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), whose agency, Swystun Communications,  (opens in a new tab) 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).

“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), the author of Difference  (opens in a new tab), 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) 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) has a full writeup on Medium  (opens in a new tab).

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).

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) has the early scoop.

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