But the two are not incompatible.

This is a great article in the ever-insightful Harvard Business Review on why your strategy needs a story. This struck a chord with me today as I’m running a workshop this afternoon on how to develop your presentation and pitch content for a group of media-agency folk. This is before the groups work with one of our storytelling pros later this week.

We’ve been running our popular Storytelling Ninja workshops for many years now working with professional storytellers, writers and performers to make the sessions immersive and fun.

And what really makes them work and then crucially stick after the training is being really clear to start with on how your story can support your key argument or message, and building out from there. It might sound obvious but I find it’s not always the case.

In my experience, sometimes when people think about storytelling in business, it can be overwhelming to start with. Many people think that is has to be a personal story which can make them feel vulnerable, nervous or unsure. And they don’t know where to begin.

A story can be told from many perspectives – but it must relate to the presentation in some way. How about a:

1. Brand story
2. Origin story – founder or brand
3. Customer story
4. Product use story
5. Competitor story
6. Mission or vision story
7. Product story
8. Employee story
9. Community story
10. Fan story
11. Investor story
12. There are so many more!

Any argument on paper is only the starting point for engaging those who you need to motivate to follow you or implement a strategy. The rational ideas need to be imbued with emotion. Through stories, ‘mere’ facts and information are turned into a shared mental model of how the business works and where it is heading. So this article has a brilliantly simple framework for helping to think about a narrative, craft a story and structure it.

This is something we do working with individuals and teams and I will add this to our resources for both our how to devise strategy training and storytelling training! As they say:

“Well-told stories make both the teller and the listener wiser.”

You can read the full Harvard Business Review ‘Your Strategy Needs A Story’ article here.

The post How to craft a business strategy with a story first appeared on Now Go Create.

Storytelling is in the doghouse today! Have you ever wondered about the power of a story to help you communicate? Here’s a fantastic example of how a story can add emotional and financial value to a low-cost item.

Pictured above is a Costa Rican dog kennel belonging to Roky the German Shepherd. The tin roof of his shabby house was holed by a meteorite in 2019.

Remarkably, the kennel’s estimated value of £150,000-£220,000 ($200,000-$300,000) is more than for the actual space rock that did the damage!

“To value all the items in the auction, I work to the four S’s – size, shape, science and story,” explained James Hyslop, head of the science and natural history department at Christie’s.

The story and its provenance play a very important role in determining the value, he told BBC News.

Using storytelling to add value

Hyslop continued: “My first question when I was offered the dog shed for auction was: ‘Was Roky okay?’. I’m pleased to report that other than now being sans dog shed, he’s doing just fine.”

Where could telling a story add value – financial or otherwise – in your business? Contact us for help with your storytelling and problem-solving training or join one of our storytelling workshops with scriptwriter and performer (and our storyteller in residence) Max Dickins.

• Update! The kennel actually sold at auction for $44k. Not quite the astronomical fee that was predicted (pun intended) but still!

The post Storytelling in the doghouse first appeared on Now Go Create.

‘Storytelling’ is bandied about in media boardrooms from London to New York to Sydney – but do you really know what it means?

It’s a question at the heart of a Now Go Create course run by stand-up comedian-turned-screenwriter Max Dickins, who says that understanding what storytelling really is can transform a business.

We asked Max for the low-down on his masterclass which we’ve run for Facebook and Accenture Digital, amongst many others.

Most people in the media think they have a good idea about storytelling, Max – are they often wrong?

I’ve found that the word storytelling is a bit like the word happiness where it’s a word that means everything and nothing, because almost everyone has a different definition of what it means.

In media, a lot of people use the word storytelling when they’re not doing anything of the sort; storytelling is often seen by people as a synonym for ‘presenting information’ or talking about a strategy or a process or a customer journey.

So what is a story?

Stories have people in them, human beings, who are having experiences that they have an emotional reaction to. And through going through that process they learn some insight.

The benefit of doing training is that it can help people really see when they are and when they are not telling a story, and that’s important because if you want to use the power of a story – and it is a very powerful technique – you need to make sure you understand what it is.

Are some of its key elements taken from the best traditions of movies and literature?

What we can learn from movies and literature – and plays – is structure. There’s lot of books about this: all stories have a similar underlying structure, and it is so ubiquitous that it must fit in with how we understand the world.

Structure is the order in which you present information, and if you can present it in a certain order and in a certain way you can give it more impact.

What we learn from movies and literature is an understanding of effective structure that we can then map onto a more business-style message.

Is the storytelling ethos applicable to a product no matter how mundane it is?

I think it’s applicable to every product, because what you want to do when telling someone about something that you want them to buy is show them why they will benefit from that product.

So what you can do is put a human being in the middle of it and show the human benefit that is brought about by this product – and stories are a really useful way of doing this because you make the consumer of that product the hero of the story and they can then see why the product is useful to them.

Often in business people don’t do that – they forget about the benefit and they obsess over the features. They lose the human benefit, which is central to why someone would buy.

Where did you learn about storytelling?

