I stared at the ceiling. It was 2am. I was wide awake… and bored.

So of course, I grabbed my phone off the nightstand and soon found myself going down an internet rabbit hole.

After taking several quizzes to determine which Disney princess and villain I was (Belle and Ursula, by the way), I came across an article on fan theories for some of Disney’s popular animated films. Most of them felt like a bit of a stretch, but one idea caught my eye and caused me to stop scrolling.

Aladdin never happened at all.

The comment suggested the possibility that the entire story had been fabricated by the merchant in the opening scene in an effort to get you to buy the lamp.

It is an interesting concept - what if the entire story was a sales pitch?

Selling with stories

The premise of Godin’s book is that marketers use stories that resonate with customers in order to sell products and services, rather than rational facts. Marketing succeeds when you make an emotional connection with customers. It’s more about a perceived value and what the customer believes to be true.

Let’s assume that the movie-as-sales-pitch theory is true. Based on some of the concepts presented in Godin’s book, did the merchant succeed?

Creating a story worth listening to

1. Cut through the noise – and do it fast. Godin asserts that attention is a precious commodity, but you only have a few seconds to get it. You have to make a good first impression or you will be ignored.
   
   I’d argue that the merchant almost misses his chance here. Remember, he tries to sell two other items before showing the lamp. You can almost sense the eye roll as the camera pans away when you – the customer – tries to walk away. After two failed attempts he changes his strategy, finally getting your attention when he says, “This is no ordinary lamp!” That’s where he begins telling a story. And it works, as the audience then watches the remaining 87 minutes of the movie.
   
   
   
2. Know your customer and connect with their worldview. Godin refers to a “worldview” as a collection of our biases and experiences. We judge a story based on how it aligns with that view and only listen to those that resonate with our beliefs. Your ideal customer is one who shares your worldview.
   
   Initially, the merchant seems to be trying to offload cheap kitchenware to anyone who will listen. But when he begins the story about the lamp, he uses a common trope – the diamond in the rough. This theme gives you something to connect with. Does everyone love these types of stories? No. But the assumption is that you do, since the camera doesn’t pan away again.
   
   
   
3. Appeal to their emotions. Godin states that it’s not facts that matter but what the customer believes. People tend to make decisions based on their emotions and then justify with logic. If you sell the story, you sell the product.
   
   It would be hard to make an argument that anyone would need the lamp, unless you were looking for an antique gravy boat. The worth of the lamp is defined by the story. If you believe that the lamp “once changed the course of a young man’s life,” suddenly, it's not a piece of junk. It’s something you can imagine showing to your friends, telling them, “I got this from a street merchant in Agrabah. Legend has it….”
   
   And so, the story spreads.

Story matters

People want to know your story. Every update to your website, every post on social media, every marketing piece you create is a piece of that.

When you tell a great story, people listen. Listening builds trust. Trust builds relationships. Relationships create customers and members - your fan base. Turn them into loyal customers and they’ll spread your story for you.

So, was the movie just an elaborate plot to make a sale? We may never know. But if it had been, would you have bought the lamp?

At Rushlight, we believe that your story has a unique spark that connects with your audience in an authentic and memorable way that drives action. We’d love to partner with you to empower your business to grow and achieve lasting success.