european planning conference prague 2014, paul arnold london, the role of storytelling in imc

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EACA Advertising Masterclass

Delivered to the European Planning Conference on 4th November

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The role of storytelling in

integrated communic-

ations

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Why am I qualified to talk to you about stories?

•  14 years Saatchi & Saatchi

•  11 years at Grey Advertising

•  MBA

•  MSc Change

•  Master Practitioner NLP

•  Winner of 6 Euro Effies

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The strange but amazing story of Phineas Gage

Rutland to Burlington railroad 13th September 1848

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The strange but amazing case of Phineas Gage

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Emotions drive our decision making

•  Damasio 1994: Rational decision making is “hard wired” to our emotions. Emotions are processed instantaneously.

•  Zajonc and Bornstein (1992) showed that feelings and

emotions have primacy over thoughts (and that emotional responses can be created even when we have no awareness of the stimulus that causes them).

•  D. Calne 2000 Rationality and Human Behaviour - “The essential difference between emotion and reason is that emotion leads to action, while reason leads to conclusions”

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The digital age is changing the way we do communications

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We need a ‘glue’ to stick it all together to ensure you give one consistent

presentation of the brand

•  be it through….

–  Brand essence

–  Idea

–  Story

–  etc

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0.5  The role of storytelling in integrated communications

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Structure

About Stories Brands

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Structure

About Stories

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Stories resonate at a deeper emotional

and spiritual level (as they connect with our identity and purpose)

Head

Heart

Soul

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Stories are like viruses 1  

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Stories help us make sense of the world 2  

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Stories are carriers of meaning (and brands are a collection of meanings)

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Malal Yousafza, Nobel peace prize

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We get ‘hooked’ by story 1  

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Connecting to our own deeper archetypal stories

(that we all instinctively understand)

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Archetypal stories 1) Combat (Overcoming the monster)

0.5  

Good defeats evil in the end

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Archetypal stories 1) Combat (Overcoming the monster)

0.5  

Good defeats evil in the end

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Archetypal stories 2) Transformation (Rags to riches)

0.5  

You can improve your life

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Archetypal stories 2) Transformation (Rags to riches)

0.5  

You can improve your life

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Archetypal stories 3) The Quest

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Find your purpose and go for it!

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Archetypal stories 3) The Quest

0.5  

Find your purpose and go for it!

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Archetypal stories 4) Voyage and return

0.5  

Don’t be lured by false promises – appreciate what you have got now

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Archetypal stories 4) Voyage and return

0.5  

Don’t be lured by false promises – appreciate what you have got now

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Archetypal stories 5) Paradise found

0.5  

It will work out all right in the end

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Archetypal stories 5) Paradise found

0.5  

It will work out all right in the end

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Archetypal stories 6) Paradise lost (Tragedy)

0.5  

Warning!

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Archetypal stories 6) Paradise lost (Tragedy)

0.5  

Warning!

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Archetypal stories 7) Rebirth

0.5  

You can change

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Archetypal stories 7) Rebirth

0.5  

You can change

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The Arc of a story 1  

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The Arc of a story

Conflict

1  

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The Arc of a story

Conflict

Action

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The Arc of a story

Conflict

Action

Resolution

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The Arc of a story

Conflict

Action

Resolution

(Moral of the story)

1  

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The Hero’s Journey 0.5  

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Ordinary world 0.5  

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There is a call to action 0.5  

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The hero refuses the call 0.5  

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The hero is forced to leave 0.5  

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The teacher arrives 0.5  

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Friends come together to support him (and enemies to thwart)

0.5  

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The hero faces many demons (some inside of him)

0.5  

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The hero doubts his ability and wants to give up

0.5  

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The hero dies… 0.5  

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…but is reborn 0.5  

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A fierce, climactic battle is fought... 0.5  

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The quest is achieved 0.5  

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The hero returns home, transformed into a better person.

0.5  

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Johnnie Walker – The Hero’s Journey

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Exercise: Name the film and the principal actors

0.5  

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0.5  

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Jerry MacGuire 0.5  

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0.5  

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0.5  

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0.5  

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0.5  

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The Dark Knight 0.5  

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0.5  

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The Graduate 0.5  

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4 weddings and a funeral

0.5  

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2. How stories can help build brands 0.5  

Brands

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Stories cut through & create deeper emotional connections

1  

A story changes the way we feel about something

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Stories shift perception and frame experiences

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We ‘wear’ stories that reflect our story

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Stories shift behaviour

“Politics is about giving people better stories” – Bill Clinton

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A story even took us to war

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Brands are stories

“A great brand is a story that’s never completely told. A brand is a metaphorical story that connects with something very deep - – a fundamental human appreciation of mythology. Companies that manifest this…invoke something very powerful… Stories create the emotional context people need to locate themselves in a larger experience” Scott Bedbury

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Brands can often play out archetypal roles

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Which manifest itself in the stories they tell

Hero Explorer

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The internet is helping us to tell more stories (and more of the story)

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Games puts people at the heart of the story

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But these days the brand story is co-created

Functional

Emotional

Brand Consumer

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Story builds values 1  

$65,000

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Jacqueline Kennedy-Onasis’ imitation pearls

$211,000 -> $26m

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$750,000

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£900,000

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Story builds values

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And bad stories kill reputations and value 1  

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i-phone 6

300 Vs 20m sold (=0.0015%)

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Stories build credibility and trust 1  

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Find your truth

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The brand story is a pivot for the total comms brief

Expressed through many different media

The brand story

History Vision/Purpose Beliefs & Values Product Etc

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Sources: •  History •  Vision/Purpose •  Beliefs/POV •  Values •  How product is made •  How product is used •  Culture •  Consumer •  Created stories

1  

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History 1  

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History

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Vision

The power of dreams

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Beliefs/Values/POV

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Beliefs/Values/POV 2  

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The product story 1  

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And the story needs to be told in many places

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The product in use story 1  

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Culturally relevant stories 1  

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Consumer story

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Consumer stories 1  

Alexa

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Consumer story

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Consumer story

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Consumer story

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Creating consumer generated content

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Creating stories 4  

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Pass on the story – allow the story to become theirs

It’s not who you tell, it’s who they tell

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..and remember, the story is constantly evolving

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And sure there are just great stories in ads…

1  

…but these are not authentic stories. A brand story only really creates a deeper meaning

when it comes from a truth

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6

4

3

1

2

5

Beauty with comfort

Biome

Innovation fused with tradition

From Hide to High street

Yak leather

Injection soles

Care (family)

Meta-Story and sub plots

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Summary

•  Find the authentic story

•  Don’t just tell stories – live them

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Books recommended

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