Understanding narratives to develop effective public campaigns Story Strategy Understanding narratives to develop effective public campaigns

What is this a picture of?

Before theater, radio, television and the internet, where did ancient cultures find meaning to their reality? How did the stories and mythology of where they came from become created? For thousands of years, they gazed out into the stars to find meaning.

Culture A matrix of shared mental maps that define how we collectively create meaning and understand the world around us. Inevitably, popular culture is an ever evolving, contested space of struggle, where competing voices, experiences, and perspectives fight to answer the questions” Whose maps determine what is meaningful? Whose stories are considered true?

What are some mythologies with narrative power? Thanksgiving Santa Clause Tooth Fairy Energy and Oil Mother Nature Others?

Celebration of the military victory over the 1637 massacre of the Peqout native peoples

Celebration of the military victory over the 1637 massacre of the Peqout native peoples

How did this happen??? The idyllic partnership of 17th Century European Pilgrims and New England Indians sharing a celebratory meal appears to be less than 120 years- old. And it was only after the First World War that a version of such a Puritan-Indian partnership took hold in elementary schools across the American landscape. We can thank the invention of textbooks and their mass purchase by public schools for embedding this "Thanksgiving" image in our modern minds. - Richard Greener http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-greener/the-true-story-of-thanksg_b_788436.html

Dominant & Popular Culture As certain ideas, practices and worldviews become normalized over time, they form a dominant or popular culture that disproportionately represents institutional interests and perpetuates the stories that validate certain agendas.

This is why we believe this is a cat

Facts are Meaningless… What do you believe? The facts always changes and the truth remains the absolute or The truth always changes and the facts remain absolute

Facts are Meaningless… GQMMIINLTX DFVFIQBMFNT

Facts are Meaningless… GQMMIINLTX DFVFIQBMFNT

Facts are Meaningless… “Narrative Analysis suggests that the problem is not necessarily what people don’t know (the facts). Rather, the problem may be what they do know (underlying assumptions).” In other words… people have existing stories about their world that may act as narrative filters to prevent them from hearing certain messages.

Facts are Meaningless… Allow people to approach your messages… embed their own narratives into your messages…

Designing Stories for a Branded world

Product + Mythology = Message Narratives

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+ George Orwell’s novel “1984”

Apple Ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhsWzJo2sN4 George Orwell’s 1984 Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52wis_sLT1I

Something to Think About What are both positive and negative mythology, culturally associated with your client or client’s products? What narratives do their target audiences follow? What are their belief and value systems?

memes OBAMACARE

memes Memes are units of self-replicating cultural information such as slogans, iconic images that can be easily referenced, catch phrases, symbols, or rituals. Memes can act as capsules for stories to spread virally through cultures.

What my friends think I do meme

Narrative elements of a story Conflict Characters Imagery (Show Don’t Tell) Foreshadowing Assumptions

Narrative elements of a story Conflict Conflict is the backbone of the narrative. It defines the drama and point of view of the story and makes it interesting. There can be no story without conflict. It defines what is at stake. What is the problem your client is trying to solve?

Narrative elements of a story Characters All stories have characters to which people can relate—we see ourselves through the characters of the story. They can also be the messengers of the story, putting a human face to the message of the story. Who are the characters that will help solve the problem?

Narrative elements of a story Imagery (Show don’t tell) Good stories use powerful imagery to capture the imagination with metaphors, anecdotes and descriptions that speak to the senses. By showing and not telling, we offer the audience the opportunity to use their own values to draw conclusions. What images illustrate the problem and the solution

Narrative elements of a story Foreshadowing Images and other story artifacts are often found in storytelling to hint the possible outcome. Foreshadowing can be the influential force that gives the audience direction towards a specific outcome. What images or ideas will guide audiences towards the resolution of the problem?

Narrative elements of a story Assumptions Assumptions are the things that your audience already know and understand about a conflict. Assumptions can act as a hurdle or a bridge to what you are communicating depending on how it is framed. How do audiences already frame the conflict?

Samsung: the next big thing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-Srun5jd5A

Exercise Break into small groups and choose a client to analyze. Discuss mythologies related to your client’s business, industry, products or services. Using the ideas of memes, mythology and elements of a story, create an idea for a narrative campaign through social media. Use the worksheet handout to guide you.

Homework Complete your story strategy ideas as outlined in the handout and be prepared to share them in the next session.