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writing || so you want to tell a story: brands and individuals you can learn from

IoanaAugust 16, 2019

I originally wrote this post for publishing on a conference blog at my university. I’m not that happy with how it turned out, but in the interest of writing more consistently, and learning from my mistakes, I figured I’d share it anyways. Enjoy!

When Leonardo DiCaprio said, “sell me this pen” in the iconic scene from Wolf of Wall Street, he wasn’t looking for a list of attributes. Nor was he looking for an expert opinion, or a factually sound argument to explain why the pen was worth every penny.

“Write your name down for me, will you?”

This was the response that went down in film – and business – history. In eight words, the statement illustrated a scenario where the listener is the hero, writing their name is their challenge, and the speaker asking for a favour is the emotional connection. Boom. A story is born, and history is made.

From sales and branding, to conflict resolution, to well-executed pitches, and all the way down to everyday interactions, mastering the art of the story is crucial. Not only are they entertaining, relatable, memorable, and often more clear, they make listening to you an excitement rather than a chore.

Below are 5 elements and techniques to incorporate in stories, with real-life examples of exceptional storytelling from brands and individuals.

identify a problem belonging to your audience (or someone they care about)

Huggies used 200 studies, citing the importance of hugging for a baby’s development, to launch their campaign, “No Baby Unhugged”. Their focus was to educate families about the benefits of a hug and to make sure that every hospital has the resources necessary to ensure no baby is left unhugged. Once they identified this problem – which not only drives their storytelling, but provides them with a strong mission – Huggies then began to reach out to real moms and dads. They authentically identified and brought to light the struggles of individual babies left unhugged, which was a very successful and moving campaign because it took their brand from product status to problem-solving, story-telling status.

make your listener the hero

Google’s Year in Search Videos are released each year and are always wildly successful. What’s special about them is that Google makes its users the heroes of their own story. Using data about which messages will resonate best with its audience, Google’s Year in Search evokes emotion and nostalgia about memories that we can all feel collective ownership of.

rather than explain what you’re going to do, actually do something that proves your grit

When Richard Branson first launched his Virgin Airlines company, he also launched one of the strangest press strategies ever. He and his team determined that they would break the speed-record for a boat across the Atlantic. After getting caught in and rescued out of a massive storm on the third day, they tried again the following year and succeeded. Although nothing to do with his airline, this story made headlines and proved just how determined, daring, and resilient the leaders at Virgin Airlines were, catapulting their company to success.

craft a cliffhanger: set an ambitious goal that will make people want to watch

Elon Musk, the man behind PayPal and Tesla, is known for saying, “I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact.” This 11-word statement tells a story. He didn’t just say “I want to get humans on Mars within the next 50 years.” He imagined a future that was personal, not just corporate. Dying on Mars implies a lifetime of adventure, thrill, challenge – a lifetime worth hearing about. Humorous, while still inspiring, that short statement turned SpaceX into not just another space exploration company, but a company that will be part of a movement.

juxtapose what could be with what is currently being done

No one did this better than Steve Jobs in his world-renowned speech for Apple’s launch of the iPhone in 2007. Speech-analyst Nancy Duarte identified that his talk followed a very distinct pattern. She says,

“So it’s like, you know, here’s the past, here’s the present, but look at our future. Here’s a problem, but look at that problem removed. Here’s a roadblock, let’s annihilate the roadblock. You need to really amplify that gap. This would be like the inciting incident in a movie.”

The result? Despite little diversity in intonation or vocal strategies, Steve Jobs had his audience – and YouTube viewers years later – on the edge of their seats in excitement and anticipation.

Watch Nancy Duarte explain this in her TED Talk, “The Secret Structure of Great Talks”.


Whether you’re in an interview, pitching the world’s next great idea, or enthusiastically telling your friends about last night’s adventures, keep these strategies and examples in mind to craft the perfect story for your message!

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Nice to meet you!

Hi, it’s Ioana! I’m a blogger, brand marketer, and recent Queen’s Commerce alumni. When I’m not drinking coffee, reading, studying or exploring the city, I dabble in creative projects like this one!

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mistralspirit

ioana | bujo & organization
So glad I overcame my initial hesitation toward th So glad I overcame my initial hesitation toward this book being about video games. It’s a delight for my brain so far and I’m not ashamed to admit that I spent all of this morning and afternoon reading (it was glorious) and I’ve learned 3 new words I adore:
- dilettante
- Weltschmerz
- palimpsest

Pls note: photos taken “while reading” are obviously not as impromptu as they may appear on Instagram. They’re usually when (a) you’re on a reading intermission because you either haven’t started or are getting a bit tired of reading for so long or (b) there’s a long period of descriptive text that doesn’t necessarily represent the quality of the book and is a good time to hashtag let-me-take-a-selfie. So don’t read this one page and form an opinion about the book. Instagram isn’t reality. 😜

Pls also note I’m only 40% through the book so my review isn’t definite. I’ve been burned before by jumping too excitedly to recommend a book (in this case, TV show) to everyone around me before realizing it gets WEIRD later on. So take my moment of excitement with a grain of salt - more thoughts to come!
Just received this new pen from @bulletjournal and Just received this new pen from @bulletjournal and @leuchtturm1917 @leuchtturm1917canada! 👀 Here’s a closer look!

