Interview with Victor Gay Zaragoza

Victor Gay Zaragoza (Barcelona, July 19, 1982) is a writer and trainer/consultant. When he was writing his first novel, he had the idea of introducing narrative techniques as a tool to help brands communicate better. This is how “The Yellow Road: 7 Steps to Success Telling a Story” was born, a methodology to improve storytelling for both companies and personal brands, and with a whopping 4,000 brands and executives, such as Caixabank, Santander or Christian Escribà (director of Pastelerías Escribà) among others.

1. What is storytelling?

He storytelling is the creation and use of a magical atmosphere through a story. It has existed since we We gathered around a fire and we were half apes, and in short, that is what makes a human being human, because a man's identity is built through his role in history.

Examples of this technique would be Chanel, because it lives off the story of a person (Coco Chanel), as well as Rolls-Royce (Henry Royce and Charles Rolls). If you go to the websites of both brands, they don't sell you anything, they just tell you the big stories. Storytelling doesn't only cover companies, but also people, as is the case of Steve Jobs either J.K. Rowling.

The storytelling of King of App is “turning dreams into apps”. So, King of App could be considered an app builder, but in reality it is much more than that, since it is a company that, through apps, makes the dreams of marketing departments come true.

2. Why should companies create their storytelling?

The most visionary leaders They have always created stories and the most visionary brands have also created their own storytelling. Today, with the digital transformation, half of the companies are going to disappear, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE)How is this possible? Well, this transformation we are experiencing has made us exposed to a lot of information, so the only way to stand out from the noise is by creating a story that works and that associates you with the heart of your audience; you have to try to be remembered, to be memorable.

For this very reason, Chanel They are more than just bags, Rolls-Royce more than cars or King of App It's much more than just creating an app. So, in all this constant flow of information that there is in Internet, the only way to reach the minds of our audience is by creating stories that are unforgettable. In my opinion, I would give importance today more than ever to all the companies become storytellers, that is, to make their story conscious.

3. What are the keys to storytelling?

The first thing of all is to know who you want to tell your story to, and then you would have to deal with two pillars of storytelling: the change and empathy.

When I refer to the change, is what your product will bring to the world. For example, Coca-cola They talk about them as a drink that gives happiness, or in a world so affected by global warming, the products of Unilever They will make it sustainable. We see then how in the story of Coca-Cola or Unilever, there is a change. The same happens in the app market, where it appears King of App as a simple and economical alternative for these marketing departments to create a tool as useful as an application.

The second key to storytelling is to create empathy, that is, that can put oneself in the place of another person or brand. For example, Obama, in his race for the presidency of the USA, looked for that, just like a few months ago Donald TrumpIn the case of the second, much more recent, when he sells you the US brand, he tries to relate it to the failures that the current American president had, showing that he was able to move forward and showing that he is a self-made man. J.K. Rowling, who went through a major financial downturn at the beginning of her career, until becoming one of the most influential women on the current scene.

4. Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you got here?

I am a writer, although I also did training and consulting for executives. While I was writing my first novel, I asked myself a question. “What if I applied narrative techniques to the professional world?”, and thus be able to help brands and managers to be able to use these same techniques. That's how I began to create my storytelling methodology, “The Yellow Road”, and with which I have helped more than 4,000 brands and people, such as Google, Santander or King of App.

5. How would you describe your passion for storytelling?

For me, life and storytelling are the same, because history is our storytelling. “Who are you? What have you done?” These are questions that help us recreate our own story. As well as organize or structure it in such a way that we can tell it to other people and thus be able to achieve your own success, both personal and professional.

6. What would be your personal motto?

The phrase I like the most is “What defines us is not what we say we are, but what we choose to do”And this happens every day, every moment. So, each one has to choose what he is going to do when faced with adversity, whether it will knock you down or you are going to get ahead; this decision with two exit options, we take them every day, second by second, and in the end it will be what defines us best as people.

7. What is your personal definition of success?

Reach your goals own goals and obviously be happy doing it

8. How has your experience been doing storytelling?

It has been a very good and satisfying experience, because by helping others grow, you can also help yourself. Many times I have come across brands or people with an interesting story, of overcoming or inspiration. Personally, it has also given me a more positive view of the world we live in, seeing the human being as a person. how to turn your failures and adversities into in gasoline to be able to continue moving forward.

My experience with King of App It was very nice to see how a group of people had the idea of a project that would make dreams come true, and how they overcame adversity. They suffered many setbacks and have continued to move forward.; that is something that surprised me, that spirit of improvement, of a search for excellence.

They go to market and… their technology doesn’t work! They start over. When they already had it… your programmer runs away with the code! They start again. When they are about to achieve it, they run out of cash! They get the bare minimum, but the money runs out again. And when the end seemed imminent… Your project is awarded by the European Commission for the best ICT technology! Always overcoming adversity in King of App.