Here’s an extraordinary advertisement that tells one girl’s story: [video]
Do you identify with her story in some way? I did. Struggle, disappointment, rejection, and eventual triumph in spite of great odds are things we can all relate to. There are many times when I’ve felt I lacked the talent, equipment, and experience to make something beautiful happen. I know what it feels like to walk onto a stage, uncertain of the outcome, and experience the joy of having everything turn out okay. (I’ve never had a chance to do the hair-tossing bit though. Not enough hair.)
If a shampoo company finds value in advertising that isn’t directly about shampoo, is it possible that you might find value in telling stories that aren’t about you? I think so.
It’s not enough to just grab any old story and tell it. You need to find a story that resonates with a message you want your brand to be known for. In Pantene’s case, they told a story that shares a message of shining strength in the face of unfriendly circumstances. Is it a bit of a stretch to say that a shampoo might give your hair shining strength in spite of adverse conditions? I don’t think so. It’s a pretty good match, in fact. That’s why the ad works.
Malcolm Gladwell is a great example of an individual who has created tremendous value for his audience by sharing the stories of others. [see Gladwell's TED presentation on The Story Of Spaghetti Sauce] The Spaghetti Sauce story is a bit long but its message is one of innovation, risk-taking, and tenacious creativity. Gladwell’s personal story has a similar message but he can only tell it so many times before it seems stale and uninteresting. So what does he do? Like the shampoo company, he tells stories that contain elements his audience will recognize and associate with his brand.
Let’s take a look at what happens with each example:
Pantene tells us the story of a brilliant and tough little girl who triumphs in spite of hardship – We engage with that story and identify elements that align with what we already know about the Pantene brand. Instead of telling us how to wash our hair, (which we can’t engage with) Pantene tells us a compelling story with a message we recognize and connect with the shampoo. (In so doing, they find a way to get customers to engage with a shampoo. Interesting, no?)
Gladwell tells us about a man who decided to create different types of spaghetti sauce – We engage with that story and identify parts of the message that seem similar to what we already know of Gladwell. Instead of telling us, “You need to be innovative and energetic in your creativity,” Gladwell engages us with a story about a man we can model ourselves after. Telling a story that isn’t about the storyteller allows an audience to focus on a message instead of worrying about being sold to or the overall take-away of a presentation.
How do you put this concept into action? With 3-4-5:
3 Reasons you should tell stories that aren’t just about you
- Because you’re not really that interesting on your own – Even people with lots of money, free time, and a wild past can be boring. In fact, they’re usually quite boring. It’s unlikely that you’re an exception. We’re just too polite to say it to your face.
- Because we don’t want to just talk about you – It’s difficult for us to engage in a conversation that is entirely about you. We worry about offending you if we express disagreement or inflating your ego if we sound out a praise.
- Because we’d like to think you care about us – When you tell stories that aren’t just about you, we get the feeling that you’re interested in something other than your own personal gain. We like that feeling.
4 Places to find stories
- Social media – Twitter, Facebook, and other online social networking sites offer friend-filtered content discovery in real time.
- Traditional media – Newspapers, magazines, books, radio, and television (sometimes) present a less frenetic way to discover content. It’s not as fast as social media but you may find that your retention of the stories you do read is much higher. That’s key if you plan on sharing the story later.
- The people around you – Every time you interact with another person, you have a chance to add another story to your arsenal. Ask thoughtful questions and people will give you answers. Learn to thoughtfully listen and those same people will share stories you never dreamed you’d hear.
- Your imagination – Allegories, parables, and fairy tales have long been used to share a message in an interesting narrative form. If you can’t find a story with a message you like, go ahead and make one up. Just make sure to let your audience know at some point that you concocted the tale!
5 Ways to share stories
- In your conversations – Instead of saying, “Here’s what I think,” try sharing a story that imparts your message and follow it up with, “What do you think?” Your story need not be long–and probably shouldn’t be–in order to make a point. Just give a quick summary and ask for a reply. You might be surprised at the positive responses such an approach will garner.
- On your blog – Take a break from pumping “me-content” for a few posts of “you-content.” Give your readers a break from your opinions and tell them a story that inspires you or caused you to think.
- Through your lifestream – Instead of answering Twitter’s, “what are you doing?” try updating in response to, “what are others doing that inspires you or makes you think?” Take time off from talking about where you are or what photos you just took to share in the world around you. There’s joy to be found in such things.
- In your promotions – Planning a marketing blitz? Take a look at your past campaigns and check to see if you’ve already talked too long about the features of your product or service. It might be time to follow the soap companies’ example and share a story.
- In your presentations - Watch Gladwell’s presentation on spaghetti sauce and give some thought as to how you might go about incorporating stories into your presentations. If you’ve got a bit of time on your hands, take a stroll around the TED site and keep track of the presenters who use stories about others to make a point. It’s interesting to note how those who do tell stories about others often get the best responses from the audience. Coincidence? Unlikely.
I hope you’ll give it a try!
“If a story is not about the hearer, he will not listen. And here I make a rule—a great and interesting story is about everyone or it will not last.” –John Steinbeck
Whose story are you telling?
