NARRATIVE

ROHN JAY MILLER

THE ISA SHINTO SHRINE IS REALLY 1,500 YEARS OLD. UNESCO ONLY CONSIDERED THE EDIFICE, NOT WHAT’S INSIDE. WE TEND TO FOCUS ON THE WOODEN BUILDING AND NOT THE SACRED SPACE IT PROTECTS, WHICH IS WHAT MATTERS. (thx to CLAY SHIRKY)

YOU ARE LIVING THROUGH ONE OF THE MOST MIRACULOUS GENERATIONS IN THE HISTORY OF HUMANITY. THE INVENTION OF THE INTERNET AND THE UBIQUITOUS DISTRIBUTION OF COMPUTING POWER AND BANDWIDTH ARE FUNDEMENTALLY CHANGING HOW WE THINK, CONNECT, AND CREATE. IT’S AT LEAST AS SIGNIFICANT AS THE INVENTION OF THE PRINTING PRESS. NO KIDDING. SO THINGS ARE CHANGING FAST, BABY

THE PROBLEM FOR A BRAND IN THIS BRAVE NEW WORLD IS TO BE UNDERSTOOD COHERENTLY. TRANSPARENCY, BRANDJACKING, AND THE CHAOTIC SHIFT OF ATTENTION SPAN OUTSIDE BROADCAST CHANNELS THAT USE ADJACENCY AND INTERRUPTION MAKE CREATING COHERENCE OF CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE FOR A BRAND IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL. CONTROL MENTALITY JUST DOESN’T WORK, EVEN THOUGH ITS WHAT SENIOR EXECUTIVES CONTINUE TO EXHIBIT. WHY ELSE ARE THEY THERE? WE NEED A BETTER WAY TO THINK ABOUT WHAT A BRAND IS TO PEOPLE.

YOU SEE PHAROIC DIAGRAMS LIKE THIS THAT OFFER AT LEAST SOME SOOTHING VISUAL ASSURANCE THAT EVERY “TOUCH” IS A “CHANNEL” WE OWN AND THE BRAND AND THE RETAILER OUTNUMBER THE LOWLY CONSUMER.

“STORY-TELLING” IS THE NEW NEW IDEA. IT’S GOT IT’S PLACE, BUT IT’S LIMITING. AS JOHN HAGEL OF DELOITTE POINTS OUT, A STORY HAS A BEGINNING, MIDDLE AND END. AND THE PURPOSE OF THE STORY IS FOR THE BRAND TO TELL IT TO YOU AND FOR YOU TO SHUT UP AND LISTEN. ESPECIALLY THE COOL STORIES.

LOVETHERE IS ANOTHER WAY OF THINKING ABOUT A BRAND AND THAT’S TO CONSIDER IT’S ACTIONS AND REACTIONS IN THE MARKETPLACE AS A FORM OF “NARRATIVE,” WHICH IS ABOUT A CENTRAL THEME, ONE THAT’S MOVING FORWARD, WHICH INVITES YOU TO JOIN, AND IS AIMED AT A GOAL. I BELIEVE THE CENTRAL MOTIVATOR FOR YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN A NARRATIVE IS LOVE; NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS.

IN 2008 CONSERVATIVE COLUMNIST ROBERT NOVAK SAID THE SIGNS AND BANNERS OF THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN WERE THE FIRST HE HAD EVER SEEN IN HIS LIFE THAT DIDN’T HAVE THE CANDIDATE’S NAME ON THEM. SEE HOW THE IDEA IS ABOUT US, NOT HIM? IT’S CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN, AND HE’S JUST THE CENTRAL ACTOR, NOT THE NARRATIVE.

LET’S CONSIDER IBM. FIFTY YEARS AGO 80% OF IBM’S REVENUE CAME FROM COMPUTER HARDWARE. TODAY 80% COMES FROM CONSULTING AND SOFTWARE SERVICES. IS IT THE SAME COMPANY, WITH THE SAME NARRATIVE? I THINK SO.

“Nobody ever got fired for buying

IBM”THIS WAS THE OLD SAYING AMONG COMPUTER PEOPLE IN THE 20TH CENTURY. SEE HOW IT’S ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU AND ME? IBM WAS HIRED BECAUSE THEIR NARRATIVE WAS—AND IS—ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS. HELPING THEM SUCCEED AT THEIR BUSINESSES.

“We turn advanced technologies into business value

for our customers”

THIS IS TAKEN FROM IBM’S MISSION STATEMENT, SO YOU MIGHT SAY IT’S THEIR TAKE ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE. THIS WAS THE MISSION OF IBM IN THE 1960S AND I THINK IT’S THE MISSION OF IBM TODAY. THE WAYS THEY’VE SUCCEEDED TODAY DRIVE THE POWERFUL, CONSISTENT IBM NARRATIVE.

OKAY, AT LEAST I DIDN’T OPEN MY PRESENTATION WITH THE MANDATORY APPLE SLIDE—HERE IT IS NOW. “THINK DIFFERENT” IS A MANTRA BUT ITS ALSO THE BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY THAT BUILT THE TRUE APPLE NARRATIVE—ITS INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS AND MIND-BOGGLING ABILITY TO CREATE NEW MARKETS LIKE ITUNES OUT OF WHOLE CLOTH. AND “THINK DIFFERENT” IS ABOUT YOU THINKING DIFFERENT. IT’S A CALL TO ACTION, NOT A STUPID TAGLINE.

