"According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, companies are now hiring storytellers with the same decisiveness reserved for hiring media buyers and PR chiefs. The article notes USAA is recruiting its fourth in-house storyteller in under a year, tasking the role with "bringing to life scenarios, situations and opportunities," while a compliance firm is offering up to $274,000 for a "head of storytelling.""
"As analysts calculate the post-mortem on the 2025 holiday shopping season, in this first full week of 2026, we explore how CMOs can make 2026 the year they tell better brand stories for growth and profit. In three acts, you'll meet brands entering my radar in 2025 and see how each chronicle evokes emotional fulfillment. Intertwined are snippets from my interviews with company C-suite executives, with the complete conversations to be shared throughout the year."
Companies are recruiting professional storytellers with hiring rigor comparable to media buyers and PR chiefs. USAA is recruiting its fourth in-house storyteller in under a year and a compliance firm advertised up to $274,000 for a head of storytelling. Corporate leaders are adopting narrative strategies that tap emotional tension to drive luxury demand. Saks Global, formed from Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman in a $2.7 billion deal, faces possible Chapter 11 after missing a six-figure interest payment and carrying roughly $4.7 billion in debt. Neiman Marcus benefited from legacy narrative initiatives like the Fantasy Gift Guide. CMOs are positioned to prioritize storytelling in 2026 to fuel growth and profit, with brands and C-suite perspectives slated for further disclosure.
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