Can you tell I had so much fun unboxing this 😅 It’s my new desk pen for days that I want to feel a little ✨fancy✨

#gifted #pen #amwriting #bulletjournalleuchtturm1917 #gelpen #journal #journaling #planner #studygram #aestheticstudy #bujo #bulletjournal #bulletjournalpen #bujopen #minimalistplanner #bulletjournaling #bulletjournalcommunity #penlover
Vote in the comments for your top 2 on-location sk Vote in the comments for your top 2 on-location sketches! 👆 Check my IG story from today more more details, but there’s an @usktoronto call for submissions for an art expo/sale happening in Jan/Feb. Since they’re looking for on-location sketches and I have plenty, I’ve decided to submit and see what happens!

They would all be for sale so I’ll donate anything that comes of it to a related cause. ❤️ 

Which of these 2 do you like best? 👆

#urbansketchers #urbansketch #sketchbook #sketching #artjournal #travelsketch #drawyourday #sketchbookart #watercolor #illustration #urbansketching #sketchjournal #fineliner #finelinerdrawing #moleskine #watercolortraveljournal #watercolorillustration #traveljournal #travelwatercolor #traveldiary
One final art supplies haul from @currysartstore M One final art supplies haul from @currysartstore Mississauga this weekend! 🥺 So sad that they’re closing - I remember they’ve moved locations a number of times but they were always my favourite art store growing up. ❤️

And let me know if you’ve tried any of these supplies because I haven’t! Super excited to play with some new paints - specifically the metallics and also practice more acrylics after my summer painting class at @visualartsmississauga. 🥰

#artsupplies #unboxing #artsupplieshaul #artistsupplies #torontoartist #currysartstore
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So glad I overcame my initial hesitation toward th So glad I overcame my initial hesitation toward this book being about video games. It’s a delight for my brain so far and I’m not ashamed to admit that I spent all of this morning and afternoon reading (it was glorious) and I’ve learned 3 new words I adore:
- dilettante
- Weltschmerz
- palimpsest

Pls note: photos taken “while reading” are obviously not as impromptu as they may appear on Instagram. They’re usually when (a) you’re on a reading intermission because you either haven’t started or are getting a bit tired of reading for so long or (b) there’s a long period of descriptive text that doesn’t necessarily represent the quality of the book and is a good time to hashtag let-me-take-a-selfie. So don’t read this one page and form an opinion about the book. Instagram isn’t reality. 😜

Pls also note I’m only 40% through the book so my review isn’t definite. I’ve been burned before by jumping too excitedly to recommend a book (in this case, TV show) to everyone around me before realizing it gets WEIRD later on. So take my moment of excitement with a grain of salt - more thoughts to come!
Just received this new pen from @bulletjournal and Just received this new pen from @bulletjournal and @leuchtturm1917 @leuchtturm1917canada! 👀 Here’s a closer look!

Can you tell I had so much fun unboxing this 😅 It’s my new desk pen for days that I want to feel a little ✨fancy✨

#gifted #pen #amwriting #bulletjournalleuchtturm1917 #gelpen #journal #journaling #planner #studygram #aestheticstudy #bujo #bulletjournal #bulletjournalpen #bujopen #minimalistplanner #bulletjournaling #bulletjournalcommunity #penlover
Vote in the comments for your top 2 on-location sk Vote in the comments for your top 2 on-location sketches! 👆 Check my IG story from today more more details, but there’s an @usktoronto call for submissions for an art expo/sale happening in Jan/Feb. Since they’re looking for on-location sketches and I have plenty, I’ve decided to submit and see what happens!

They would all be for sale so I’ll donate anything that comes of it to a related cause. ❤️ 

Which of these 2 do you like best? 👆

#urbansketchers #urbansketch #sketchbook #sketching #artjournal #travelsketch #drawyourday #sketchbookart #watercolor #illustration #urbansketching #sketchjournal #fineliner #finelinerdrawing #moleskine #watercolortraveljournal #watercolorillustration #traveljournal #travelwatercolor #traveldiary
One final art supplies haul from @currysartstore M One final art supplies haul from @currysartstore Mississauga this weekend! 🥺 So sad that they’re closing - I remember they’ve moved locations a number of times but they were always my favourite art store growing up. ❤️

And let me know if you’ve tried any of these supplies because I haven’t! Super excited to play with some new paints - specifically the metallics and also practice more acrylics after my summer painting class at @visualartsmississauga. 🥰

#artsupplies #unboxing #artsupplieshaul #artistsupplies #torontoartist #currysartstore
Black Friday SALE on now at @thewashitapeshop 💃 Black Friday SALE on now at @thewashitapeshop 💃🏼 20% OFF everything - link in bio or visit thewashitapeshop.com to shop what feels like an entire art gallery. 😜

So hard to pick but I was most excited to get my hands on this new PET tape designed by @tonia_tkach - it’s called Forest Houses and comes as both PET tape and washi tape. How cute!

#pettape #originalwashitape #thewashitapeshop #washitape #washitapes #scrapbooking #craftjournal #aestheticjournal #artjournal #craft #journaling #bujo #stationery #stationerylover #sticker #bulletjournal #scrapbook #bujoideas #bulletjournaling #journalwithme #bujosupplies #stationerystore #starioneryshop #stationeryhaul
Sounds from a day in the life preparing for @nanow Sounds from a day in the life preparing for @nanowrimo last month. 🥰 Please send over any motivation you can though because I haven’t written in a WEEK. 🙈😭 Turns out it’s harder than I thought to write 50k words in a month during the literally busiest week at my day job, while also spending time with my boyfriend, family & friends… and helping to keep our apartment at least somewhat in order. 😅 Posting this video to inspire myself is already working though so… let’s see if I can make it past 6k words today! 💪
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