Why Storytelling Matters for Food Brands
Storytelling in the 21st century has taken a new shape, probably because there is more understanding now. Initially, it was all about a one-seized fit idea to tell about a product in the best way the writer deems fit. But, it has adjusted and will keep adjusting. Storytelling now solves more than a relatability problem; it now solves problems like inconsistency with product, PR, sales, and building up a loyal audience or fans who love your product and would want to buy repeatedly.
Unlike other industries, the food industry seems already exciting; in 2025, we have influencers building communities around their food vlogs and helping brands and restaurants sell out even bigger than they used to be.
This article will look at how to build brand loyalty in the food and beverage industry using storytelling. At Purple Stardust, we create stories that make your brand stand out with awards to attest to our work in the last 5 years in the industry, scaling brands like Honeywell and many others. Contact us here if you want to take your brand to the next level.
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- Food Is Deeply Emotional
The zeal at which people talk about Nigerian jollof rice compared to Ghana jollof is similar to how a Nigerian football lover describes his favourite team with so much passion. Eating in 2025 is more than sustenance. It’s about identity, memory, belonging, and pleasure, which makes it uniquely positioned for emotional storytelling. Everyone wants to snap in an aesthetic restaurant, showing a plate of Nigerian cuisine with rich flavours. If sustenance is all you want to say, GenZs are not open to listening. According to a 2015 Nielsen study, 56% of global consumers said they are willing to pay more for products from brands they feel emotionally connected to. The food we eat reflects our values and heritage. Storytelling aligns the product with these emotional triggers.
Example: Jollof Rice in Nigeria isn’t just rice. It’s weddings, Sundays, birthdays. A local rice brand that taps into this nostalgia will win hearts faster than one focused solely on price or nutrition. It is warfare against the ghana jollof rice. That is how you sell, tapping into the emotions.
- Stories Create Distinction in a Crowded Market :
Hilariously, I would call the food market an uncountable noun because of our numerous brands. While there are frontliners, the underdogs and the unknown ones are far beyond expectation. With the industry segment, having a larger portion of it being the middle class or the lower class, selling will require more than just an ad on TV or a billboard on the streets of Ikeja; it will involve stories that inspire and encourage memories.
Exceptional samples are the Bambamla campaign with Honeywell, the Indomitable campaign, the Maggi cooking contest, and many more storytelling activation campaigns. The human brain retains stories 22x better than facts and figures. Stories have symbolic value.
- Storytelling Drives Marketing Efficiency
A good story is fuel across all channels: Instagram captions, YouTube videos, product descriptions, TikTok skits, packaging, press releases. A rich brand story simplifies content creation and unifies campaigns. You make marketing relatable, when you decide to tell stories. That way, people will connect and remember your brand.
How to Build a Food Brand Story (Framework)
Here’s a framework you can use:
1. Your Origin
- What inspired you to start this brand?
- Was there a personal or cultural need you were solving?
“I couldn’t find honest ogi outside Nigeria, so I started making it in my kitchen.”
2. Your Mission
What deeper goal drives you? (e.g., empowering local farmers, feeding diaspora souls)
3. Your Process
- What makes your product special? Is it handmade? Locally grown?
“Our ingredients come from a single village in Kwara, sun-dried the traditional way.”
4. Your People
- Who are the real faces behind your food? Customers, chefs, farmers?
“Aunty Remi has been hand-frying these snacks since 1982.”
5. Your Promise
- What consistent experience or feeling do you promise every time?
“Every jar of our sauce tastes like your grandma’s Sunday kitchen.”
This framework, if properly understood, can help you infuse storytelling into the fabrics of your businesses. Food is intimate. When your brand tells a story, it becomes part of someone’s own narrative, their morning ritual, their comfort meal, their connection to home. When you master storytelling, you build a loyal audience who can’t wait to see your next post.
Want to see how we use storytelling to sell out a product in Nigeria ? Read hereWant to learn customer loyalty strategies, read here.
At purplestardust, we create stories that make your brand stand out. With awards to attest to our work in the last 5 years in the industry, scaling brands like Honeywell and many others. Want to take your brand to the next level, contact us here.