My background has been and continues to be in the arts. I was a radio presenter for Absolute Radio for a few years, I had five or six years on the stand-up comedy circuit, did several solo Edinburgh Shows including one called My Groupon Adventure which became my first book in 2016.

It was the story of how I spent two years of my life doing every single deal I could find on Groupon to teach myself to be spontaneous – everything from colonic irrigation to wrestling alligators, and I even managed to convince Groupon to sell a date with me on their website. From there I’ve become a playwright and I’m developing TV drama scripts with the BBC at the moment.

So stories are a big part of your life?

My passion is story, and it’s what I think about and play with all the time. The wall of my living room right now is covered with pieces of card as I try to plot out the pilot episode of a TV drama I’m working on – and I’m using all the techniques that we use during the course, so I’m thinking about structure, who the hero is and trying to make sure I can make everything clear and put emotion into things. These are things that people in the business community can really use.

How does storytelling dovetail into creativity?

In two ways. (Now Go Create founder) Claire’s essential premise is that we are all creative: we’re born creative and we just need to learn to remember that quality about ourselves or to learn some skills that can bring it out.

In the same way, we’re all born storytellers: everyone tells stories round the diner table and in the pub – but then we get into the office and we throw that skill away. It’s about taking a natural capacity and polishing it up.

The other way is that stories are a real balance of right and left brain. The right brain is shorthand for our creative side which is crucial to story and emotion, but it has to be matched to the left hand side of our brain which is concerned with logic and patterns. Stories are when emotions and structure meet, and when you have those together you can tell a really powerful message.

Does self belief help? Once people believe they understand storytelling and feel they can do it, are they capable of ‘magic’?

Like anything, self-belief is central to it. When you realise you were born with the capacity to do this that’s empowering, and then you perhaps create some great stories which lead to impact and confidence is something that appears in the rear view mirror. You suddenly realise you’re a lot more confident at communicating than you were before.

Finally, what’s your top tip for getting the creative juices flowing?

My biggest tip is to go for volume when you’re trying to tackle a problem; jot down as many ideas as you can and try not to judge them. A lot will be useless, but you will find stuff you never would have got to if you were very judgemental at the start. Take the pressure off yourself and dump your ideas down.

The other thing is to just be fascinated by the world. Be curious, learn stuff, talk to people, read: you’ve got to have stuff knocking about your noggin in order to connect things up.

Max runs day-long Storytelling Masterclasses in house and occasionally as public courses throughout the year – get in touch for our upcoming dates. You can drop us a line at lucy@nowgocreate.co.uk or give us a call. Feel free to ask about any of our other acclaimed creativity training courses, too!

The post Are you sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin… first appeared on Now Go Create.

Storytelling continues to be a buzzword in marketing. But what does it mean to you? PR people have always been storytellers, it’s a the heart of what we do. We create or take information and craft it into compelling stories that make people think or behave differently, that’s why copywriting is still at the core of a PRO’s skill set, along with all the new aspects of technology that keep us on our toes. Creating a narrative is an art too, and according to Christopher Booker’s seminal work, there are only seven basic plots and every story is either one or a combination of them. They are:

The Quest

A character goes on a journey to achieve a goal that may be difficult to achieve. They must overcome obstacles before they can emerge triumphant. Think Watership Down, Indiana Jones and Lord of The Rings.

Comedy

Comedies make us smile, laugh out loud, sometimes make light of dark situations and often end in the resolution of a big old mess (think The Hangover). Will feature humorous characters and a happy ending. Examples: Meet the Fokkers, Twelfth Night, Bridget Jone’s Diary, Mr Bean.

Tragedy

Macbeth is the perfect example of this plot in which the main character’s own poor decisions or actions bring about their downfall. The further the character has to fall the greater the drama. Romeo and Juliet, Falling Down and Anna Karenina fit here.

Rebirth

During the course of the story, an important event forces the main character to change their ways, often making them a better person. Examples include Sleeping Beauty, A Christmas Carol and Beauty and the Beast.

Overcoming the Monster

The hero must defeat a hostile force, person or creature (often evil) which threatens the hero or their homeland. James Bond, Star Wars, Alien, Jaws, Frankenstein, King Kong and Jurassic Park all fit this mould.

Rags to Riches

Money doesn’t have to feature into this plot. A ‘poor’ (emotionally, physically, spiritually) protagonist acquires things such as power, wealth, and a mate, before losing it all then getting it back as they grow as a person. David Copperfield, Cinderella, Trading Places are all classic examples.

Voyage and Return

The hero travels on a (deliberate or unplanned) journey to a different (often magical or unreal) land, but there will be a task or challenge for the hero (or heroine) to conquer before they can return. When they return they will have learned valuable life lessons, and been on a voyage of self-discovery as well as a physical journey leading to fresh insights and often major changes to the way they live their life. Castaway, Alice in Wonderland and Finding Nemo are all examples of this plot.

Storytelling and brands – how to use story plots for yourself, your clients or your brand.

Think about creating a story for your product or service using the different plots and see what different ideas it gives you.

Think about BRAND X – the book or movie. Use each plot as a lens. Ask participants if Brand X e.g. Microsoft, Volvo, adidas or X made a movie or told a story, what would it be? Write down a summary of the plot, the starring cast, the location, the soundtrack and the strapline for the trailer.

