Why do we watch entire episodes of scripted television these days? Almost every program starts with a summary of the previous week’s episodes, condensing the important plot points of the season into a short, easily digestible blurb that rapidly brings the audience up to speed. But then the title cards scroll by, this week’s episode begins, and for the next 40 minutes or so we’re deluged with a flood of tiny details, many of which are likely to be filtered out of next week’s recap. By the end of the season, 22 episodes worth of storytelling can be filtered down into a short blurb less than a minute long, and still leaving both avid followers and newcomers alike with enough information to be able to follow the episode. As a fan of direct, precise communication, I admire the recap – it’s a great way of delivering a fairly large amount of critical information in a short amount of time, and it’s a goal I’m sure most professional communicators would agree we should aspire to.
But even I’m not going to suggest we should restrict our television viewing to a brief recap of every weekly episode and walk away thinking we’ve gotten the entire story. The little details are important – they bring characters to life, make the settings more vibrant, and give a show its unique flavour. Similarly, the particulars of your organization’s individual tale are integral to creating a fully-formed impression in the minds of audiences. Extraneous information has no place in business plans, technical manuals or process documents, but when it comes to branding your organization and telling your story, the tiny details that might get strained out of a summary are incredibly important to communicating brand values, making your organization relatable to your audience, and finding a way to stand out in a field of uniform competitors all chanting the same corporate buzz-word mantras.
The great thing is every organization is rife with wonderful stories and colourful characters that can lend it personality and flair. The charming details of your story are plentiful if you know where to look. Think about:
- Humble origin stories help audiences connect with your values and what you’re trying to do.
- Tales of overcoming travesty show your dedication to your cause and willingness to persevere.
- Amusing staff anecdotes can lend your organization a sense of fun and camaraderie.
- Grand epics about your monumental efforts to right wrongs for slighted customers will demonstrate your commitment to success.
- Even stories of hardship and woe can be turned into triumphs, demonstrations of your flexibility and willingness to adapt and learn from hardship. There are few things more admirable for audiences than an underdog learning from its mistakes and ultimately rising to overcome adversity.
Of course you can’t just toss out every random anecdote about your organization’s founding onto your Facebook or LinkedIn page and think that qualifies as brand storytelling. Like all communications, relating your narrative requires finesse. After all, one of the fundamentals of good communication is precision. It’s easy to confuse audiences if your narrative isn’t carefully constructed, or to come across as a braggart rather than a humble learner when talking about times your company rose to a particular challenge. Precision is particularly important when communicating specific details to your audiences, but, if handled properly, it’s the tiny details of your story that will stick in your audience’s mind more than some heartless summary on a landing page.
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