Once upon a time, there was a far off kingdom called Advertising. In this kingdom there lived many competing Lords, each with access to what certainly appeared to be endless riches. These riches were used to control something called brands, and they did so in every imaginable way possible.

Minstrels, masquerading as Adverting Agencies, were paid thousands of dollars to compose catchy jingles and slogans. Playwrights, who were related to the minstrels, were also paid vast sums to conjure up magical commercials, each one intended to lure the unsuspecting citizens of the kingdom into parting with their money. The Painters, distant relatives to both the minstrels and playwrights would busily cover the landscape with murals on every flat surface they could find. In the Kingdom of Advertising, the Lords had the power to control the conversation.

The New King Arrives

One day, when everyone in the kingdom was fast asleep, a strange man from a place called the Real World, came into the kingdom and brought the once mighty empire to its knees with a simple weapon – a story.

In that instant, Sir Seth Godin freed the people of the kingdom forever. From then on they, and only they, would have the power. They were able to tell stories to each other directly, without the help of the minstrels, the playwrights and the painters. They were able to tell authentic stories about the products and services they wanted, not the ones manufacturers were trying to sell them.

The Moral of the Story

The moral of the story is clear.

The world of marketing, advertising and public relations has changed, and it will never go back. Consumers today are simply far too well educated and well informed, through the internet and through social networks, to allow themselves to be held hostage.

They have been liberated and no longer will bombarding them with a carefully crafted and structured message influence their buying habits. Today, the sale of remarkable products (the only ones that will survive) relies on stories told by the consumer to other consumers.

Going Down?

In short, this is the era of the story.

Stories told by friends to friends who then spread the story like a virus to even more friends and even to strangers. These stories are no longer the 'elevator pitches' of yesteryear, they are stories based on passion, emotion, and experiences.

Elevator pitches, slogans and jingles may have worked in the faceless, cost-driven society of the 80's and 90's but today, the global village relies on experiences, and the best stories convey the best experiences.

Worldviews

In his book "All Marketers Are Liars", author and respected "soothsayer" Seth Godin reveals one of the key ingredients in any great marketer's positioning of a product – something he calls the worldview.

According to Godin, the worldview encompasses the consumer's beliefs, habits and behaviours regarding a certain industry, product or service.

For many years, marketers, and in fact everyone in the organization, were under the false impression that their role was to create the consumer's worldview. To somehow tell the uneducated and unknowing population what they needed to know.

Today, that couldn't be further from the truth.

Now, a marketer's job is to seek out a commonly held worldview, and create a product or service which fulfills the needs and/or wants of that particular worldview.

The Truth, and nothing but

The hardest part of this new storytelling approach to business is that today's stories are found, not in the murky fiction section of the library but, in the more transparent non-fiction department.

In fact, this is the key to a story's success. Your story must be true so that it is believable and the listeners want to spread the story to others.

Keep in mind, the story is being told directly by the consumer, not you. Therefore, if your story isn't accurate in every way imaginable, the consumer will simply re-write it and you will have no say in how it ends.

In many cases, you won't like it.

In Our Opinion
The Beacon Group presents Business Story Writing 101

We have been fans of Seth Godin for a very long time. To us, he speaks the truth and does so in a way that allows him to connect with the audience. Here is our take on what you must consider when writing your story.

Plot – This basic element is overlooked in many organizations. There must be some sort of journey that your organization is on. An easy start is to elaborate (using plain English) on your mission statement.

Characters – Any good story has a protagonist and this applies in business as well. Whether it is your CEO (think Jobs or Gates) or your whole workforce (think State Farm), the fact of the matter is that people gravitate towards people.

Scene – It is the organization's responsibility to ensure that the scene matches the plot. If your story involves a top quality product, and your product is known to be inferior, your story doesn't work.

Editing – Even the greatest stories go through a series of edits. Remember, your consumers are in control of your story, they will mould it to suit their worldview. If you want them to continue to purchase your product, it's best to move with their edits.

Our Monthly Rant
How often do you read to your employees?

Kids love stories.

If you have kids, or know someone who has kids, or even if you know what kids are (small people), then you know that they love stories. Kids love to hear stories, read stories, and even make up stories of their own.

Why is it then that, as adults, we don't participate (or at least as often as we should) in the type of story telling activity that Godin is speaking about?

Where is the wonderment, the imagination, the curiosity?

Storytelling is not just limited to the promotion of products or services. Great companies understand the value of storytelling in other ways. They rely on it to transfer knowledge throughout the organization. CEO's recount the 'founding years' of the organization. Managers tell of projects that involved all-night efforts. This builds pride in the company, and in their products and services.

Go ahead, gather your employees around and tell them a story – you might just be surprised by how they respond.