In a market saturated with messages, discount banners, and flash campaigns, promotions have lost some of their impact. Today, a simple “20% off” or “2-for-1” is no longer enough to capture consumer attention. To stand out and, more importantly, to connect, brands need something more: a story behind the product or service.
Storytelling isn't just a branding tool. Applied to promotions, it can turn a simple commercial action into a meaningful experience. In this article, we explore how to bring storytelling into your promotional campaigns and how tools like Planet help you do it effectively.
If you want to learn how to turn every promotion into a story that connects with your customers and boosts your sales, don’t miss our article Launch a Promotion Without Altering Your Catalog. There, we show you how to create personalized offers without complicating your catalog or losing consistency.
Ready to create promotions that tell a story and truly engage your audience?
Activate Planet in your Shopify store and start designing campaigns that inspire, target, and sell, without any hassle.
What is storytelling in promotions?
When we talk about storytelling in this context, we don’t mean writing a novel for every campaign. It’s about adding context, emotion, and coherence to the offers you launch. It’s the difference between saying “10% off mugs” and “Start your mornings with a mug that inspires you.”
The goal is simple: for the customer not only to see a discount, but also to understand why it exists, what story it tells, and how it connects to their life or your brand’s values.
Why does it work?
- Emotional connection: Stories generate empathy, activate memory, and help us make decisions. A promotional campaign with a narrative is easier to remember and feels more authentic.
- Differentiation: In a competitive landscape, a well-told story can make your campaign stand out among hundreds of similar messages.
- Increased perceived value: When a promotion is well-contextualized, customers don’t see it as a mere price cut, but as a meaningful opportunity. The price becomes secondary.
Types of storytelling for your campaigns
1. Seasonal narratives
Anchor your promotions to cultural moments or seasons.
Example:
“Celebrate the return of wood-fired cooking. Discover our special fall meal bundles.”
2. Product stories
Every product has a background, a use, a ritual, make that the center of the campaign.
Example:
“The rice we cook in our Albufera kitchen, now discounted when you buy more than one. Because we know you won’t want to share the first one.”
3. Purpose-driven promotions
Appeal to shared values.
Example:
“This month, with every order over €50, we’re donating a basic food kit. Together, we can do more.”
4. Phased storytelling (progressive promotions)
Tell your campaign in chapters, perfect for multi-phase strategies.
Example:
- Week 1: ‘Get Ready’ → Initial discounts
- Week 2: ‘Explore’ → Themed bundles
- Week 3: ‘Celebrate’ → Gift with purchase
How to apply storytelling with Planet
Storytelling doesn’t mean complicating your operations. With a flexible platform like Planet, you can create narrative-driven promotional campaigns, all from a single control panel.
Bundles with purpose
Create product packs with a logical and emotional connection:
“Everything you need for your first paella,” “At-home Japanese dinner kit,” and more.
With alternative options built into the widget, customers can easily swap products while staying within the story.
Volume discounts with a message
Don’t just say “10% off for 3 units.” Say:
“Buy for yourself and share with loved ones,” or
“Stock up for the month and save effortlessly.”
Gifts with purpose
Offer gifts that align with the product and story, an accessory, a recipe, an exclusive ingredient. It’s more than an incentive; it’s part of the narrative.
A cart that tells the whole story
Planet’s cart clearly shows all active benefits: applied discounts, unlocked gifts, and combined promotions. It reinforces the feeling that “this is part of something bigger.”
Brands already doing it
El Paeller
They don’t just sell products; they offer culinary experiences. With Planet, they’ve activated bundles, gifts, and volume discounts while maintaining their visual identity and narrative. Every promotion reinforces their message of authenticity and tradition.
Coosur
They’ve introduced gifts with purchase to reward customers who stock their pantry with high-quality products. Rather than settling for functional promotions, Coosur tells a story of added value, tradition, and customer care through their campaigns.
Justmylook
In a vast and competitive beauty catalog, they’ve stood out by applying complex, logic-driven promotions (by brand, quantity, etc.) while keeping everything clear and easy to understand. Each campaign strengthens their position as a complete destination for personal care and beauty.
Storytelling isn’t a luxury reserved for brand campaigns; it's a fundamental tool to turn promotions into experiences. Done right, it transforms a simple discount into a story your customers want to live and repeat.
Combine this narrative approach with a tool like Planet, and you’ll be able to manage bundles, gifts, discounts, and personalized carts without compromising your brand identity or overwhelming your team.
Ready to make your campaigns speak your brand’s language?
Install Planet and start creating promotions that don’t just sell, they tell a story.