By Rebecca Chappell, Account Executive
“Even if you have
reams of evidence on your side, remember: numbers numb, jargon jars, and nobody
ever marched on Washington because of a pie chart. If you want to connect
with your audience, tell a story.” – Andy Goodman
As professional communicators, one of the biggest challenges
we have when collaborating with both nonprofit and for-profit clients is getting
them to see that what they think is news may not be what the general population
views as news. While smaller media outlets are typically supportive of
community-based events and announcements, if you’re seeking attention from the
likes of the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal or holy grails such as
the “Today” show, you’d better be able to answer the question: so what?
The “so what?” is where the heart of the story resides.
Whether your company is a small business or large
corporation, think about all those facts, figures and acronyms listed in your
annual report. Impressive? Sure. But why should anyone outside of your company
care? It’s simply not enough to say your company exceeded profit margins or
goals for the year. What were the challenges the company faced and how did it
overcome them? Is your company’s successful performance the result of a group
of employees that went above and beyond expectations? What does this year’s
success mean in terms of the company’s future? How does your company’s success
benefit the community at large?
If you’re a nonprofit, it’s even more important to resist
the urge to weigh people down with a laundry list of programs, statistics and
financials. Yes, those things are necessary to be transparent, but if you want
media to pay attention and potential donors to contribute their hard-earned
dollars or time to your organization, you have to also be personal.
In her book “Corporate Legends and Lore: The Power of
Storytelling as a Management Tool,” Peg Neuhauser draws a parallel between
nomadic Indian tribes of the American Plains and today’s modern organizations.
As tribes moved from place to place, Neuhauser writes, they each carried a
bundle containing significant artifacts from the tribe’s past. At campfires and
rituals, this “sacred bundle” would be opened and the tribal elders would
recount the stories behind each artifact.
Every organization has its own sacred bundle. In PR we often
help clients to identify the artifacts for their bundle – the newsworthy
stories that set their organization apart. We then package these stories as press
materials, marketing collateral, website content, personalized annual reports
and more.
Perhaps now you’re thinking to yourself that your
organization doesn’t have any good stories for a sacred bundle. To help you out
of this predicament, Neuhauser recommends identifying basic narratives such as:
How We Started
This is the story of how your organization was founded – who
started it, and why. This often captures the need for your work to exist as
well as the approach your group has taken to address this need.
Emblematic Victories
These demonstrate your group’s effectiveness. Instead of
just saying “we made a difference!” this is your chance to demonstrate how that
difference was made.
What We Learned in
Defeat
Everyone falls off the proverbial horse from time to time.
The trick is to get back up and ride again. Lessons learned in the course of
defeat should be embraced for what they can teach you, and others.
Nature of Our
Challenge
Stories about the fundamental nature of the issues your
organization is tackling remind staff and community the reason their time,
attention and energy are needed. They also serve to connect to the media and
public with individuals and/or families in need versus numbers and statistics.
Performance Stories
Employee performance stories show the exemplary levels of
professionalism, creativity and commitment your people bring to the
organization or challenge at hand.
Where We Are Going
Look ahead five, 10, even 20 years from now. What would the
world look like if your company did its job, met its goals, adhered to its
vision? Paint a big picture that evokes a feeling of the future that staff,
media and the community at large can invest in emotionally.