• Can you use one of the plots on the following cards to change the story up?
• What happens when you change the genre?
• What does it say about the brand or product?
• What ideas do you have now?

We run storytelling courses for teams in-house working with actors, directors and stage professionals to help bring your brand stories to life. Sign up below to download our free storytelling pack and use the cards in your creative workshops or by yourself to generate new and fresh perspectives and ideas. Contact lucy@nowgocreate.co.uk for more details.

The post Storytelling and brands – creative hacks to use the 7 story plots first appeared on Now Go Create.

“When Claire asked me to run a story making session which focused on being curious and what brands can learn from theatre, I jumped at the chance. Curiosity, for me, is the corner stone of creativity – good storymakers don’t just passively accept but challenge. They constantly ask who, how and, most importantly why. As a performer,  director and writer, I learnt my storymaking craft in rehearsal rooms and drama studios- with not a desk or computer in sight. It was  in these empty rooms, with nothing but our bodies,  empty space and a props box that I began to make stories”  writes performer and director, Katy Balfour.

“I chose to focus my session on random stimuli – photos,  pictures and people that can help us create stories, characters and worlds. Nothing is as intimidating as the empty page. Yet in a rehearsal room the empty page doesn’t exist, I suppose our equivalent is an empty room…. but even an empty room can tell, begin or inspire a story.

First I asked the group to look at an unoccupied part of the room; to imagine a photograph of what they see to be hung in a gallery.

• What would the picture be titled?
• What emotions and feelings does it evoke?
• Where is the mystery in the picture? Where is the secret? Where is the power?
• Next someone stood in the picture: how did that transform it? Who was that person? Where were they? How had the emotion and energy of the picture changed? With each new body that entered the space, a new story emerged in the minds of those who were viewing it.

We weren’t intentionally creating the stories that people saw, it was the audience who made the story not the people in the picture. Our brains want to make sense of the things it sees, to construct and order it so that has  structure and meaning. Regardless of whether the stimulus intends it or not,  our brains want to make stories.

The second exercise focused on some random stimuli that the group had been given earlier – a variety of odd props and objects selected to provide starting points to inspire them. The key part of this exercise was about encouraging curiosity, to prompt the participants to to ask questions until characters, environments, motivations and stories slowly emerge.

We asked of the object:

Where does it live? Where has it been?

How did it get there? Who owned it? What does that person love? What do they long for? What are they ashamed of? These questions help to create worlds and characters that have depth and encourage us as creatives to take ourselves on imaginary journeys.

Written by Katie Balfour, Performer, Writer & Director & Associate Artist Punchdrunk

 

The post Storymaking, creativity & curiosity – what brands can learn from theatre first appeared on Now Go Create.

We were lucky enough to work on the set of Punchdrunk’s production of The Drowned Man back in 2014. In this blog we share some of the (still relevant to 2023 insights) from the workshop about how actors use random stimulus, get physically prepared and are open to collaboration. Participants spent time in the workshop doing physical warm up exercises that helped them get into a relaxed state that Katy calls ‘hazy focus”. The first thing they were asked to do was to put their bodies into ‘neutral’ position. Katy says that our bodies tell a story so you have to be clear on what you are unconsciously saying. Neutral position means standing tall, with your weight evenly balanced on both feet, looking straight ahead with a relaxed expression. It’s a blank canvas on which to develop your character.

Real-world application Think about what your body is saying next time you have to give a presentation or pitch – that flick of your hair, hitching your weight onto one leg or deep sighs give away more than you think. Remember Mehrabian’s famous study that showed the impact of the different elements of communications – words = 7%, tonality = 38%, body language = 55%

“We would never consider doing any creative work as actors without first warming up.” Katy, Producer and Performer, Punchdrunk

Actors and performers warm-up their bodies and their minds by getting physical in the space and warming up. We played rounds of a popular actor’s game called Zip, Zap, Boing and played hide and seek on the set, inviting people to take part in tasks using provocations hidden in the set – whisper a secret to the wall, tell a child a story.

Real-world application – warm up! Don’t expect creativity just to appear if you walk into a room and get everyone sitting down, scratching their heads and staring at white walls. Use your imagination in terms of how you do it in an office setting – ask people to tell you an outrageous lie, what’s your theme tune for the day, tell a story one word at a time.

“In every rehearsal room around the country you’ll find a prop box. It might be full of what looks like crap but every object can spark an idea.” We invited all the participants to take an object from the set to use as inspiration to develop ideas for a character and a story world. An old hairbrush, fake rose, grubby dressing gown, and pink wig all proved incredible stimulus for the stories.

• Who owns this?
• Where has it come from?
• What 3 words describe it? Use this to start your story.

Real-world application – create your own prop box of random stimuli 

Use it as a springboard for creative ideas, keep adding to it to maintain a constant stream of inspiration.

If you’re interested in joining one of our storytelling workshops contact claire@nowgocreate.co.uk

The post Punchdrunk reveal their secrets & storytelling techniques… first appeared on Now Go Create.