Well, Prince William and Princess Catherine have returned from their honeymoon.

“Who cares?” you ask.

Probably the 23 million Americans who watched the couple get married on April 29^th. As a reference point, ratings juggernaut American Idol drew 24 million viewers on May 18^th. But American Idol fans are so completely invested in that show. They even participate actively, choosing the winner with their telephone and online voting. So, it’s easy to see how Idol does big numbers week after week.

But why would a one-time event, in a different country thousands of miles away, involving two people we know relatively little about, pull nearly as many interested viewers as a program that so many people consider “appointment television”?

Could it be the story?

For many viewers, the royal wedding must have felt like the climactic chapter of a real-life Cinderella story being played out in front of their eyes, as a “mere commoner” was plucked from obscurity and transformed into an elegant princess. Mix in memories of Princess Diana, plenty of pomp, some fancy hats, and you’ve got a few hours worth of TV story-telling. And viewers ate it up.

And yes, American Idol tells stories too, weaving in hometown memories and interviews about hopes and dreams from the very start of each season to accentuate the "nobody-to-somebody" theme.

So, what story are you telling your audience – those prospects and customers you want to reach? What are you presenting to them through your marketing that draws and keeps their attention? That changes their habits? That moves them, enlightens them or entertains them to the point of wanting to buy from you, and then help you spread your message online or through word of mouth? When you start to tell your company’s own authentic stories you’ll begin to see “who cares.”