Narrative provides

Stability in chaosInvitation to join

Belief systemDirection & orientation

JOHN HAGEL OF DELOITTE SAYS A COHERENT NARRATIVE PROVIDES US WITH A WAY FORWARD. THE ABOVE ARE TRUE OF CHRISTIANITY, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE FRENCH FOREIGN LEIGON. ALSO TRUE OF VOLVO, ONE DIRECTION AND NIKE.

ITS NOT TRUE THAT IN MANADRIN THE WORD “CRISIS” IS COMPRISED OF TWO CHARACTERS WHICH INDIVIDUALLY MEAN “DANGER” AND “OPPORTUNITY.” (NICE STORY THOUGH, EH?) ANYWAY, NARRATIVES OF OPPORTUNITY WORK BETTER LONG-TERM, IMHO. NARRATIVES OF DANGER CAN WORK SHORT-TERM, BUT YOU CAN’T KEEP UPPING THE DANGER AND/OR NOT RESOLVING THE DANGER.

Narrative is

SpokenInside out

OpportunitiesExploring

QuestAction

Narrative forms

LinearCyclicalSpiral

Assemblage

DR. DAVID BOJE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO HAS DONE SOME INTERESTING NOODLING ON “NARRATIVE” AND “STORY.” HE DEFINES FOUR KINDS OF NARRATIVE. (SPIRAL IS UNSTABLE CYCLICAL AND “ASSEMBLAGE” IS COMPRISED OF MANY PIECES COMING TOGETHER—LIKE WOODSTOCK.

Process

Strategy

Tools

Source: Dr. David Boje, U of New Mexico, 2010

TO GROW A NARRATIVE YOU NEED TO PROVIDE THREE MAJOR FRAMEWORKS—PROCESS, TOOLS AND STRATEGY. THINK ABOUT PIXAR. THEY STARTED “TOY STORY” CHALLENGING THEMSELVES TO BUILD BETTER ANIMATION SOFTWARE TOOLS AS THEY WENT, PLANNING MORE COMPLEX SHOTS IN YEAR 3 OF PRODUCTION THAN YEAR 1. WHEN A PIXAR MOVIE COMES OUT, THAT STANDS FOR SOMETHING. PARAMOUNT PICTURES HAS NO STEAM IN THEIR NARRATIVE AT ALL.

WAL-MART: LINEAR NARRATIVE. “SPEND LESS, LIVE BETTER.” LOWEST PRICES POSSIBLE FROM THE WORLD’S LARGEST SUPPLY CHAIN. THEY STARTED IN BENTONVILE AND KEEP GOING UNTIL THEY TAKE OVER THE WORLD.

TARGET: “CHEAP CHIC,” QUALITY DESIGNED GOODS FOR LOW PRICES. PLUS BRIGHT STORES, WIDE AISLES, BRIGHTER LIGHTING—GREAT, ACTIVE PLACE TO BE. THE STORES ARE AS MUCH A PARET OF THE NARRATIVE AS THE PRODUCT STRATEGY. CYCLICAL NARRATIVE: WE KEEP DOING IT DIFFERENT AND BETTER.

DR. BOJE IS PART NATIVE AMERICAN. HE TALKS ABOUT IN HIS TRIBAL TRADITION CHALLENGES WERE CALLED EITHER “TREE IN HEAD” VERSUS “GRASS IN HEAD.” “TREE IN HEAD” MEANS YOU FOCUS ON ONE THING ONLY. “GRASS IN HEAD” MEANS YOU SEE THE WHOLE RANGE. NARRATIVE IS “GRASS IN HEAD.” THIS IS ALSO LIKE KARL POPPER’S “CLOCK PROBLEMS” VERSUS “CLOUD PROBLEMS.”

WE’RE AT BEST BUY HEADQUARTERS TODAY. WHAT’S THE NARRATIVE OF BEST BUY? KIND OF UP IN THE AIR RIGHT NOW. USED TO BE BIG STORES, CONSUMER ELECTRONICS, HUNDREDS OF TV’S. WHAT NOW? THEY SAY THEIR MISSION IS TO “SOLVE PUZZLES FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.” WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AND HOW DOES IT DESCRIBE THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE NARRATIVE?

Highly aligned,Loosely coupled

Motivated withinCollaborating

Yonderr

YONDER IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE WORDS. MAYBE IT’S THE OLD COWBOY ROMANTICISM. “YONDER” COMES FROM TWO WORDS. “YOND” IN OLD ENGLISH MEANS “THAT PLACE I SEE IN THE DISTANCE.” THE OLD DUTCH WORD “GEOND” MEANS “THROUGHOUT TOGETHER.” THAT’S NARRATIVE. IT’S THE THINGS WE DO TOGETHER ON THE JOURNEY TO THAT PLACE IN THE DISTANCE. THANKS FOR LISTENING, AND LET’S KEEP TALKING—ROHN JAY