The Story Again: Why Are We Falling in Love with Storytelling All Over Again?

Session Overview

In today’s business environment, the core purpose of marketing is still the same: creating value through ongoing relationships with customers. Yet the rapid advancement of technology and the dramatic shift in consumer behavior are forcing the industry to question many of the methods that have defined marketing over the past decade.

As data-driven performance marketing approaches its limits, global marketers are beginning to regain trust in something they once considered less measurable but deeply powerful: story. This shift is why roles such as “Head of Story” and “Chief Storytelling Officer” are emerging across industries spanning fashion, automotive, and consumer goods.

This session explores why story is once again becoming central to how brands communicate with markets and consumers. Through real brand cases, it will examine how today’s story-driven branding differs from past approaches to storytelling, what kind of stories brands now need to tell, and how branding itself is evolving in response to this change.

Speaker

Joonhyong Jo

Freelancer Branding Director

Until last month, Joonhyong Jo served as CMO of the mobility platform SOCAR. He began his career in branding and has since built extensive experience as a brand manager for some of the most talked-about consumer brands of their time, including Cyworld, Homeplus, and TOMS.

Over the years, he has led marketing and campaign initiatives for brands and products that sparked major public buzz, including Pokémon Bread, Samlip’s seasonal steamed bun campaigns, Jaws Food, and TOMS Shoes.

Today, he works independently as a freelance branding director, focusing on story-based branding and helping brands build stronger emotional resonance through narrative.