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Stories connect the world of people with the world of business in the most compelling way to deliver enterprise value. That makes storytelling core to strategy and its execution.
The subject of storytelling raises more questions than most other concepts of strategy. Let's look at a few pertinent ones.
Whose job is it anyway?
Storytelling is not a line or a staff function. It is useful to view it as a leadership function. Just like a balance sheet is a consolidation of performance across functions, the responsibility of storytelling and living it, is a collective organisational pursuit.
People and functions may be tasked with specific roles to harness the power of storytelling. But each role is only a part, small or big, in the grand scheme. It's like a theatre where no single person is the show but any single one can bring it down.
So a good place to start is right at the top. Think about it, some of the influential business leaders of our time built their companies and their personal brands on the back of powerful stories that people bought into.
Are consumers the recipients of our stories?
Strategic storytelling is about talking to people, not consumers. The lives of people are not retail shelf spaces to plonk a brand!
A good starting point would be to start looking at people as people and not as consumers or shoppers alone. Doesn't matter if your core is in technology or manufacturing or retailing or marketing, you are talking to people. Not to some SEC, in some town class or Metro with 40K monthly income!
When viewed as people we have a better chance to understand behavior, needs, emotions, motivations and get a richer narrative.
Is storytelling a stage performance?
A brand story sets the stage more than being limited by it. It is core and continuous told over a period of time rather than being a one time extravaganza.
Its real value lies in getting people to keep coming back to it again and again. And when people influence others to buy into it. Good brand stories drive demand metrics leading to fulfillment of business and financial metrics. Campaigns, mediums, platforms are mere amplifiers of the story and not the defining elements. A close look at any organisation's business process often reveals surprising potential to harness the power of storytelling. The interplay of internal audiences with external stakeholders is a fertile ground to build a sphere of influence. Integrated storytelling includes every interface, moments of experience and memory as opportunities for meaningful engagement.
When is a story really told?
Storytelling is continuous and collaborative. A story is often a mixture of facts, legends, myths, beliefs, feelings and emotions - a story is really told only when it is played back. It is thus important for organisations to develop exceptional listening skills. The only thing more important than that is the commitment and competence to respond in real time. For good stories are told only to be re-told and evolve into tales that positively impact business metrics.
When is a good time to start?
There is never a bad time to pause and find your story. And it is always a good time to make it work.
Brands with powerful stories are the ones that often get the most mileage out of a business tailwind situation. And when facing business headwinds that challenge growth, brands not only need stories to differentiate, connect and succeed. It sometimes could be the only reason why they survive and the others don't.
In a business context storytelling is not a performing art, but is a performance art.
The author is executive vice president - integrated strategy planning, Leo Burnett. This is the last of a two-part series.
