Can someone tell a story, for it is well told, It is unbeatable? Perhaps a perfect story?

I take a few years following the greats storytelling, reading books, going to talks (I've been), reading articles, attending workshops, drenching of the best TED. I've even given my own workshops on the subject and some other paper. In the background, the story is one of the most important message formats in managing our management given its ability to connect.

Is there a perfect story?

Like you, since childhood, stories captivated me. First stories, and storytellers. Years later, I dedicated myself to advertising to help tell stories (yes, with sponsor). I could talk about a dozen ads, from books, of songs, films and artworks that would be close perfect story. My perfect story, of course.

There are countless examples of excellent personal account in speech Martin Luther King “I have a dream”, in the final speech Chaplin “The great Dictator”, in graduation speeches like Steve Jobs one Stanford, that of J.K. Rowling a Harvard or the Emmanuel Faber at HEC.

But it was reading the book “The social employee” where I found a story that would swear that contains all the ingredients that make up this story, that storytelling perfect.

For Chipotle, content marketing in pure state

Towards the end of the book there is a chapter on how content marketing can empower employees in an organization. Is a success, the brand of Mexican restaurants and catering Chipotle Mexican Grill.

The campaign created in 2011 by name Back of start (back to top) masterfully recounts through an animated video the brand history through their values. It is a brand that advocates sustainable agriculture and livestock. Although not everyone communicant with this message, the video goes straight to the emotional cortex, with a clear message, outright.

The original idea was simply Chipotle leave it in a post YouTube. But it became viral, It is demonstrating that the ability of a video spread like a plague only obeys excellence, no desire. He began to win prizes and to create high-quality debates and controversy. Obviously, competition harshly attacked sustainability in brand values. It became the most watched TV ad in USA, although it had not been conceived as such.

One of the key ideas, in accordance with The social employee, is that of “contributory consumption”. Is based on many consumers like to think they are “doing good” with their buying decisions. We know that, effectively, as consumers we like the idea of ​​commitment to something. And need not necessarily be a cause like breast cancer or poverty. in food, It can be something as simple as integrity. If you've seen the video of Emmanuel Faber (CEO de Danone) I mentioned before, the commitment to a cause like social justice You may be behind a big brand.

Back to start

No I want to keep you in suspense any longer. If you do not know the campaign, Here's the video:

The components of the perfect story

This example of Chipotle goes like a glove to structure what could be the perfect scheme components account. And if you let me, I tell you with a picture:

Background infographics by Shutterstock

Human

The human component the story is essential to bring the message to the brain and heart. I remember the animated film Robots, in which despite being machines, robots had human behavior and emotions, what it was near and generating empathy. We must ensure that the content connects and displays the values ​​of our brand, whether commercial or personal. We need to find the emotional core of the story and its relation to vision, mission and values.

A storytelling corporativo, Scott Davis defined and referenced in the book:

If history does not reach your employees, If you are not able to make it elevator pitch, If you do not know what role should develop to vitalize the brand, they will not feel the brand as their own. In this case, the company misses a huge opportunity for branding

Different

No two drops of water equal. We like to think that to understand that we are essentially different to others. But differentiation should not be an end in itself, but a powerful means to give value to a speech. Stay hungry, stay foolish (keep your hunger, Keep your madness) are not words of Steve Jobs, but he gave a masterful sense of this invitation to see life differently in his speech to a graduating class of Stanford University.

Humanization and differentiation go hand in hand. Crean Pride of belonging. I do not know who feel Apple employees, but I would be more than proud to work for a brand advocates think differently.

Simple

It is the hardest. Our goal is to convey an idea. A. Among the things I hated about working in advertising, one of the worst is that many customers in the briefing gave us a list with five goals… five? in 20 seconds? Impossible. The good story is the one that manages to convey a central idea and that can be summed up in a nutshell:

In the century 33, a period of civil wars going on in the galaxy. A rebel princess, with his family, his guards and the treasure of the clan, It is being chased. If you can cross the territory controlled by the Empire and reach a friendly planet, will be safe. Sovereign knows and publishes a reward for the capture of Princess

Does this sound? elements as the value proposition and formats as mentioned elevator pitch They help keep the essence when summarizing and convincing when there is little time.

Related: Working the value proposition

A discipline that helps in simplifying concepts is the mind map as document tree. It forces us to structure the essential parts of a speech before developing. In fact, each party supports its own content.

Viralizable

Creator dream stories. With “viralizable” I have not found a better word to express the story has elements sufficiently attractive, surprising and rich enough to expander itself in the style of a virus or an epidemic. As I mentioned before, not enough to simply hope that a story is viralizable, It would be too easy. For Chipotle not intended, but the sum of elements (humanity, difference, simplicity and ability to transform) he got it.

So, abandons the idea of ​​giving a briefing to a professional or an agency with a “I want to make it viral”. That would imply that it is manufactured in series viral, And it is not like that. It depends on the level of transgression of a story. Susan Boyle, a complete unknown, a scruffy wearing printed word “failure”, He got up on stage with his singing in the program Britain’s got talent. In this case, the key to success story (more of 150 million views on YouTube) It was the element of surprise: Boyle broke limiting beliefs, barriers, tl status quo.

Transformer

This is my favorite. Transformer. That moves to change, which mobilizes, that extends the vision of something. Video Chipotle, the transformation takes place within history itself, and the audience assumes it as own: It is the journey of a farmer and rancher toward mass production and then return to the authentic, to the nature. Who see the ad can change your idea about the convenience of the big fast food chains and you subscribe to Chipotle. And not only for the sustainability of the planet, for each of its inhabitants, People and animals.

Certainly, the stories of Martin Luther King, Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Obama, Gandhi, J. K. Rowling, Emmanuel Faber or Steve Jobs have moved us to change anything. They have had transformative effect.

I hope this text will help you internalize the keys to a perfect story, or at least as round as possible. I thank those who have helped me better understand the importance of the story, Specially to Antonio Nunez, George Lakoff, Daniel Iglesias, Gay Victor Zaragoza, Christian Salmon… and Chipotle, of course.