Story is by no means a new tool in the corporate kit: for at least four decades, corporate communications have been consciously deploying “the power of story” to define brands, humanise products and talk the ‘consumer talk’. These applications of story are entirely valid and can produce great results, but they exercise a dilute form of storytelling, one that can be appealing and is certainly serviceable, but which is a ghost of the real superpower of Story.
These brand stories are great at creating connections. They provide context, they reflect aspiration, and they may make a lasting impression. From “About” web pages dedicated to “Our Story”, to brand narratives that encapsulate whole lifestyles in a slickly-styled nutshell, to superb 30-second TV commercials that are figuratively “branded” on a nation’s cultural consciousness – in the economy of the twenty-first century, stories and commerce are joined at the hip.
At USEFUL we acknowledge these applications of story and salute the robust commercial value they are able to add. Indeed, we can – and do – offer story design services in line with these objectives.
But what of the Story—so meaningful—that it compels whole communities to action? Throughout human history we have examples of superstories that have driven discovery, conquest and transformation. These are stories which stir the soul, capture the heart and bring a human being to the limits of endurance – and oftentimes past them.
This level of Story is both magical and dangerous. To deploy a superstory is to bring into force the drivers that reside at the very core of the human spirit. This activation can be to the good, but can also cause harm, and only another superbly human capacity – wisdom – will know the difference.
Superstories are never merely anecdotal: they are the stuff of myth, metaphor and meaning; tapestries of ideas and emotions that add up to so much more than the sum of their parts.
At USEFUL we are Story anatomists. We can seek out the superstories that are being told, now, within and about your business, and examine them for the meanings they denote. Every member of your team is jointly and severally enacting their story, which is both of cardinal importance to their own experience and of critical importance in the ecosystem of the superstory. As we explore the stories and superstories, meaning is harvested and the truths they encapsulate become clear. On the journey from Opportunity through Discovery to Transformation, command of each individual Story becomes a key to the healthful Superstory, creating commonality and genuine, motivating truths to live and work by.