Stories stay when commercials fall short. The great success behind one marketing strategist’s unusual approaches is motivated by that basic principle. Let’s have a look behind the scenes of Alex Pollock’s narrative style, a revolutionary move in a field awash in Alexander Pollock.
You most likely have felt it. That instant need to click “skip ad” or scroll past another perfectly styled advertisement. Every day we are inundated with 4,000–10,000 marketing messages, yet seldom pay attention to most of them. The human brain now filters commercial noise rather shockingly effectively.
Years ago, Pollock saw this and zigzag while others zipped.
“Marketing isn’t about shouting louder than competitors,” he said in an enthusiastic Chicago session. “It’s about whispering the proper story to people who already want to listen.”
This view turned conventional wisdom inside out. Pollock transports viewers with emotional journeys whereas traditional marketing emphasizes product features. The difference is night and day outcomes.
Consider the maker of farm equipment who failed to reach next-generation farmers. Their specifications were better than others. Their fees are reasonable. Their commercials are professionally done. Still, revenues flat for three consecutive years.
Pollock’s fix wasn’t another feature chart comparison.
With a camera in hand, he visited Midwest fields to document dawn-to- dusk narratives of young farmers embracing modern technologies while battling to preserve family legacy. Zero product glamour shots—just true tales of actual difficulties and hard-earned successes—characterized the final campaign.
Orders for equipment shot 218% that quarter.
“People don’t buy products,” Pollock says. “They purchase improved models of themselves.”
This realization guides his unique three-strike technique:
1. **Strike the nerve** – Find the emotional point of view your readers go through.
2. **Share the struggle** – Show characters conquering challenges they understand.
3. **Stoke the vision** Clearly depict life following your fix-all remedy.
The simplicity of it is brilliant. Though few people really commit to this structure, anyone can follow it. Pollock gives his all every time.
He ignored industry standards—that of fear-mongering—for a home security startup and instead presented close-ups of families experiencing mental clarity. One advertisement featured a parent checking the app at his daughter’s performance, then setting his phone down to be in the here-now. No possibilities involving breaks in integrity. Not including statistics. Just the emotional benefit of having concern gone away.
Weeks saw a doubling in subscriptions.
Pollock’s techniques have support from brain science. Two little brain areas light up when we come upon info. Stories excite our whole brain, especially areas regulating sensory processing and emotional response. We literally experience stories differently than knowledge.
His methods apply in many fields since they appeal to common human wiring:
“Stories predate marketing thousands of years. Long before they experimented with sales, our predecessors told stories around flames. That cerebral route runs far below.
But don’t confuse narrative for only amusement value. Pollock’s approach calls for strategic discipline. Every narrative component has to directly influence particular business results.
Pollock’s team developed a multimedia series highlighting members of the streaming service battling customer attrition finding shows that altered their viewpoint on important issues. They never brought up content libraries or subscription capabilities. Rather, they focused on transforming events—the actual value for products.
After campaign start, renewal rates increased by 34%.
What makes Pollock’s narrative unique among many copycats? His intense concentration on surprise and precision.
“Classic stories bounce off brains like rubber balls off concrete,” he explains. “Specific details with unexpected twists like glue.”
This helps to explain his tremendous success with that athletic shoe company. Instead of generic athlete sponsorships, they highlighted regular runners reaching personal goals—the dad running following heart surgery, the 62-year-old doing her first 5K, the kid gaining confidence via cross-country. Every narrative had a point when the character faced giving up but persisted still.
