One Vital Question to Ask This Week: What's Our Story?

In the 1960's, TV began to push stories into the living rooms of the world, and media franchises were born. But it was Star Wars, nearly twenty years later, that demonstrated the power in evolving from characters that could sustain a single story across a series, to building worlds that could sustain multiple stories and characters, wherever the consumer might be.

In my World-Building journey with Studio’s, Brands and IP owners helping turn their magic into Franchises, it’s clear that despite all the marketing nomenclature we use to differentiate our existence, we’re all in the same boat – competing for an audience. Obvious? Maybe, but I’m not convinced that all marketers have lassoed the concept of “audience” from the conclusion in the deck, and wrangled it to its rightful place as the ignition of their whole Brand world.

Unlike the 1960’s, audiences today can be anyone, anywhere at any-time – in any country. From the twenty something in Wyoming who wants to watch a show with their favorite bag of Dorito’s, to the Nigerian teen who wants a jacket from Supreme, to the German girl on a date who needs a stain-free deodorant. It really doesn’t matter. 

What matters is that you have a story your audience wants, and you tell it to them in the way they want it. Story-telling unlocks the winners. Every. Single. Time. But that's not all.

The real magic of story is what it does for your consumer. It shines the human spotlight on everything it touches. It’s the fluorescent bulb in the nightclub that shows up every wrinkle of your brand. I have worked with many a marketer who pitched a laundry lists of well-intended tactics to push Product A into the hands of Consumer B. It made for a nice-looking page in a power-point deck. But when asked what the story was, the light went out.

Jeff Bezos demands the creation of narrative memo’s instead of power-point presentations. He wants everyone to hear and understand the story. Funny that - narrative has become Amazon’s competitive advantage. We’ve heard how these legendary memo’s take ages to write. Good. So do great stories. So should your brand.

As you look at 2021 and into 2022, here’s a cheeky tip. Ask this simple question of your team, brand or product – what’s our story? If it can be answered with clarity, confidence and conviction, that’s great. Make sure it’s pounded into shape, written down, and woven with a Kevlar thread throughout your organization.

If you can’t answer that question, then take a big step back from your plan. Grab a pen and the people that count, and pound it out. Don’t spend a dime of money, time or power-pointing with smoke & mirrors, until you do.

Simon Waters. CEO & Founder of Suitcase Entertainment Inc & creator of World Builder.