In 2026, Look for the Growth-Driving Return of Storytelling

In late September 2025, the original AI phenom ChatGPT tested something big that had nothing to do with automating enterprise workflows.

The company was riding a product-driven growth surge that had doubled their weekly active users in just 6 months, approaching 800 million. Into that momentum, they dropped something unexpected: traditional 30-second TV spots featuring a young man searching for the perfect first date recipe, siblings planning an epic road trip, someone transforming their life with a practical fitness routine.

No slick AI-generated video. No rapid-fire edits hyping tech-driven productivity. Just one loud bellwether: the world's most advanced AI company, in its biggest brand campaign ever, hunting growth through stories.

Appreciation for narrative is having a moment bigger than marketing. Method1 CEO MichaelAaron Flicker recently argued in Fast Company that the U.S. is experiencing a “story economy.” Career economists can’t explain how well we’re doing. But consumer sentiment, shaped by the stories people tell themselves, leads economic outcomes.

Why? A strong story moves millions in ways facts alone can't.

I’ve been reflecting on this as I consider what might separate the indulgence brands that outperform their peers in 2026.

Those of us marketing moments of joy now have access to all the same AI tools, as well as advanced targeting and optimization engines—which means we’re all starting from the same place again, looking for that next source of advantage.

My money is on the return of great storytelling, with its timeless power to:

• Capture consumers’ attention and imagination
• Encode in their memories so they are top-of-mind when it matters
• Drive purchase and lasting preference

The brands that win will embed narrative across every consumer touchpoint: how their packaging tells a story on shelf, how they show up in-store, what partnerships express about who they're for, how influencers naturally talk about them, and yes, through paid media when the story justifies the moment.

ChatGPT's campaign makes story easy to spot—concentrated into 30 seconds of media. But the opportunity is so much greater than any marquee moment.

Why Stories Work

Brands, even tech giants, will always return to stories because they harness human nature to become irresistible. They make choice feel effortlessly, intuitively right–and do it in a way that scales.

Behavioral science backs this up. Here's why, according to the study of human decision making, narratives are such effective growth drivers for brands:

• Stories stick
  Information (facts, figures, brand benefits) is far more memorable when it comes wrapped in a story. If your premium snack or RTD category is dominated by flavor-forward messaging or lofty wellness claims, weaving a story through all touchpoints enhances memorability, creating a powerful advantage.
• Stories are believed
  When people get absorbed in a story, what psychologists call “narrative transportation,” they stop evaluating things consciously and just start experiencing. This makes them far more receptive to a story’s underlying message, even when they may consciously know it’s marketing.
• Stories drive action
  When you infuse narratives with proven behavioral triggers that harness the power of emotion, you can drive purchase more reliably. Using story to link your brand or product to a sense of belonging, induce FOMO or enhance perceived value helps consumers grant themselves permission to indulge—and develops the willingness to pay a premium to do it.

Most compelling, of course, is that all this theory is proven to drive results when it’s put to work in market.

Stories That Sold Big

Here are two brands—separated by over two decades—that demonstrate storytelling’s enduring power to drive impact.

How Story Took Poppi from Niche Elixir to Guilt-free Soda Giant

Allison and Stephen Ellsworth originally went on Shark Tank in 2018 to sell "Mother"—an apple cider vinegar beverage in glass bottles with Victorian script on the label. The product had a small following among wellness devotees, but growth had stalled out.

The problem wasn’t their product, which was great. It was the story consumers had to buy into. Purchasing Mother meant identifying as the kind of person who drinks vinegar for gut health. That’s a small club—and even members don’t love advertising their need.

For the brand to drive conversion, consumers needed permission to enjoy an indulgence that just happened to also be good for them, not the other way round.

What followed was a complete brand narrative overhaul. Mother became “Poppi.” Victorian script became bright, bold cans. "Apple cider vinegar beverage" became "prebiotic soda." The brand transformed from treatment to treat … with benefits.

With a new story about its purpose and the people who drink it, Poppi gave the gut health-conscious permission to enjoy soda while expanding its market beyond them.

By 2024, the narrative had become valuable enough to invest against: Poppi's Super Bowl ad became the most-watched commercial of the game, reaching 29.1 million households.

The media buy made sense because the brand story did. And the results?

Revenue surged 5x the following year, reaching $500 million in 2024. And in March 2025, PepsiCo acquired the brand for $1.95 billion.

Poppi clearly demonstrates how a strategic brand narrative—embedded across positioning, naming, voice and shelf presence—unlocks growth. But brand storytelling has also worked in campaign form for generations.

How Molson Famously Outpaced its Category Without Mentioning Beer

When marketers cite examples of breakthrough storytelling, the success of one legendary beer campaign from 2000 never stops resurfacing.

Before martech and algorithmic targeting had rewired everyone’s brains, Molson was facing what so many spirits and beverage brands still confront: How do you revitalize growth in a mature, crowded category where everyone has good products and competitive pricing?

