Nandini Sankara, VP of Marketing and Brand Strategy, and Spokesperson for Suburban Propane, joined the PR’s Top Pros Talk podcast, hosted by Doug Simon, CEO of D S Simon Media, to share how effective storytelling can help reframe public perception. She also discusses how brands can make stories relatable, combat misconceptions, and separate meaningful “signals” from constant noise.

To begin, Doug asked Nandini to explain her role and the business she represents. “I’m a marketer, I’m a storyteller,” she said. Suburban Propane, incorporated in 1928, is the oldest standing propane retailer in the United States. She reminded listeners that propane goes far beyond grilling. “Think a glass of wine, a chilled rosé, whatever your choice of libation might be, a juicy apple, farms, think NASCAR, propane powers all of them.”

On why storytelling matters more than ever, Nandini shared her philosophy: “Make storytelling relevant and relatable.” She emphasized that legacy brands, in particular, need to balance history with modern resonance. “Keep your brand story authentic to the brand, make it relatable to the times, and honestly keep it simple and make it fun. Appeal to people’s emotional quotient. The EQ really matters.”

Doug then asked about common mistakes communicators should avoid. Nandini pointed to preconceived notions that can cloud audience perception. “You think of propane, you think grilling, you think fossil fuel. Oh yeah, I know everything about propane. And honestly, I love talking in examples because I like to simplify things.” She noted that vineyards rely on propane for frost protection, pest control, and energy to maintain the perfect temperature. “To me, a story needs to be simple, needs to be relatable. Let’s simplify it. Let’s humanize it. Let’s showcase to people what it’s capable of doing.”

Addressing whether storytelling can protect against misinformation, Nandini explained that it offers marketers the chance to reset narratives. “Every marketer is a storyteller. If you don’t think you are, you are. You help control that narrative. You have that opportunity to change that narrative.”

Simon also asked about how she personally filters meaningful information. Nandini said she draws inspiration from an old New York Times phrase, “signals from the noise,” which she even added to her LinkedIn profile. “I become a main character in my own comic book, right? So, if I were my own movie. What do I do? I become the narrator, I become the emcee, and I have this opportunity to set the stage and start leading with those signals.” Staying authentic, she said, is key: “I am lucky enough to have the responsibility to run marketing and brand for a nearly a century-old American iconic brand. Heck, I don’t want to be the marketer who ruined the story for the next 100 years.”

For Nandini, brand storytelling comes down to authenticity, relevance, and simplicity. “Noise is going to happen,” she said. “The way you can rise above the rest of that noise: stay authentic to your brand.”

View all of the interviews in the “PR's Top Pros Talk” series. Interested in taking part? Contact Doug Simon at [email protected].

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Suchi Sherpa is a Marketing Communications Specialist at D S Simon Media, a leading firm specializing in satellite media tours.