Story Telling Development for Businesses and Destinations
Learning Outcomes At the end of this session you should be able to: 혰 Critique the nature of stories and the value of story telling for green businesses and destinations 혰 Critically reflect on what makes a good story and the key elements that underpin effective story telling 혰 Develop effective stories for a business/organisation to help promote their green credentials 혰 Consider the practical realities of implementing a story telling strategy
Story Telling
Story Telling
Story Telling
Activity 1:
• What is story telling and narrative development? • What are the key features of an effective story?
Story Telling
Activity 1:
• What is story telling and narrative development? • What are the key features of an effective story? • • • •
To create an emotional response To create a reason to buy from you Drawing people in Inspire trust between business, customers and suppliers • Highlight your green credentials/points of differentiation • Engaging with a clear focus
Story Telling
Activity 1:
• What is story telling and narrative development? • What are the key features of an effective story?
The Science of Story Telling Dolan (2017): 혰 Emotionally charged events are remembered better 혰 Pleasant emotions are usually remembered better than unpleasant ones 혰 Positive memories contain more contextual details (which, in turn, helps memory) 혰 Emotional arousal, not the importance of the information, helps memory
Story Telling
Good stories stem from these elements: The Right Purpose The Audience Moment Storyteller Characters
The Science of Story Telling Forman (2013): Elements of Stories 1. The depiction of event(s) that unfold in a sequence with a beginning, middle, and end, requiring choice of what to include and exclude and resulting in a pattern that makes sense of apparently disconnected facts 2. A storyteller, either an individual or an organizational voice and point of view, that may not be specifically identified 3. A ‘real-time’ audience in the case of an oral presentation or Webcast, or a remote one that’s imagined and assessed in the case of a written or online communication
Story Telling
Basic Principles Set the Parameters Be Authentic Have a Clear Outcome Be Consistent Get Customers Involved Share the Story Telling Opportunity Strategise
Story Telling
Basic Principles Set the Parameters • Who is telling the story? • Why is the story being told now? • When and where is the story taking place? • Who are the people in the story? • What are the people trying to achieve? • What experience are you telling a story about? • What challenges are faced?
Story Telling
Basic Principles Be Authentic • Authentic and natural storytelling is integral to gaining trust and credibility • Focus on developing a genuine and compelling narrative - don’t lie or overly exaggerate • Back up claims with robust quantifiable data • Honesty and transparency reflects the human aspect of your brand and establishes an emotional connection • Reflect on challenges and failures
Story Telling
Basic Principles Have a Clear Outcome and Purpose • What is your audience going to take away from your story? • What is the business outcome? • What are you trying to prove? • Provide a thought provoking message with clear action points/calls for action that encourages the customer to engage with you • Choose the right content for the right audience
Story Telling
Basic Principles Be Consistent • Make sure your brand image is consistent across all communication channels • A consistent house style (font/colours/logo) will develop your brand awareness • Consistent tone of voice that resonates with audiences and aligns to your brand
Story Telling
Basic Principles Get Customers Involved • Start a conversation – use content to help gauge how customers think, feel and perceive your business • Strike an emotional connection - make the story memorable and shareable • People like to be part of stories – focus on developing innovative ways in which customers can become part of your shared narratives (user generated content)
Story Telling
Basic Principles Share the Story Telling Opportunity • Who is going to contribute to the story telling? • Engage with staff so that all aspects areas of your business are represented • Bring in different voices • Tell your suppliers stories and show how they link and reinforce your own brand identity
Story Telling
Basic Principles Strategise • How are you going to link your content strategy to your business strategy? • Investment – storytelling does not come cheap as stories need to be updated frequented through different media channels • Be proactive – be bold!
