Facts tell, but stories sell
The challenge of PR communicators is how to get their messages to consistently cut through the clutter of information, and in the process grow their brands or corporate identities into icons. Today, the “theater of brand war” has expanded, where all kinds of stories struggle to be heard in a universe of media din and shout-outs. Many messages and public pleas to support communication and advocacy programs die on the vine before they even touch their intended audiences.
There are a few survivors in the combat zone, though. And the only tool they used to survive, to shift minds and to alter behaviors was to tell a great, compelling story. Today’s publics are gaining control of power from mainstream media and are by themselves, paving the way for a fresh, digitally empowered life. Now they don’t just gobble up and chew messages, they own them, share them, and choose which among them will continue to exist and which will expire.
On top of their voices, they insist on telling stories that the human mind has always preferred — stories of encouragement and empowerment, of people realizing their maximum potential and participating in great efforts to build a better world.
Great PR stories make your communication sticky. In the words of PR consultant Robbie Vorhaus, “They are pure non-fiction — truth told in the precise same context as any other story form as movies, advertising and journalism.” Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point, referred to it as contagious messages that “catch on” as they’re passed from person to person. They become memorable because of their simplicity. They are unforgettable creative executions of literal meanings and expressions: “It’s the real thing (It’s the old product we love); “Real men don’t…” (Prove you’re a man by…); “Just do it” (Act now — stop delaying); “I love New York” (New York is a great place to live) or “Smile. Be happy.” (Life is easy. Relax).
Brilliant and catchy slogans turn bland messages into creative stories, where a central idea is focused on one person, one idea or one thing. They take your audience on a journey and make them enjoy the ride and the experience. In the end, whoever tells the best story in a most convincing fashion gets the hearts and minds of the people.
The book Winning the Story Wars: Why Those Who Tell — and Live — the Best Stories Will Rule the Future by Jonah Sachs shares helpful insights and simple tools any brand, individual or company can use to rise above the confusion of messages and executions, generate followers, empower your followers and grow your brand. Essentially, to win the story war you have to be interesting, you must tell the truth and you must live the truth.
Telling the truth is living the truth. To achieve this you need three tactics — tell your more significant truth, emphasize the influence of your audience, and embrace the power of inspiration and empowerment.
In the 1950s, when Cadillac was using the story of “personal achievement and fine taste,” Volkswagen Beetle launched the “Think Small” campaign, shifting the truth to “living within your means.” The campaign was credited with starting the creative revolution that turned advertising on its head in the 1960s. “But the campaign does not owe its success to offbeat creativity or its celebrated use of white space on the page. The power of the new story Volkswagen was telling began at its core, with its values. While Cadillac was celebrating an endless quest for status and wealth, Volkswagen celebrated joyful modesty of material desire and truth in the face of insincerity,” Sachs explained.
The “Courage” campaign of Nike in which athletes tell their story of perseverance and overcoming the odds is a story about Nike’s audience — a tale about people that breathes life into the brand. It gave birth to the universally recognized tagline, “Just do it” — three simple words that have urged viewers to pursue achievement in whatever way they define it. The rousing message catapulted Nike to iconic status not only in its industry but also in the wide, wild world of communication.
“Barack Obama’s inspiring ‘Yes We Can’ political campaign carried Obama’s exaltation of optimism over fear, collective sacrifice over individual greed, and engaged citizenship over prepackaged, convenient solutions,” Sachs wrote. He touched a nerve with an empowering message highlighting the Americans’ boundless ability to mature and transcend. Obama’s campaign story spread wildly through the digital landscape. People believed that yes, they could, and became joyful evangelists. The Obama campaign raised over half a billion dollars online alone. And, against all odds, Barack Obama became the president of the United States.
Steve Jobs would tell his biographer before his death, “The people who buy Apple products do think different. They are the creative spirits in this world, and they’re out to change the world. We make tools for those kinds of people.” Apple’s “Think Different” campaign made a difference. No doubt about it. “It told the truth that human nature goes beyond your basest desires and brings you to a higher potential. It provided the foundation of a storytelling strategy that built a breakthrough communication for the brand,” Sachs described.
These empowerment stories instigated action by painting a picture of an imperfect world that can be fixed through novel stories and noble actions. And, most importantly, they create deep affinity by acknowledging that human beings can be cause-oriented advocates and value-laden individuals — something more than selfish machines seeking status, sex, comfort, and convenience.
Social media platforms are intensifying the power of positive stories. But it’s misleading to call it a trend. These stories have always been with you and have always been powerfully significant. And if you evaluate empowerment storytelling by its ability to create unforgettable, iconic campaigns, it reveals itself as the ultimate secret weapon for winning the story wars.
The core strategy of empowerment communication is about values and inspiration. A brand has an opportunity to promote higher values. To achieve this, you need to understand it and make a promise to it. You need to embed values into its story elements since it’s a powerful engagement point between the brand and its publics.
Some brands have values defined by who they are. BMW is “The Ultimate Driving Experience,” Discovery Channel is “Wide Eyed Wonder,” Greenpeace is about the environment and Amnesty International is about human rights. It just is who they are.
“If your brand doesn’t have ready-defined values, then there is a two-step process to select them: First, review values and think about what your brand wants to be. Try out different values and see what fits,” Sachs says. Inspired by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, he lists nine brand-defining values: wholeness, perfection, justice, richness, simplicity, beauty, truth, uniqueness, and playfulness. Where do you want to bring your brand given this list? “Second, narrow the values to three, with one or two being ideal. Select a value that aligns with your core, what you can authentically offer, your leadership, and your audiences,” he added.
Stories are at risk because of “sins” that are being committed in the process of storytelling. These sins include: “narcissism” — a story becomes self-centered instead of being communal; “authority” — too factual and lacks emotional connection; “insincerity” — tries too hard to please and loses its core; “puffery” — a story with no substance falls flat; “gimmickry” — pursues “going viral,” but lends “falsity” to a story. These “sins” put your story in danger of losing its value and potential in engaging people.
To prevent a story from committing “sins,” it needs to pass the story test. For your story to get a passing mark it must be: “tangible” — people can “touch” and “feel” the story based on information shared; “relatable” — people learn something of value in the story; “memorable” — scenes and metaphors used make it easy for people to recall the core message; and “emotional” — it elevates others in what they feel or learn. When these elements are effectively used, the opportunity for the story to be powerful and engaging becomes powerful, and can stand the test of time.
People love a good story. Telling your story is an important but often-ignored task. Everyone should learn that skill to fight a good fight. As online marketing pioneer and bestselling author Brian Eisenberg pronounced, “Effective content marketing is about mastering the art of storytelling. Facts tell, but stories sell.”
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