Marketing and communications are driven by compelling storytelling. It’s the throughline of any campaign. It’s the purpose of any public relations. It’s the groundwork of any crisis communications response. The question “What story are we trying to tell?” can serve as the foundation on which an entire strategy is built.
Because storytelling is so prevalent in our work and so versatile in its applications, it falls into the ever-frustrating category of “simple but not easy.”
If you approach storytelling as the solution to any communication challenge like I do, try a few of these approaches to set you and your partners on a narrative of success.
Ideation and Discovery
Storytelling is a simple way to think about complex communications strategy components. As you begin the process of building understanding about an issue or opportunity before you, ask: What story are we trying to tell? Who are the characters? What is the moral? The theme? The narrative arc? What message will our story deliver?
Work through that process – with your team or a client – to discover the strategy you need to pursue and brainstorm ideas for execution.
Strategy and Development
Whether you're creating a piece of content or responding to a crisis, your story will move you. A strong story supports the goal of all strategic communications: delivering a message clearly and effectively.
Integrating storytelling into strategy developments provides a guide to give structure to ideas, organize tactics and timelines, and maintain consistency.
Execution and Delivery
With proper preparation and strategy development, you have formed a story worth telling. Now comes the fun part. You have a story your audiences want to hear and you’re ready to market yourself to the world.
Treat the execution of your communications strategy with the same enthusiasm and approach you would telling any story. Make it compelling and tailor it to your audience. Find ways to create connections that draw the listener in.
Best practices for communications strategies can be complex. They change based on goals and industries. But in every circumstance, a compelling story delivers results. Pilot's history of storytelling in strategic communications shows just that.