After years of losing share, Molson was bleeding relevance with younger drinkers who saw it as “Dad's beer.” This kind of challenge is especially thorny in the beer category, where studies have found that even “loyal” consumers often can’t identify their chosen brew in blind taste tests.

The product couldn't be the differentiator. The story had to be.

So Molson went all-in with a 60-second spot called "The Rant" that debuted during the 2000 Academy Awards. A young actor in a flannel jacket works himself into an impassioned monologue about life as a Canadian—without saying a word about beer, brewing credentials or taste. Just a cultural rallying cry.

The ad became a phenomenon, delivering an estimated $1.5M in free publicity. And the business impact? Market share up 2.5 points.

As we look ahead to 2026, imagine the impact of the right brand narrative or campaign creative targeted precisely at the consumers and moments most likely to move needles.

I believe we’re about to see it, with the most innovative brands following frameworks like this one to build their story-driven brands now.

How Breakout Brands Will Build Story in 2026

Based on what's worked—and what we're building with clients—here are three science-backed approaches to creating stories that make your brand irresistible in 2026 (and beyond).

1. Instead of Justifying Indulgence, Make Choice Cognitively Easier

Both Poppi and Molson understood their product formulations were fine. What they needed were behavioral triggers that could make choosing them feel effortless.

Poppi did it by understanding “stigma avoidance.” Wellness products can signal that the buyer has a problem that needs fixing. By downplaying health claims, Poppi minimized the social cost of purchase.

Molson did it by harnessing “social identity theory.” We humans love to belong to groups that elevate how we see ourselves. So the brand made being Canadian cool again, riding pride in identity right to the register.

Think beyond using story to explain why your product is better. Focus on dissolving the cognitive frictions around choosing it in the first place.

2. Build Story Into the Brand, Not Just the Campaign

When campaign storytelling works as it did for Molson, it's powerful. But many brands also need brand narrative, as Poppi did, to build stronger memory structures and embed purchase triggers across design, messaging and every type of media (paid or otherwise).

Poppi did much more than run one successful Super Bowl ad. They rebuilt their positioning as a worthy daily indulgence: a fun prebiotic soda. A name that evokes joy, not medicine, with happy contemporary cans and messaging to match.

So, instead of layering story on top, build it into brand architecture itself—harnessing triggers that make the product irresistible to more consumers. Make your story discoverable across the purchase journey through:

• Package design
• Messaging and media placements/cadences
• Retail presence
• Partnerships
• Influencer integrations

3. Make Your Consumer the Hero

Molson wasn't the hero of their story; Canadians were. Poppi isn’t either; the consumer who wants both soda and support with gut health is.

It can feel counterintuitive for indulgence brands that are used to talking about heritage, craftsmanship or unique ingredients. But the most effective stories find a way to center the consumer's life, identity or aspirations—positioning the product as an ally, integral to how they live.

Ask: What does my consumer want to feel or become? And how can my brand step out of their spotlight with the story we tell?

Don’t Miss Story’s Overdue Moment

The return of story is really a necessary correction. Because after all the optimization and automation, purchase still comes down to what’s engaging, memorable, credible and motivating—and stories are.

In 2026, I believe the most strategic indulgence brands will:

• Rediscover their footing in our AI age
• Reinvest in storytelling to fuel their distinctiveness and growth
• Harness behavioral science to build stories that perform to their greatest potential

Those that fall behind will continue relying on optimized targeting and the novelty of AI-generated content. Those that pull ahead will combine the powers of algorithmic optimization with deeper understanding of what truly drives choice—and profit.

To explore accelerating growth by making brands irresistible, see Method1’s work.

About the Author

Allison Arling-Giorgi, Head of Brand at Method1, is an expert brand-builder who harnesses deep understanding of human behavior to drive real business impact. She has spent her career helping brands in CPG and spirits industries make sense of consumers and culture, translating insight into highly effective and awarded work. Allison has been a featured speaker at conferences across the U.S., has been published in Ad Age, and has also contributed to the PBS Frontline documentary “Generation Like,” the UK Daily Mail and MediaPost.

Resources

Mar, R. A., et al. (2021). "Memory and comprehension of narrative versus expository texts: A meta-analysis." Reading and Writing, 34, 1257-1301.

Green, M. C., & Brock, T. C. (2000). "The role of transportation in the persuasiveness of public narratives." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(5), 701-721.

van Laer, T., de Ruyter, K., Visconti, L. M., & Wetzels, M. (2014). "The extended transportation-imagery model: A meta-analysis of the antecedents and consequences of consumers' narrative transportation." Journal of Consumer Research, 40(5), 797–817.

Allison, R. I., & Uhl, K. P. (1964). Influence of beer brand identification on taste perception. Journal of Marketing Research, 1(3), 36–39.​

Broniarczyk, S., Giulietti, M., & Orlando, M. (2012). Probably not the best lager in the world: Effect of brands on consumers’ preferences in a beer tasting experiment. LIUC Papers, Serie Economia e Impresa, 254, 1–32.​