Wired for Happiness: Why Feel Good Stories Are A Critical Marketing Tool

We're naturally moved to smile by a great feel good story, to lose ourselves in the narrative and be amazed at the end result. Those emotions and values are positively critical to align your brand and story with. In this article, we walk through Stetson Bennett's movie-like story from walk-on to National Champion at Georgia and discuss how your team can begin to incorporate similar stories into your own strategy.
Wired for Happiness: Why Feel Good Stories Are A Critical Marketing Tool
January 10, 2023

Stetson Bennett wasn’t given a whole lot at the beginning of his career. He wasn’t even given a scholarship when he first walked on for the Georgia Bulldogs, his childhood dream team. Stetson Bennett’s journey started so inauspiciously, in fact, that not even Disney could dream up a script that fully described what would unfold over the next several years. 

Bennett grew up going to Bulldogs games with his dad, dying just to touch the grass Between the Hedges. After being overlooked as a two-star recruit out of high school, Stetson decided he would walk-on for his Bulldogs. As you can imagine, a walk-on doesn’t really play or get any of the headlines, so he transferred out to a junior college in search of an opportunity. 

After showing his ability, Georgia offered him a scholarship back home to be the third string QB. The offer was a great step, but Stetson was still two QBs away from running the offense. 

It took a perfect storm of injuries and transfers for Stetson to finally get to run the offense and give him a chance. It was a chance he would never give back. Stetson Bennett went from zero to hero in less than two full seasons, leading his Bulldogs to back-to-back National Championships and ushering in an era of dominance for the dawgs. 

As Bennett heads to the NFL, he leaves a legacy that inspires and challenges those coming behind him. And he leaves a fantastic story for fans and readers like you to enjoy. 

We’re naturally wired to love a good story. We find the edges of our mouths curling into a smile as we get a welcomed dose of dopamine. It’s biology. 

While corporations will flock to snatch up ad spots and interviews with Stetson as he goes into the pre-draft process, we’re reminded that a great story comes from anywhere. They are on practice fields, behind lunch counters, and driving Uber. 

What are you doing to find feel-good stories? How is your organization working to align your brand with the Stetson Bennett’s of the world? 

An idea that we’ve talked about before is doing research into your local sports teams. College athletes come from diverse backgrounds and have their own, unique stories to tell. By finding athletes who connect with your brand and audience, not only are you engaging a partner who will reinforce your message, but also bring new audiences into your marketing sphere. 

Of course, if you aren’t sure where to start, or uncertain about how to select and evaluate athletes, you’re in luck. We sit down with new clients each week who want to drive engagement and authentic connections, but don’t know what first steps to take. Together, we can walk through your marketing goals, high level strategy, and evaluate an athlete’s fit, all at no charge to you. 

Why? Because athlete marketing should be simple and effective.

If you’re new to this world, curious, and have questions, we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line right here and let’s create your most creative campaign to date. 

Mitchell Mason

Mitchell Mason

Senior Project Manager
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Progage co-founders playing basketball.

Progage came to life in early 2021, when NFL football player Kaden Smith and entrepreneur Kyle Fenner came together to create a sports marketing agency focused on helping brands win via creative storytelling and social media marketing.