The essence of metaphor is understanding and experiencing one kind of thing
in terms of another.—George Lakoff, Metaphors We Live By

The two metaphors that dominate the world of marketing are war and science. These are essential tools for coordinating the efforts of large numbers of people toward very focused objectives. But when it comes to developing a sense of connection between a brand and its consumers, these metaphors actually get in the way. They distance us from the very people we're trying to connect to.

The war metaphor contains the concepts and language necessary to operate effectively in a competitive environment. When we talk about brand positioning, line extensions or advertising campaigns that target consumers with intrusive messages, we are talking about marketing as if it were war. In this context, consumers are targets.

The science metaphor contains concepts and language that can help reduce large volumes of information to metrics that can be analyzed and controlled. When we talk about testing copy, measuring awareness and segmenting consumers along sociographic lines, we are saying that marketing is like science. In this context, consumers are the lab rats.

The story metaphor is the third leg of this tripod. The reason marketers are hearing more and more about storytelling is that story, by its nature, is about meaning and connection. In order to make a connection with consumers that has emotional traction—a relationship that has meaning for consumers and results in long-term loyalty—marketers will need to become adept at story-based thinking as well. In the story metaphor, consumers are the audience, and a good storyteller is nothing if not connected to his audience.