I have to admit that this book wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought it was about the art of storytelling and in a way, it is.  What I didn’t realize is that it would change the way I look at the way companies market themselves. “Winning the Story Wars is a call to arms for business communicators to cast aside broken traditions and join a revolution to build the iconic brands of the future. It puts marketers in the role of heroes with a chance to transform not just their craft but the enterprises they represent. After all, success in the story wars doesn’t come just from telling great stories, but from learning to live them.”1

 

Stories are all around us. Most of our history has been passed down to us by stories. In fact, only those that have deeper meaning to us survive. Part of that survival hinges on avoiding the five deadly sins:

  1. Vanity – assuming everyone loves your product as much as you do.
  2. Authority – assuming the facts will speak for themselves.
  3. Insecurity – trying too hard to please your audience.
  4. Puffery – assuming you can tell people what to think.
  5. Gimmickry – assuming humor is all that is needed.

 

So what makes a good story?  Mr. Sachs offers a simple story test.

Tangible: “Does your communication provide a who, what, where, and when?”2

Relatable: “Do you find that you can identify with – or are in emotional opposition to – the characters in your communication because you understand what motivates them?” 2

Immersive: “Can you learn something of value for your own life from the character’s experience? 3

Memorable: “Does your communication leave you with a lasting image – transmitted either in pictures or in text – that can be easily recalled and reminds you of the core message?” 3

Emotional: Does your communication make you feel something rather than just think something? 3

 

So how do you apply these lessons to your situation?

Identify the values you want to live and focus your efforts on the one or two that can be used to speak to your founding story, offering, leadership, and audiences.4

Design your core story elements: Brand Hero, Brand Mentor, Brand Gift, Moral of the Story, Brand Boon.

  • Brand Hero: “A person who stands in as a quintessential member of your target audience.”5
  • Brand Mentor: “The character who guides the hero to adventure.”6 Usually, it is your brand.  Archetypes include: The Pioneer, The Rebel, The Magician, The Jester, The Captain, The Defender, or The Muse.
  • Brand Gift: “What is it about your brand that has brought delight to those who touch it?”7
  • Moral of the Story: What is the core message you want to tell?
  • Brand Boon: What contribution to the world will the Brand Hero make?

 

Generating Your Stories

  1. Choose your story type: Genesis, Symbolic, or Documentary
  2. Select the star of your story.
  3. Make your star a freak – someone that doesn’t fit the normal definition.
  4. Make your star a cheat – someone “who is in opposition to established norms of behavior.”8
  5. Identify Your Nemesis – someone who works against your star.
  6. Find Your Tone and Character – the archetype chosen for the star will set the tone (directive, serious, inspirational, or playful)
  7. Draft your story and test it against the 5 deadly sins.
  8. Refine

 

A word of warning for those creating stories as well as those who are exposed to them: Stories can be used as a ‘Dark Art.’ They can manipulate and divert focus from reality. Only companies that truly live their stories will succeed.

 

 

1 Sachs, Jonah. Winning the story wars: why those who tell–and live–the best stories will rule the future. Boston, MA.: Harvard Business Review Press, 2012. Print.

2 page 52

3 page 53

4 page 141

5 page 167

6 page 169

7 page 176

8 page 198

 

 

P.S.  First time here? Welcome to the Agent In Engagement site. Thanks for taking the time to stop by!  I hope you’ll explore the rest of the site.Let me know what employee engagement topics interest you.

Other recent Agent in Engagement articles by Gregory F Simpson:

 

Let’s Engage!

I’m Agent in Engagement Simpson…Gregory F Simpson.

I’m excited about this opportunity to connect with fellow “Agents.” Subscribe to the RSS Feed to receive the latest updates and/or register  to comment on posts.

 

GFS site photoYou can follow me @agtinengagement.
Email me at g…@a…t.com.
Learn more about me at www.gregoryfsimpson.com.