Everyone knows the name GoPro. The company’s rugged, adventure-ready cameras are the unrivaled leader in their space. Point-of-view footage people skydiving, mountain biking, or water skiing? The person probably took it with a GoPro.
Most people today have not heard of Contour. That’s unfortunate for the company since they pioneered wearable video cameras in 2007—and were out of business by 2013.
What took Contour down? Fledgling GoPro’s brilliant marketing campaigns featuring videos shot by adventure seekers and influencers pursuing all kinds of adrenaline-pumping activities. It could, and still can be summed up in two words: Watch this!
Not surprisingly, GoPro’s real-life storytelling attracted an engaged and loyal audience, while Contour’s focus on technical specifications was—in a word—boring. It came down to what went into making Contour’s cameras versus what came out of GoPro’s, and in the end, it was no contest.
Will GoPro always be the market leader? Hard to say. But what’s clear is that humans are wired to be receptive to stories, and companies that leverage that fact with carefully crafted tales will always have a competitive edge over those that fail to do so.
And if you think you don’t have any interesting stories to tell, think again! They’re all around you. All you need is some guidance from our seasoned storytellers to bring them to life.