Want Your Products to Stand Out Online? It’s All About Your Story

If your company markets itself online, chances are you’re finding it harder to stand out these days. The competition is fierce, and getting your message out at scale has gotten harder and more expensive. At Hugimals World, my two-and-a-half-year-old company that makes anxiety-relieving weighted plushies for adults and kids, we’ve seen our greatest success from content—both paid and organic—that highlights real reactions from people experiencing the hug-like feeling of our products for the first time. These moments resonate with our audience because they see authentic emotion amid a profusion of bland online ads and feel connected to the people in the videos and to our brand. In this crowded landscape, it’s the brands that strike an emotional chord with their audiences that are best poised to win—not just the next sale, but long-term customer loyalty, says Emily Hickey, co-founder of Chief Detective, a marketing agency that has helped scale brands such as Rag & Bone, Toms, and Goop. I spoke with Hickey and a few other founders who are experimenting with storytelling to find out what is working for them. Build an Emotional Connection Performance marketing has traditionally been about pushing for conversions—immediate sales through ads that highlight product features and benefits. While this worked well for many brands in the past, Hickey says it’s no longer enough. “The barrier to entry to create a new consumer product company is the lowest it’s ever been,” she says. “Marketing has become so easy because of Meta, YouTube, and TikTok.” With this ease of entry, competition in every product sector has exploded. “One of the results for that is commoditization of product,” Hickey explains. “How different is one wrinkle cream versus another? Consumers’ eyes glaze over when they see too many similar products, especially when ads aren’t differentiated enough.” Brands need to go back to basics to stand out. “The central challenge for a company right now to win long-term market share is to fight hard to create a strong emotional and trust-driven customer connection,” says Hickey. “Brands that succeed aren’t just driving sales—they’re building lasting relationships.” The New Winning Formula Ads that incorporate brand storytelling and emotional connection-building are proving effective for the companies Hickey works with. “We’ve found that something as small as putting a logo on an ad can lift performance,” Hickey says. “It speaks to the power of building brand recognition and familiarity over time.” Companies that succeed today are engaging across multiple channels—paid ads, social media, influencers, email marketing, etc.— and consistently reinforcing their message. “When you show up across different touchpoints, customers begin to recognize your brand, trust it, and develop a connection,” Hickey adds. One example she points to is a former client that had started an apparel brand. “When we first started, they had a small assortment and not much revenue,” recalls Hickey. “But they had a cult following in L.A., a cool, photogenic team, and a beautiful storefront. We used these elements to craft a story of exclusivity.” That included messaging around “the cult L.A. brand now available online in small quantities” to build a feeling of being part of something special. It wasn’t just about the clothes, says Hickey; it was about the lifestyle and vibe. “When you have that relationship, you’re not just another product in the sea of similar options,” she says. “You’re a brand people feel connected to, and that emotional bond drives lasting loyalty.” Founder-Driven Marketing As a founder, telling your own personal story can be a powerful way to connect with customers, says Hickey. She helped Waterbury, Vermont-based beauty brand Ursa Major pivot its marketing by putting co-founder Emily Doyle at the forefront. Doyle, a skin care industry veteran, earned loyalty through contrarian messaging, such as rejecting the category’s embrace of “anti-aging,” saying things like, “It’s not real because no one can not age.” Doyle’s bluntness and clear explanations of the science behind her products resonated with customers tired of unrealistic beauty promises. “Emily wasn’t selling perfection,” Hickey says. “She offered practical, expert advice grounded in authenticity, which cut through the gimmicks of the industry.” BY MARINA KHIDEKEL, FOUNDER AND CEO, HUGIMALS WORLD @MARINAKHIDEKEL