--- title: "Wednesday Buzz: The Eternal Importance of Narrative Storytelling" id: "28268" type: "post" slug: "wednesday-buzz-the-eternal-importance-of-narrative-storytelling" published_at: "2015-04-29T19:04:41+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T17:51:47+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/04/29/wednesday-buzz-the-eternal-importance-of-narrative-storytelling/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/04/29/wednesday-buzz-the-eternal-importance-of-narrative-storytelling.md" excerpt: "Every brand and organization has a story, but how can your association make sure its tale is properly conveyed? Plus: a survey reveals the spread of misinformation." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Communications" - "Membership" - "rebranding" - "storytelling" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "C-Level" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Wednesday Buzz: The Eternal Importance of Narrative Storytelling What makes the difference between a compelling story and an ineffective one? [Jeff Swystun (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/jeffswystun) , whose agency, [Swystun Communications, (opens in a new tab)](http://swystuncommunications.com/) focuses on business and brand strategies, dives into the history of brand narratives [in a post on Business 2 Community (opens in a new tab)](http://www.business2community.com/branding/telling-tales-using-narrative-psychology-branding-01212606) . “Narrative psychology is why brands are constructed with values meant to match those of desired consumers, why brands communicate much about who buys them, and why we all share our preferences and desires in conversations online and off,” Swystun writes. “Narrative psychology assumes that our experiences are filled with ‘meaning’ and captured in stories more so than stark logical arguments or strict lawful formulations.” It’s because of that compelling psychological pull, Swystun says, that storytelling has become vital for brands. In that vein, he quotes [Bernadette Jiwa (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/bernadettejiwa) , the author of [Difference (opens in a new tab)](http://difference.is/) , who summarized the importance of storytelling as “more than a narrative. It is much more than the copy on your website, the words in a brochure, or the sales presentation used to gain customers. Your story isn’t only what you tell people. It is what people believe about you based on the signals your brand sends and the interactions they have with the brand.” When you step back and take a critical, unbiased look at all the moving parts of your association and all your touchpoints with members and constituents, what story are you really conveying? ### Chart of the Day [The American Press Institute has released two studies (opens in a new tab)](http://www.americanpressinstitute.org/fact-checking-project/new-fact-checking-research-false-information-floods-twitter-many-americans-confidently-wrong/) on the prevalence of false information and the effectiveness of efforts to correct it. The good news: Although many people hold erroneous public policy beliefs based on misinformation, people can be enlightened when provided with the facts. ### Other Good Reads **“Ask for more (you deserve it)”** and other lessons for women leaders emerged from the recent Leadership Academy for Women in Digital Media. Cox Media Group social analyst [Kari Cobham (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/KariWrites) [has a full writeup on Medium (opens in a new tab)](https://medium.com/@KariWrites/5-things-i-learned-from-digitalwomenleader-rockstars-3b33126bf130) . **Nonprofits are seeing a greater number of small gifts**, an increase in online revenue, and more, according to [M+R and Nonprofit Technology Network’s 2015 Nonprofit Benchmarks Report (opens in a new tab)](http://www.nten.org/blog/2015/04/28/the-2015-nonprofit-benchmarks-report-is-here) . **If you’re tired of all the talk about millennials**, why not explore some characteristics of generation Z? [Forbes contributor and sporting-goods-industry expert Matt Powell (opens in a new tab)](http://www.forbes.com/sites/mattpowell/2015/04/29/sneakernomics-meet-gen-z/) has the early scoop. (krzysztofdedek/ThinkStock) [Morgan Little](https://associationsnow.com/author/morgan-little/) Morgan Little is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/morgan-little/) Tags: [#Communications](https://associationsnow.com/tag/communications/) [#Membership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/membership/) [#rebranding](https://associationsnow.com/tag/rebranding/) [#storytelling](https://associationsnow.com/tag/storytelling/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [Video2025 Summit Award Recipient: American Speech-Language-Hearing AssociationOctober 3, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/10/03/2025-summit-award-recipient-american-speech-language-hearing-association/) - [ArticleHonoring Legacy, Embracing ChangeDecember 18, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/12/18/honoring-legacy-embracing-change/) - [VideoSneak Peek: Highlights from Day 2 of the 2025 ASAE MMC+Tech ConferenceMay 14, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/05/14/sneak-peek-highlights-from-day-2-of-the-2025-asae-mmctech-conference/) - [VideoSneak Peek: Highlights from Day 1 of the 2025 ASAE MMC+Tech ConferenceMay 13, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/05/13/sneak-peek-highlights-from-day-1-of-the-2025-asae-mmctech-conference/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2015%2F04%2F29%2Fwednesday-buzz-the-eternal-importance-of-narrative-storytelling%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !