The Wall Street Journal reported recently that, in the desire to control their narratives, companies are “desperately seeking storytellers.” While many writers who have labored in the realm of marketing communications are probably using their head-exploding and head-slapping emojis in texts crossing the globe, it should be reassuring that companies seem to believe that a well-planned story, expertly told, can create value. This is why, however, merely dusting off liberal arts diplomas and providing writing samples is not going to cut it. What companies need are stories that express their strategic trajectory — across new channels, with new energy.
We know the new channels. But what would be a new energy?
First, corporate storytellers are largely putting forth the facets of the enterprise story — so they must engage deeply with the subject matter. Yet they do not need to be subject matter experts — they just need to be experts in getting at features and the competitive advantage. Any speechwriter worth their salt will tell you that their gift is pulling from the speaker’s mind the content that lives only there — otherwise, they’d be working on Hollywood scripts for actors to deliver. The great speechwriters are great prompters — think of them as early AI agents.
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After the engagement energy, the second layer is strategic energy. Storytellers must be able to express strategic nuance in the realms of product descriptions, relationship development, employee engagement, and customer attraction. Otherwise, companies just sound like every other company — which means the absence of the distinction every enterprise needs to be noticed and appreciated.
The longstanding perception in many corners of industry, fueled by fun mid-century movies about advertising agencies, is that story is fluff. Gimmicks, tropes, hormones. Contemporary players know that the enterprise narrative puts the muscle around the enterprise’s strategic spine. Strategists gifted with command of language do not just have the power of the pen; they connect every digital and physical dot with every stakeholder — to create compelling depictions of products and services.
Jason Branin calls it the strategy premium: “the sharpest differentiator is often the quality of the narrative — how clearly, consistently, and compellingly a company explains who it is, where it’s going, and how it will get there.”
Narrative strategists are putting the new tools into the old pencil boxes and keyboards that give them leverage they never would have had in the 1950s. The with-it enterprises are putting big value on not only elegant turns of phrase but on irresistible narratives that even provide insulation from shifting market sands. Nvidia: weaving innovation, ambition, and growth into its story. Airbnb: integrating heartfelt encounters into messages of cultural appreciation and connection to refine travel. And watch the data center companies begin positioning themselves as the essential disruptors that will bring technology to the people — NIMBYs or not.
Someone in these organizations has figured out that the storytellers need to absorb the business strategy and put it forth in every word and image.
Over the long term, they have given their enterprises the means to track the ROI on their marketing spends. Over the short term — in the early days of AI integration into business processes and production — the storytellers will be revered, not replaced. They are becoming the one factor that makes mere change true transformation — working hard to learn and do with AI so that entire enterprises not only pivot but conduct examination and invite admiration.
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No matter how much content is developed and refined using all types of tools — human and automated — in narrative-centered enterprises, four things happen: human connection is at the center; purpose and vision are conveyed consistently and often; data serves emotional impact; and evolution through technology is understood and honored.
Contributed to Branding Strategy Insider by Mary Trigiani, Advising at the intersection of strategy, narrative, and transformation.
At The Blake Project, we help clients worldwide, in all stages of development, define and articulate what makes them competitive and valuable at pivotal moments of change. Please email us to learn how we can help you compete differently.
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