This covers the fundamentals of what a story is and the story choices that brands have when communicating with their customers.

1. A DUMMIES GUIDE TO STORYTELLING
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POSITIONING YOUR BRAND AS A MENTOR IS AS EASY AS ABC
1 OCTOBER 2013

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GETYOURHEROUPATREE
ACT1/ THE SITUATION
STORY / THE KEY ELEMENTS

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THROWROCKSATHIM
COMPLICATIONS
STORY / THE KEY ELEMENTS

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GETHIMDOWN
RESOLUTION
STORY / THE KEY ELEMENTS

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AMANWANTSTOGETDOWNFROMA
TREEBUTHECAN’TBECAUSEPEOPLE
KEEPTHROWINGROCKSATHIM.
STORY / THE KEY ELEMENTS

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ABC

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A
STORY / THE KEY ELEMENTS
1. A hero
2. A desire
3. A villain

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AWANTSB
STORY / THE KEY ELEMENTS
1. A hero
2. A desire
3. A villain

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AWANTSBBUTCGETSINTHEWAY.
STORY / THE KEY ELEMENTS
1. A hero
2. A desire
3. A villain

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AWANTSBBUTCGETSINTHEWAY.
(HOWCANTHEBRANDHELP?)
STORY / THE KEY ELEMENTS
1. A hero
2. A desire
3. A villain
4. A mentor

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HOWCANWEHELPTHEMAN?
STORY / THE KEY ELEMENTS

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HOWCANWEHELPTHEMAN?
STORY / THE KEY ELEMENTS
• We don’t. We make him anxious and scare him into buying our ladder.
• We can empower him by guiding him down and encouraging him every step of the way.
• We can use our magic powers to remove all the obstacles and he can now climb down the tree himself.
• We can lie to comic effect and tell him the view at night from the tree is apparently fantastic!
• We can tell the truth to comic effect and suggest that at least he’s got a good excuse to not see his in-laws!

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NISSAN RACING ACADEMY
Men WANT to be racing drivers BUT life has got in the way
and taken them in a different direction.
HOW CAN BRAND HELP?
It can clear away all of life’s obstacles and give men with
the right skills a chance to fulfill their dreams.
(Empowerment storytelling with magic powers)

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People WANT to feel good about themselves BUT they have
bad breath and this makes it difficult.
HOW CAN BRAND HELP?
It scares them into buying its product.
(Inadequacy / Anxiety marketing)
LISTERINE

15. DOVE NATURAL BEAUTY
Women WANT to feel confident about themselves BUT the
marketing messages of the beauty industry has made this
difficult.
HOW CAN BRAND HELP?.
By celebrating real beauty and telling the truth about all
the tricks the industry plays.
(Empowerment storytelling)

16. LYNX
Average blokes WANT to be desired by gorgeous girls BUT
they aren’t because such women are out of their league.
HOW CAN BRAND HELP?
It can turn average blokes into sex gods.
(Telling a lie to comic effect)

17. OLD SPICE
Average blokes WANT to desired by gorgeous girls BUT they
aren’t because such women are out of their league.
HOW CAN BRAND HELP?
It can’t turn average blokes into sex gods but it can help
you smell like one...and then imagine the possibilities!
(Telling the truth to comic effect)

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THANK YOU

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LIFE AS A WRITER
Created and co-wrote Valiant, an animated feature film released in 2005.
Commissioned to write further screenplays for Dreamworks, BBC Films, Working
Title, UK Film Council.
LIFE AS A CONTENT STRATEGIST
Director of Content Strategy, Critical Mass
georgew@criticalmass.com
@georgew1971 (I don’t tweet much but I do reply!)
GEORGE WEBSTER
DIRECTOR OF CONTENT STRATEGY, CRITICAL MASS