Read any newspaper or magazine, watch any TV show, and you will experience the full force of global brands that have achieved sheer market dominance and appear to be in a league of their own. Take Nike for example - it owns almost half of the American athletic footwear market and its domination of the basketball footwear market stands at a staggering 96%. So what’s the secret? You might be tempted to think it's all about the sporting superstars who endorse the brand in their ads, or the celebrities who lend their names and faces to the products. But actually it’s all about leveraging the power of storytelling - making an emotional connection with customers through highly emotive, inspirational stories. In reality, they’re selling more than a product; they’re selling aspiration and that’s a powerful motivator. The brand, through its powerful storytelling and accompanying tagline, Just Do It!, inspires us to believe in ourselves, to achieve victory through our hard work and effort, to overcome all challenges. And ultimately, that message sells. It’s a lesson that every entrepreneur and every fledgling brand out there can learn from. It’s all about harnessing the power of authentic and inspirational storytelling to connect on an emotional level with the customers you are trying to reach.

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