What do Cinderella, Jane Eyre, Aladdin and the Ugly Duckling have in common? Their plot.

 Two decades ago the author Christopher Booker argued that throughout history there were only seven basic plots that writers have used. One of them, rags to riches, fits the four stories above.

 In the lecture I argue that throughout history there were only five basic stories that marketers have used (quite different from those identified by Booker). Knowing and understanding these five can be very useful to marketers, especially today – when marketers are frequently encouraged to tell stories. In the lecture I describe these basic stories as well as four storytelling methods that advertisers should use to overcome the major challenges advertisers face.