From its earliest roots human culture has undoubtedly relied on storytelling not just for entertainment purposes, but also as a way to successfully pass on vital information. Stories about real world experiences are easily and readily consumed because people want to empathize, be amazed, and laugh. A story can actually reward the listener with a rush of endorphins if the story is powerful enough, so if your company is not using the power of storytelling to build its brand on the web, then your web strategy is in need of an overhaul.
If your company's history is interesting, you need to tell people about it. If your company history is boring, you still need to should tell it, but you will need to put in a little extra effort writing and editing in order turn it into an effective marketing tool. Your history can help set you apart from your competitors, because your customers consume stories just as sure they consume whatever it is that you sell them. In the customer's mind the story gets strongly attached to your company's name and to your products. Ask die hard Apple fans about the history of the company, and most can tell you about they started out in a small garage in Los Altos. Many can tell you the story of each Apple product line, even the obscure failures, because there is a cool, quirky story for each and every one of them. The level of detail they can provide you with is startling, and this serves as a form of free advertising for companies like Apple.
Now ask that same person where they left their car keys or what they saw on the way to work and the recall just isn't nearly as reliable, because usually there is nothing unique or interesting about how the car keys ended up on the desk or the top of the microwave. No one is there carefully crafting a story about the keys, there's no writer embedding that dull history with symbolism, no cleverly constructed metaphors. Unless of course the owner of the keys is wise enough to create a story around the where he or she placed the keys, which is a mind technique employed by the world's foremost memory experts. And shows the power of a good story and powerful mental imagery.
So we can see the power of story and that it can be used to strengthen your brand, extend brand awareness, and get information to your audience that you want them to remember. If executed well we can expect to see tremendous opportunities for word of mouth advertising, free advertising, and a good reason for your customers to think of you as something more than just another company. So give your customers some new reasons to spend more on your products and services - just make sure you have the right talent in place to get the word out in a creative, engaging way.