narrative?
When analyzing the traits that brand stories share, we find three main elements:
- Actors engaged in actions to achieve goals: the influencer who provides insight of the consumption experience
- A temporal sequence of events: the description of consumptions journey from beginning to end
- Reasons why things happen: context that makes events turn out in a certain way
When influencers incorporate metaphors into their stories, they probably use complex figurative discourses, abstract ideas and vague concepts instead of concrete descriptions that allow actors to tell a temporal sequence of events and explain the reasons to follow the thread.
To give meaning to the narrative, they use metaphorical concepts which translate into a process of abstraction that may increase the cognitive distance between what is said and what is perceived. Why does this happen? Because when making an implied comparison between two unlikely things, consumers must fill the gap between the metaphorical meaning and their connection to the brand.
The more abstract the narrative becomes, the less likely it is to describe the actors in the story in a recognizable way. This can make it more difficult for consumers to generate an emotional connection with the brand.
On the other hand, well-developed stories require a temporal sequence, but metaphors contain language that is not always linearly presented and therefore their efficacy may be problematic.
Likewise, in a good narrative, the events of the story are connected by a clear cause-and-effect relationship that provides reasons why events in the story happened the way they did. Because metaphoric meanings are often contextual, the metaphor can be understood differently across narrative contexts.
As a result, metaphorical narratives can lead to a weaker connection between consumer and brand and prevent a brand's story from being recognizable to the consumer. In the end, audiences perceive metaphorical stories as less narratively structured and detailed than non-metaphorical ones.
On the contrary, non-metaphorical language is usually more concrete and easier to understand. It leaves less room for interpretation, providing a more immersive and engaging brand narrative experience for the consumer.
The author is Distinguished Visiting Professor in Consumer Behavior at EGADE Business School.
Article originally published in Alto Nivel.
