Why storytelling works
Ball. Diamond. Neighbor. Three words that, in principle, have nothing to do with each other. Yet there's a good chance that a story is now playing out in your head. You hear the glass shatter and see children running away while a red-faced neighbor storms out the front door. How is that possible?
Your brain does this automatically. We are programmed to think in stories. To keep the constant flow of information we process somewhat organized, our brain is continuously looking for causal connections. As a cultural organization, you can take advantage of this. Present information in story form, and our storytelling mind automatically assumes that this information is important.
How do you do that?
The good news is: every organization has a unique story. This can be found in the way you were founded, your history, activities, goals, or your audience. The trick is to articulate this well. For that, you can take inspiration from the best storytellers of all time: the ancient Greeks.
Who are you? What do you stand for? Read our tips for writing your origin story and find your foundation.
A good story contains the following elements:
- It has a clear structure with a beginning, a middle, and an end.
- It has a protagonist who undergoes development as a result of a conflict or dilemma.
- This protagonist is believable and evokes sympathy from the audience.
The best stories also include a plot twist; an unexpected turn or surprising element that elicits emotions from your audience.
But the golden tip is:
"A good story is about your audience"
A good story is about your audience. Not about you, not about your organization, not about a heroic protagonist or a brilliant plot, but about your audience. They need to see themselves in the story and be inspired to take action.
Three examples of digital storytelling
The brand story of Theater Oostpool
To attract a new, younger audience, Theater Oostpool from Arnhem decided to adjust its brand strategy. Starting with the question: who do we want to be? they conducted audience research. It turned out that the older generation of theater enthusiasts knew how to find them, but the younger generation did not. This led to a radical choice: Oostpool adjusted its positioning and branding and decided to focus on 18-45-year-olds. The activism among the younger generation and the vision of their theater makers form the basis of their brand story: Oostpool wakes you up. The brand story serves as the common thread in every expression.
The crowdfunding campaign of the Hortus
The Hortus Botanicus in Amsterdam wants to build a sustainable greenhouse, and funding is needed for that. The garden launched a crowdfunding campaign in which this business message is presented as a personal story. The campaign calls on Amsterdam residents to adopt a plant. By presenting the plants as characters with human traits, their need (a new greenhouse) suddenly becomes much more relatable. View the campaign.
The stories of the Mauritshuis
The Mauritshuis in The Hague connects its collection of seventeenth-century paintings to contemporary themes. What is the link between the name of the Mauritshuis and our colonial past? Why were there so few female artists in the seventeenth century? In online exhibitions, experts highlight different sides of the story. For example, a forest ranger discusses The Goldfinch by Fabritius, and an actor explores the cinematic aspects of Rembrandt's paintings.
Storytelling from big to small
The fun thing about storytelling is that you can apply it to all aspects of your organization: from your brand story to your offerings and from your web texts to social media posts. You can make it as big (expensive) or small (cheap) as you want. As long as your stories align with your vision and audience, you're on the right track.
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