"How to Market Your Business Like a Reality TV Show: Harnessing the Power of Storytelling to Make Money and Grow Your Business" I’ve worked in Hollywood for the last 15 years on some of the biggest reality shows to date, and I’ve created shows around businesses that have made them millions of dollars and brought invaluable recognition to their brand. To some, I’m considered an expert in the art of storytelling. Now, I’ve taken the things that I’ve learned working in the industry, and created something that I call ‘Branded Storytelling’ and I view it as the ultimate tool to set businesses apart from their competition. Let me explain. If you have a business or a brand, then you probably understand that in order for you to be successful, grow your business and make more money, you need to get you and your product or services in the minds of your potential customers. You’ve got to find a way to connect to your potential customers. Seems obvious - right? Yes, but with the influx and oversaturation of ads and commercials, that connection is getting harder and harder to make. But what if you could not only get noticed by people, but also turn them into raving fans, by telling them your story? You see, the amazing thing is, raving fans will do your marketing for you. The best way to connect to people is through storytelling. Since the beginning of human existence, we’ve told stories. From cave drawings to campfire tales to moving pictures, we’ve always been drawn to them. At their very core, good stories share the same basic themes or characteristics. A hero, trying to accomplish something and a ‘bad guy’ trying to stop them from succeeding. We as the audience, sit totally engaged and on the edge of our seats wondering what will happen next. Will the guy or girl find their love? Will the hero’s team win the game? These stories have the power to hold our attention, they have the power to elicit emotion and they bring the audience along for a journey. Here’s the secret for those building businesses, if you can turn your message into a story and tell it in an entertaining way, you can hook your audience, and take them on your journey. The ability to do this elicits a connection and that means you’ve successfully engaged people. Engaging and connecting will make people interested and turn your audience into customers. Hollywood, or the film and television industry figured this out a long time ago. They use the power of storytelling to not only entertain, but to ultimately sell their viewers something in the process. ‘Show business’ is just that, a business - which ultimately has to sell something, whether it’s a ticket to the movie theater, or a product on screen or in a commercial in between. You see, people in general have this feeling that, “if it’s on the screen, it must be cool and I want to be a part of it”. Which is why product placement in films and television has been going on since the beginning. We as consumers want to wear what celebrities and actors wear, eat and drink, and so on. Reality TV is no different and to some extent, it has an even greater power to influence its viewers, because of the “real factor” that viewers perceive and the connection they feel to the reality TV stars. After working in reality TV for years and seeing businesses grow in revenue, sales and brand recognition from the exposure they received, a lightbulb went off... I realized that by creating reality shows FOR businesses and brands, instead of for a television network or movie studio, it would allow for the people behind the business to tell their own story, authentically - instead of ‘Hollywood’ dictating the story. And when told in an entertaining and compelling way, these shows and stories have the ability to evoke an emotional connection, and in turn create an audience who are not only interested in your business - but who also want to follow along and be a part of the (your) story. When done right, storytelling is THE ultimate tool to driving your success. After discovering the power of storytelling for businesses, I knew that it was time to put our ‘Branded Storytelling’ concept to work by creating entertaining content and web series for businesses and brands; and so in 2014 I started Von Skye Original, an award winning production company that produces premium story driven content for businesses, brands and anyone else trying to tell their story. It was a major pivot in business practices for me, since up to that point I had been creating content for TV networks. To be honest, it was a little scary, but I believed in the ‘Branded Storytelling’ concept and knew it was the right thing to do. In 2015, a friend of mine introduced me to Michael Ungaro, the CEO of San Pedro Fish Market, one of the largest restaurants in the country. His family has owned and operated the market since the late 1950’s and they were looking to reinvent their marketing and drive new business, so this was the perfect opportunity to use ‘Branded Storytelling’ to innovate. That’s when we created Kings of Fi$h, a reality show about the families who own and still operate the Fish Market. With my years of experience producing, directing and editing network TV, I used my storytelling abilities to weave the San Pedro Fish Market narrative with the business as the backbone, into authentic, compelling and entertaining stories. People started to pay attention and they began to follow the Kings story. As our audience began to grow, so did the business - literally! The series has been a huge marketing tool, they've seen their revenue go up 20% since we started it...and it's one of the largest restaurants in the country, so that's no small change. They’ve even expanded and opened three new locations, with a fourth on the way. We have produced 50 episodes so far, 2 spin-offs and have had over 120 million views on social media. The business is the backbone of the series, but we definitely have fun with the stories and our characters. We’ve had a wide variety of storylines in the past 6 seasons. As Kings Of Fi$h became more successful, a cool bi-product began to happen, the series itself has become a brand… we have branded merchandise, we’ve produced live events - “presented by Kings Of Fi$h, and the series runs on televisions at all of San Pedro Fish Market restaurant locations. We look forward to continuing to grow the Kings Of Fi$h brand and seeing where their story goes next. The Von Skye Original story is growing too. With many other shows and projects in the works, it’s just the beginning for the ‘Branded Storytelling’ concept. Whether you're a business or ‘personality’ looking to tell your story and build your brand, or an agency looking to have the edge on your competition by providing premium story driven content, our ‘Branded Storytelling’ is the way to go. If you’re ever in need of story consulting or even a full production company, my team of skilled and seasoned producers have you covered. I’m confident that our storytelling expertise can not only help to bring out your best story, but to also get it out to the world. I have used the power of storytelling to change businesses and lives…when used properly, it really is that powerful of a tool. I can’t wait to tell the next greatest story, and it could be yours! Now that I’ve shared parts of my story, my journey, I want to share some insider information on how you can start harnessing the power of story. Harness the power of a Hollywood Story team. Story is king, so develop the most compelling story and clear message around your business. Find the best characters. Whether it’s the motivated entrepreneur, or quirky and fun employees or the customers themselves, it’s important to find people that are interesting to watch as you guide viewers through your story. It’s also very important, and this may be the hardest part, to find the perfect balance of being entertaining and compelling, while also conveying the narrative of your business. If you miss that balance, your goal of turning the viewers into customers and fans will not be reached. It’ll either be just another fun thing to watch or a commercial, and neither will truly set you apart. At the very least, I suggest finding someone who can consult you during this initial story and messaging process. Harness the power of a Hollywood TV Production Company, or take a production course at the very least. There has never been a better time to create content, but that’s the case for everyone, so find ways to set yourself apart. While story trumps production value (you could shoot it all on an iPhone if your story was compelling enough), to have an edge on your competition your content should look and feel big. Fill your social channels and websites with television network quality content that is not only entertaining but conveys your message. Working with Von Skye Original will allow you to harness the power of a Hollywood production company for budgets that fit any size business. Harness the power of innovative technology. Television or traditional television, is on it's way out and the digital platform is taking over. People engage with content differently now and the digital trend is on the rise. While this space is constantly changing, intrinsic storytelling or the need to tell stories will never go away. And today, thanks to technology - there are so many options and ways to deliver our stories. To be a leader in your industry you need to have your 'finger on the pulse' of how your audience is consuming content, and you need to be innovative in getting your message across. Engaging your audience with your story is the key. The story format (reality, documentary or scripted) is dependent upon your intended message and goals, but you must take advantage of digital platforms to give you an edge, reach the most people and turn your brand into something that 'everyone' is talking about. Good luck in finding ways to grow your business, that’s part of this journey. Tell your story and people will follow.