A tall story

Topping a rich list of high-profile companies on the brand storytelling survey, Apple has been identified as the top storytelling brand in the UK. Winning the award for the fourth time in a row, Apple's marketing continues to put forward character and personality.

Aesop, the creative agency conducting the research, asked 2,000 adults aged 18 and over to identify 180 brands in 19 categories against eight storytelling elements ranging from brand authenticity to emotional effect. Amazon came second, with the BBC, Youtube and Google securing top 10 positions.

Ryanair was the UK's top storytelling airline, and with an overall positioning of 49th, the budget airline topped high-flyers British Airways and competitor EasyJet. The research also placed Instagram, a new entrant, at 14th. And while Londoners preferred Google's stories to Apple's, British Gas jumped 57 places to 90th making it this year's highest mover.

Yet with big brand names like Tesco continually falling through the storytelling ranks despite nationwide success, a storytelling component to brand communications may be an afterthought of successful planning. Ed Woodcock, director of narrative at Aesop, says, "“The discounters continue to develop and deliver on their easy‐to-understand narratives about surprising quality and value. Conversely, the results suggest that the mental space occupied by M&S seems to be less distinct - respondents seem to be unsure about what M&S stands for these days. Nevertheless the brand is still loved by a hard-core with long memories of a distinctive M&S brand world.”