Ray Hartjen: Storytelling Has Become One of the Most Powerful Tools in Modern Marketing

According to the University of West Alabama, storytelling has become one of the most powerful tools in modern marketing, with roughly 74% to 92% of organizations using it to sell products and build brand connection. More than 74% of B2B marketers and 73% of marketers overall use storytelling in their messaging, while as many as 92% of consumers say they expect advertising and brand communication to be delivered through narrative. My guest this week knows exactly why storytelling matters. Ray Hartjen is a writer, musician, and full-stack marketer based in Mission Viejo, California. Across a professional career spanning parts of five decades, Ray has reinvented himself multiple times, moving through industries that include investment banking, pharmaceuticals, consumer electronics, and SaaS software. Through every chapter of that journey, one constant has remained: storytelling. Ray has been quoted by national media on the consumer electronics and retail industries, and as a contributor to a variety of online outlets — including his own platform, rayhartjen.com — he has written on everything from sports, particularly football, hockey, and auto racing, to business topics such as sales and marketing. He is also the author of five published books: Immaculate: How the Steelers Saved Pittsburgh; Me, Myself & My Multiple Myeloma; The Indy 500: A Year-Long Quest to Win the Greatest Spectacle in Racing; Revenue Orchestration & Today’s New Era of B2B Sales and Marketing; and Outflanked, an espionage thriller. In March 2019, Ray was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a battle he continues to face with resilience and determination every single day. And when he’s not writing or helping organizations tell their most compelling stories, he’s making music as part of his two-piece acoustic band, the Chronic Padres. Ray joined me this week to talk about the power of storytelling, the lessons he’s learned from a life of reinvention, and how creativity, resilience, and human connection continue to shape both his personal and professional journey.     For more information: https://rayhartjen.com/ Email: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices