AUSTIN, TX: Gatorade, the sports drink, relies on a four-point formula to tell engaging stories – with a focus on being creative, authentic, strategic and emotional.

Kenny Mitchell, Senior Director/Consumer Engagement at Gatorade, discussed this subject at MediaPost's OMMA Conference held during South by Southwest (SXSW) 2016.

More specifically, he dug down into the quartet of principles underpinning the brand's efforts to deliver communications capable of connecting with consumers.

"We use this little acronym, which we affectionately call 'CASE'," said Mitchell. (For more, including further tips for brands, read Warc's exclusive report: Gatorade's formula for successful storytelling.)

The first of these letters represents the need to be creative. "Are we looking at a new way in? Is it something that's interesting? Is it something that's compelling?" Mitchell stated when describing some of the considerations in this area.

Authenticity is the second of Gatorade's storytelling guideposts, and is particularly important as the brand seeks to demonstrate that it is in tune with the preferences of athletes.

"We have the benefit and privilege of being a brand that is endemic to sport, and in all of our communications, we want to make sure we are communicating in a very authentic way and trying our best to do things that are ownable, and unique, and Gatorade's own specific point of view on it," Mitchell said.

A third driver of Gatorade's output is making sure its messaging is truly strategic. "Is it really meeting the brief? Is it delivering what we're trying to accomplish from a business perspective?" he continued.

This emphasis on meeting hard objectives is joined by the goal of pursuing marketing efforts that exert an impact at the emotional level.

"Does it make you feel something? Whether it is humour, whether it is inspiration, whether it is thoughtfulness, we want to make sure that all of our content is helping to deliver something from an emotional standpoint," Mitchell said.

Data sourced from Warc