Thursday, January 28, 2016

Corporate communication and Storytelling


I read several articles and books related to the topic and selected the parts I believe are relevant for the learning objectives of this PBL. However, I would recommend to go through my sources list because they are very interesting and useful.

Corporate communication and Storytelling


Corporate communication is to align internal and external communications to create a value to stakeholders; it is also responsible for company’s reputation, replacing public relations.
(Kommunikation, Spiecker 2013)













The basis of Storytelling

In order to have a great communication, the company must understand its history and its value. It’s not enough to show numbers and facts of how they got where they are, they must engage their audience with emotions and there is where storytelling takes place.
Storytelling is an art of telling sequence events, usually to educate the audience about an event, story or fact. The greatest stories involve, arouse emotions, build empathy and connect the audience.
In today’s world we have easy access to all kind of information, therefore if a company really wants to bond, it should create a more deep connection, and trust through emotional values.
Some companies have understood the power of storytelling and are using it for their advantage, perhaps as their main marketing tool. Today storyteller is very important position for successful companies; the new job tittle is CSO (chief storyteller officer).

Storytellers vs. storydoers:


According to Ty Montague, there are two types of companies: storytellers and storydoers. Both companies succeed in spreading their message effectively however; storydoers put action in their narratives.

Storydoing companies characteristics:

1      They have a story
2      The story is about a larger ambition to make the world or people’s lives better
3      The story is understood and cared about by senior leadership outside of marketing
4      That story is being used to drive tangible action throughout the company: product development, HR policies, compensation, etc.
5      These actions add back up to a cohesive whole
Customers and partners are motivated to engage with the story and are actively using it to advance their own stories. (Montague, TY, 16 july, 2013)

Examples: GoPro, Red Bull, Walt Disney, Starbucks, American Express, Apple and IBM.

By adding action to their storytelling strategies those companies are able to connect with their audience in a higher level, making them more profitable. The storydoers are able to expend less and get more visibility because their customers are part of the stories and happy to share it.



(Montague, TY, 16 july, 2013)

"Nelson Mandela told a story about what post-apartheid Africa could look like. That story was persuasive enough to promote change, and it became reality. JFK told a story about putting man on the Moon, and it inspired people and came to pass. These types of huge events were built on stories."

(Grothaus, Michael 2015)

10 principles of great brand storytelling:

  1. find your why: the best brands focus not on what they do or how they do it, but why they do it. Find your why and you’ve found your story. Transcend category by focusing on your role in people’s lives. Compelling brand stories speak to values, to what your brand stands for and why it exists.
  2. it's not (all) about you:Stop focusing on what you want to say and start listening to what your audiences want to talk about.
  3. Insights inspire ideas:Know your consumer as well as you know yourself. Data-driven insights and intelligence are fuel for creativity, insuring that ideas aren’t just cool but connected to business challenges and relevant to consumers.
  4. go all the way:Stories should be at the heart, not the tail, of your marketing plan. Once the narrative is decided, it should be surrounded and amplified in all communications channels.
  5. be social at the core:Putting a story in the marketplace is not the end, it’s the beginning. Consumers want a role. They want to be advocates for the brands and products they choose. Branded content can deliver on the promise of a two-way conversation and deeper relationship that can turn customers into loyalists, and evangelists. Make sure your content can be discovered, shared and shaped.
  6. don't post and pray:Understand how you will use owned, paid and earned channels to get your message out. It’s not about content vs. distribution; it’s about getting both right.
  7. be authentic:Live the stories that you tell.
  8. be the expert:Your brand has expertise in a topic that can add value to people’s lives.
  9. loosen you grip:Brands still need to look after their interests, but the reality is that a brand is poured through multiple filters, including those of fans and detractors. 
  10. expect results:Storytelling must be accountable marketing. Define clear business objectives going in so they can be measured coming out. 
(Donaton, Scott, 20 september 2013)





Effective(s) story storytelling:











Dolan, Gabrielle, and Naidu, Yamini. Hooked : How Leaders Inspire, Connect and Engage with Storytelling. Somerset, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons, 2013. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 28 January 2016.

Donaton, Scott, 2013. The 10 commandments of content. Fast co Create. URL:

Fryer, Bronwyn 2003. Storytelling that moves people. Harvard Business Review URL:

Gillett, Rachel, 2014. Why our brains grave storytelling in marketing. Fast company. URL:

Grothaus, Michael, 2015. Why companies need novelists. Fast company. URL:

Hausmaan, Clay, 2014. The age old and often ignore marketing tool every company needs to know. Fast Company URL: http://www.fastcompany.com/3031964/the-age-old-and-often-ignored-marketing-tool-every-company-needs-to-know

Montague, Ty, 2013. Good companies are storytellers, great companies are storydoers. Harvard Business Review. URL:

Pietrucha, Frank J.. Supercommunicator : Explaining the Complicated So Anyone Can Understand. Saranac Lake, NY, USA: AMACOM Books, 2014. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 28 January 2016.


Kommunikation, Spiecker, 2013. Corporate communication. URL:





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