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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!

Latest posts

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    July 25, 2022
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ioana.pitu

ioana | mistral spirit | organization & creativity
A sketch from Piaţa Sfatului, Braşov this mornin A sketch from Piaţa Sfatului, Braşov this morning. 🏫 I tried a triple-crosshatch technique to suggest the medieval-era clay tile roofing, inspired by a framed sketch in a local restaurant. Definitely using it again! I love playing with interpretive lines like this: the way a messy bundle of strokes demand to be seen a certain way depending on their context, but are entirely unclear when seen too closely.

Supplies:
📘 @moleskine watercolour sketchbook
🖊️ @fabercastellcanada 0.3 fineliner

📍 Piaţa Sfatului, Braşov

#travelsketch #urbansketch #urbansketching #travelsketching #sketchbook #moleskine #uskromania #urbansketchingromania #brasovart #brasovsketch #romania #fabercastell #pittfabercastell #moleskinesketchbook #travelsketchbook
Loved visiting this castle today 🇷🇴 Saving i Loved visiting this castle today 🇷🇴 Saving it here so I can paint it later and because this song was perfect for it. 👌 Bran Castle is the castle (actually a fortress) in the Transylvania region of Romania that inspired Bram Stoker’s original Dracula story.

📍 Bran Castle, Transylvania, Romania

#brancastle #romania #travelling #romaniamagica #travelblog
Quick little sketching break in Carvoeiro, Portuga Quick little sketching break in Carvoeiro, Portugal. @usktoronto #usktoronto If you’ve ever wondered how long these sketches take… here is how much I can sketch in 20 mins! Looking forward to adding a bit of dimension to this one after with watercolours. 🤗 

2 supplies I always carry with me:
@moleskine art sketchbook
@fabercastellcanada 0.3 black fineliner

#carvoeiro #urbansketchers #traveldrawing #drawingsketch #sketchbook #sketching #artjournal #travelsketch #drawyourday #sketchbookart #illustration #urbansketching #sketchjournal #finelinerdrawing #moleskine #moleskinesketchbook #traveljournal #travelwatercolor #traveldiary
Not exaggerating when I say @torontostationeryshow Not exaggerating when I say @torontostationeryshow was one of the most fun things I’ve ever done. ❤️ Had an absolute blast sharing the @thewashitapeshop love, meeting other journalers, helping customers find their style of washi, giving out free samples, starting off a few young bullet journalers with their first washi tapes, chatting with other vendors and basically just having the best paper party ever. 🎉

@dreyray and @queeniescards you are both incredible. 🙌 And so are the 80+ other vendors we had the pleasure of sharing a space (and a passion) with. 🥰

#torontostationeryshow #torontostationeryshow2023 #stationeryshow #stationery #hobby #papercraft #journaler #journaling #stationerylover #stationeryshop
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Writing 50k words in ONE month: National Novel Writing Month 2022 Prep Vlog + Goal Setting + Events

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I’m participating in NaNoWriMo this year! National Novel Writing Month is a worldwide, virtual writing event during the month of November during which hundreds of thousands of people around the world set one goal for themselves: to write 50,000 words (a novel) in a month. That’s 1,667 every day. I first did Camp NaNoWriMo twice…

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by Ioana July 25, 2022October 22, 2022
what it means to be your own friend (feat. my last bathroom selfie in Goodes Hall)

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A sketch from Piaţa Sfatului, Braşov this mornin A sketch from Piaţa Sfatului, Braşov this morning. 🏫 I tried a triple-crosshatch technique to suggest the medieval-era clay tile roofing, inspired by a framed sketch in a local restaurant. Definitely using it again! I love playing with interpretive lines like this: the way a messy bundle of strokes demand to be seen a certain way depending on their context, but are entirely unclear when seen too closely.

Supplies:
📘 @moleskine watercolour sketchbook
🖊️ @fabercastellcanada 0.3 fineliner

📍 Piaţa Sfatului, Braşov

#travelsketch #urbansketch #urbansketching #travelsketching #sketchbook #moleskine #uskromania #urbansketchingromania #brasovart #brasovsketch #romania #fabercastell #pittfabercastell #moleskinesketchbook #travelsketchbook
Loved visiting this castle today 🇷🇴 Saving i Loved visiting this castle today 🇷🇴 Saving it here so I can paint it later and because this song was perfect for it. 👌 Bran Castle is the castle (actually a fortress) in the Transylvania region of Romania that inspired Bram Stoker’s original Dracula story.

📍 Bran Castle, Transylvania, Romania

#brancastle #romania #travelling #romaniamagica #travelblog
Quick little sketching break in Carvoeiro, Portuga Quick little sketching break in Carvoeiro, Portugal. @usktoronto #usktoronto If you’ve ever wondered how long these sketches take… here is how much I can sketch in 20 mins! Looking forward to adding a bit of dimension to this one after with watercolours. 🤗 

2 supplies I always carry with me:
@moleskine art sketchbook
@fabercastellcanada 0.3 black fineliner

#carvoeiro #urbansketchers #traveldrawing #drawingsketch #sketchbook #sketching #artjournal #travelsketch #drawyourday #sketchbookart #illustration #urbansketching #sketchjournal #finelinerdrawing #moleskine #moleskinesketchbook #traveljournal #travelwatercolor #traveldiary
Not exaggerating when I say @torontostationeryshow Not exaggerating when I say @torontostationeryshow was one of the most fun things I’ve ever done. ❤️ Had an absolute blast sharing the @thewashitapeshop love, meeting other journalers, helping customers find their style of washi, giving out free samples, starting off a few young bullet journalers with their first washi tapes, chatting with other vendors and basically just having the best paper party ever. 🎉

@dreyray and @queeniescards you are both incredible. 🙌 And so are the 80+ other vendors we had the pleasure of sharing a space (and a passion) with. 🥰

#torontostationeryshow #torontostationeryshow2023 #stationeryshow #stationery #hobby #papercraft #journaler #journaling #stationerylover #stationeryshop
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#bulletjournal #bujo #bulletjournalideas #bujoideas #bujoinspiration #bujosystem #organized #planningtips #planningsystem #planning #planner #torontoplanner #torontoplannerjunkies #canadianplannergirls #studentplanner #bulletjournalflipthrough #bujospread #bulletjournalspread
Stumbled across this exhibition called “Housewar Stumbled across this exhibition called “Housewarming” by @karinegiboulo while at the @gardinermuseum a couple months ago and I’m SO glad I did. It not only gave me the remarkable sensation of both delight and discomfort at the same time, but it gave me the push to check out more local museums! I find they’re a rare solo sanctuary for me and always leave me a little more excited and inspired than when I arrived.

About “Housewarming”: Montreal-based artist Karine Giboulo (@karinegiboulo) invités you on a journey through a life-size reimagining of her home, animated by more than 500 polymer clay figures. With the pandemic as a constant presence, the colourful dioramas animating each room prompt reflection about the challenges we face as a society, from climate change and food insecurity to consumerism and the housing crisis. 

#creative #creativity #museums #gardinermuseum #torontomuseums #torontocreative #torontolife #karinegiboulo
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