Storytelling is a very generic term; can it become a differentiator for companies? What can be its differentiating aspects? Where do you use storytelling to make it a differentiating factor?

The short answer is yes, it can become a differentiator but it has to be intentional, aligned with the audience's needs, and relevant to the company / brand.

But it's extraordinarily difficult to do and most companies aren't able to break through. I think most people would point to Apple's "Think Different" campaign as the most obvious example of a company that did this effectively. The story effectively transformed and framed the company / brand as a champion of creativity and nonconformity and resonated with an audience who wanted to innovate. This differentiator endures to this day, and is obviously anchored with the concrete proof points of their product innovation.

During my time at Visa, the brand and sponsorship team did a phenomenal job with our Rio 2016 Olympics "Carpool" campaign. It was a fun narrative featuring over 20 Team Visa athletes across different countries and sports and featured Visa’s innovative payment technologies like Visa Checkout, while reinforcing themes of acceptance, diversity, and unity—all values integral to the Olympic spirit and Visa's core brand promise ("everywhere you want to be") of inclusion, access, and ubiquity.