Book review: STORYTELLING
Branding in Practice
Genres:
- Information Management
- Data Science
Review posted on:
20.10.2018
The number of pages:
238 pages
Book rating:
4/5
Year the book was published:
First edition published 2005
Who should read this book:
- Marketers, Product Managers, Entrepreneurs, People who do presentations.
Why did I pick up this book and what did I expect to get out of it:
I decided to pick up Storytelling: Branding in Practice by Klaus Fog, Christian Budtz, and Baris Yakaboylu because I wanted to learn more about how to structure stories for business purposes or for writing educational stories in general. One thing is reading stories and thinking I could have come up with that and a completely different thing is to actually come up with a story that grabs people’s attention and with which they can relate.
From Storytelling: Branding in Practice I expect to learn more about the main elements of a story and on which elements I need to focus more than the rest so that I don’t go too into details and on the other hand that I don’t leave out anything important. Since this is more of a business storytelling type of book I also would love to read how businesses implement storytelling in their processes and if this could be backed up with real case studies that would be a treat.
My thoughts about the book:
In Storytelling: Branding in Practice you will learn which are the four elements of storytelling and how to use them (message, conflict, characters, and plot). When we come to the element “conflict” it is important that you are explicit and to the point with it. There should be only one central conflict and there can be many smaller ones. To make sure you have set the conflict perfectly the authors prepared a conflict barometer. You will also get to read where you can find stories within your company. One more thing that I liked about this book was that even if this is your first time reading about the mechanics of storytelling you will not get lost in them. On the other hand, if you have already read a couple of books on storytelling you will not be disappointed as you will probably find a lesson or two to “step up” your storytelling.
If you pick up this book please let me know what you think of it in the comment section.
My notes from the book:
- By sharing our stories we define “Who we are” and “What we stand for”. As human beings, we actively seek stories and experiences in our quest for a meaningful life.
- What we wear, eat, and surround ourselves with increasingly signals how we see ourselves and how we seek social acceptance.
- The four elements of storytelling are the MESSAGE, the CONFLICT, CHARACTERS, and the PLOT.
- Without a clearly defined message, there is no reason to tell stories – at least not with a strategic purpose. Stick to one message per story. A story with more than one central message runs the risk of becoming messy and unclear.
- Conflict is the driving force of a good story. No conflict, no story. Why is this the case? The answer is human nature. As humans, we instinctively look for balance and harmony in our lives. So as soon as harmony is disrupted we do whatever we can to restore it. We avoid unpleasant situations, feelings of stress, or anxiety. Conflict forces us to act.
- The story comes to life during the transition that takes place from the onset of change until the conflict has been resolved. A good story always centers on the struggle to attain, defend, or regain harmony. The very lifeblood of a story lies in the field of tension between the two outer poles: unpredictable chaos and predictable harmony.
- In storytelling, conflict is not negative. It is a fundamental premise on which the narrator can communicate his perception of right and wrong. A successful conflict needs a hero and a villain with opposing agendas.
- In storytelling an open ending is a powerful and provocative tool, providing food for thought that forces the audience to think about what might happen next.
- In order to get personally involved with a story, we, as readers or listeners must be able to identify with the characters. This happens especially when we recognize a little bit of ourselves in the characters in the story. That is why it is important to know your audience, so you can find the "thing" that they can identify with.
- When identifying the hero it is important to also consider “the hero” from the customer’s perspective. Will your customer be able to identify with the personality of the hero?
- Based on our need to have balance in our lives we usually empathize with a person faced with a conflict. We recognize feelings like sorrow, despair, joy, fear, or hope. We also have to understand the motivation behind the person’s actions. Why do they do what they do? Why do they fight for what they fight?
- The sequence of events needs careful consideration. It must have a precise structure to propel it forward and maintain audience interest.
- The first step in developing the company’s core story is to create a shared mental image of the company’s reason for being. This image needs to address both head and heart, and it must clearly define the path the company is treading – one that enables employees to feel they make a difference. To get the feeling of adding value, there must be a cause or belief that propels the company forward.
- It may sound morbid, but the obituary test (What would the company’s obituary look like) is crucial in identifying and formulating the company’s reason for being.
- Once you’ve decided about your message for your company's core story, assess the level of conflict within that message. How big a difference does your cause actually make, what are you fighting for?
- When your customers show how and why your company makes a difference, it has far more credibility than when you praise yourself. Consider ways in which you get direct feedback from your customers. Have people tell stories of specific incidents, events, or situations that express the sentiment.
- Put faces on the characters in your story (what was said? How did they react? What was the mood?).
- If you do not see images in your mind when hearing a story it is not concrete enough. Be sure to get the visual details.
- The stories we share with others are the building blocks of any human relationship. Stories place words and images on our shared experiences. They help shape our perception of “who we are” and “what we stand for”.
- The strength of a good story is that it can evolve over time. The characters get the space they need to develop their personalities and we get to know them better. If we can identify with the characters the chances are we will embrace the story. And as the conflict drives the story forward, we become more deeply involved and the commercial message is transmitted more easily.
- When telling a story keep in mind the angle of the story. If we are talking about love, what kind of love are we talking about? “First love”, or “love is blind”.
- Companies can tell their stories from now until the end of the world, but if their stories are out of tune with the stories of their customers, they will backfire sooner or later.
- Look for stories “man bites dog” and not “dog bites man”.
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The CONFLICT BAROMETER:
1. Try formulating the conflict explicitly and to the point. Ask yourself “is it a conflict at all?”
2. Consider how the conflict can be resolved. Good conflict is created through a problem or challenge where there is no immediate solution. If the story is predictable it becomes boring.
3. Are there many smaller conflicts besides the central conflict? Too many sub-conflicts can easily focus attention away from the main conflict making the story less clear.
4. Can you identify the hero and his/her opposing forces within the story? How are their relative strengths matched? Too unevenly matched forces can make the story quickly become tedious or confusing.
5. Are you having problems identifying the conflict in the story? Take another look at the message. Is it clearly defined?
