We open on a young boy and his mother at a train station, holding a welcome-home sign. The mother excitedly squats down and tells the boy, “He’s on the next train!” The boy’s smile fills his mom’s heart. Her eyes wander toward the sky as she plays in her mind the scene of her husband scooping up their son and squeezing him tightly. 

Meanwhile, the boy spots his best friend, Elmo, in balloon form, floating through a train car parked at the station. Unnoticed, he makes his move. Onboard the train, it jerks into motion. The horn blares. Mom snaps to, looks down; her son … gone! Her eyes dart frantically. “Mommy!” Her sightline locks onto him through the train window. “Stop the train!” she shouts out to everyone and no one as the train steals her son away.

In a world bombarded with advertisements everywhere you look, one principle stands true: stories sell. Research shows that brands that tell compelling stories are 22 times more memorable than those that simply state facts. Storytelling isn’t just a marketing tactic—it’s a psychological phenomenon. When done right, this powerful tool allows companie

Revolutionary.

It’s an accurate term to describe the impact that the growth of data-driven marketing has had over the past decade. Monumental. Radical. Immense. Those work, too. Regardless, the ability to more easily reach target audiences and measure performance has increased efficiency and reduced costs.