The Science of Story Telling Forman (2013): Framework for Organisational Story Telling
The Science of Story Telling
“
Being authentic is a necessary though not sufficient condition for successful organisational stories…storytellers need to be fluent as well to cut through the busyness, distractions, and competing demands of work life. Stories then need to engage people’s emotions and intellect, live vividly in their memory and imagination, and move them to respond in ways the storyteller intends. To be fluent, an organization’s spokespeople need competence in the craft of storytelling and, in some cases, in the use of communications technology’ (Forman, 2013:31)
Fluent Stories Fluent stories are: •
Persuasive and even inspirational: •
A story about strategy makes a case for a particular vision of the company depicted in the story, and motivates people to rally behind change
Fluent Stories Fluent stories are: •
Cohesive: •
The story has a flow, a “connectedness” or “narrative logic,” such that the beginning leads to the middle and it in turn leads to the end, with the sequencing of action steps or “chapters” having a greater probability of success than would those in alternative stories about the organisation
The Science of Story Telling
The Science of Story Telling Dolan (2017): Types of Story 1. Triumph - moments that you are proud of, including when you’ve helped others or your community 2. Tragedy - circumstances you regret that may have been caused by you or happened to you here you may have faced a choice, or that may have been instigated by you or forced upon you
The Science of Story Telling Dolan (2017): Types of Story 3. Tension - events that compromised your values, loyalties or obligations 4. Transition - times of significant change where you may have faced a choice, or that may have been instigated by you or forced upon you
Story Telling
Story Telling: Why?
Story Telling: Why?
Story Telling: Why?
Story Telling: Why?
Story Telling
Activity 2:
• Where do you tell your story? • What do you present/ format/ visualise your story?
Story Telling
Where to tell your story: In your business
Online/Off line press
Website
Social Media
Story Telling
Story Telling
Where to tell your story: In your business Online/Off line press Website Social Media Characters
Story Telling
Story Telling
Where to tell your story: In your business Online/Off line press Website Social Media Characters
Story Telling: Visuals
Story Telling
Where to tell your story: In your business Online/Off line press Website Social Media Characters
Story Telling
Story Telling
Where to tell your story: In your business Online/Off line press Website Social Media Online Distribution Channels
Story Telling
Story Telling
Story Telling: Resources
Story Telling: Resources
Story Telling: Resources
Story Telling
Story Telling
Story Telling
Story Telling
Story Telling
Story Telling
Activity 3:
• What are your sustainability stories? • How can you develop a story telling initiative as part of your marketing strategy?
Story Telling: Lessons Learnt Forman (2013): Lessons Learnt 1. Identify the people whose support is essential to your success - whose support do you need? Whose support can you afford to lose with little or no cost to your initiative? 2. Develop a story that is responsive to people’s needs, concerns, and knowledge - what is the best story you can offer that is responsive to people? 3. Identify the “pulse points” of your story - how should you begin your story; what moments should be emphasized in the middle; and what should be the end point given the objective you’re trying to accomplish?
Story Telling: Lessons Learnt Forman (2013): Lessons Learnt 4. Assess whether the company’s culture and reporting structure will help or hinder your initiative 5. Consider whether you’ll need different versions of the story for different stakeholder groups 6. Monitor your key stakeholders’ responses to your story what can you learn about people’s attitudes about you and your initiative as you begin sharing the story with others? 7. Develop supporting material to accompany your story what can you provide to support and supplement your story?
Story Telling: Lessons Learnt Forman (2013): Lessons Learnt 8. Choose the right moments and the best settings - when will the people you want to influence be most receptive to your story and most likely to go along with the vision of the future you’re depicting in story form? 9. Orchestrate your communication of the story - what is the best mix of communication channels for telling your story? 10. If the story is digital, think about whether it will go viral have you engaged people’s minds and hearts? Is the topic timely and relevant to those you want to reach?
Checklist Does your story ... • • • •
Inspire the reader? Contain verifiable facts? Touch people’s lives? Have global, regional, or local relevance? • Generate interest over a longer period of time? • Contribute to speaking about your company’s business highlights? • Have related materials (images, video, audio)?
• Gain and hold people’s interest? • Express the storyteller’s genuine voice (not corporate speak)? • Provide a powerful opening or closing to a talk? • Have a place and function in another part of a talk or written document?
Learning Outcomes At the end of this session you should be able to: 혰 Critique the nature of stories and the value of story telling for green businesses and destinations 혰 Critically reflect on what makes a good story and the key elements that underpin effective story telling 혰 Develop effective stories for a business/organisation to help promote their green credentials 혰 Consider the practical realities of implementing a story telling strategy