Do you remember the last time you heard a good story from someone, read a good book, viewed a documentary, or listened to a panel discussion? Do you remember how many times you passed that good story on to others? Do you recall how even now you reach for that good story to illustrate a point or clarify an issue?
“The most powerful thing you can hear, and the only thing that ever persuades any of us in our own lives, is when you meet somebody whose story contradicts the thing you think you know. At that point, it’s possible to question what you know, because the authenticity of their experience is real enough to do it.”
— Ira Glass, Host, This American Life
Great brands are great stories. Great stories have, for centuries, played a vital role in social movements. Shaping the rich stock of authentic, powerful stories within the nonprofit sector holds great promise for positive social change. Stories break down stereotypes, make connections, provide direction, and above all are people-centred.
The power of people-centred stories is that they connect with their listeners on an emotional level that resonates with their values, with how they want the world to be, and move them to some level of engagement or dialogue. Brands as people-centred dialogues in turn can create constituencies of support and advocacy.
Let’s look at how a nonprofit can begin to evolve its authentic story into a people-centred dialogue.
The foundation of creating a story that will resonate with your key communities and audiences is to reach out and embrace the four dimensions of a good story, those that will be memorable and be of great importance in defining what is unique about your organization’s work or service. These dimensions provide the solid foundation for developing people-centred brands.
The functional dimension: concerns the perception of benefit of the product or service associated with the brand. Functional benefits are related to the unique product or service you offer.
The social dimension: concerns the ability to create identification with a group. This reflects the relationship to your target audience and a group to which they want to belong.
The spiritual dimension: is the perception of global or local responsibility, how you make the world a better place.
The emotional dimension: is the ability to support the individual mentally. This is about personal transformation, change, and individuals gaining new insights about themselves.
When you create a brand that provides people with insights into themselves, proposes to make the world a better place, creates a strong identification with your group, and clearly states the benefits of your work, you are shaping a story that is as much about you as it is about your audience.
Building community around your story can potentially play a tremendously exciting role in creating support for your work in particular, and shaping larger social movements in general.
Pattie LaCroix has directed marketing and communications programs for nonprofits for over ten years. As vice president of Communicopia, she is passionate about creating online communications strategies for nonprofits that engage their audience and build support for their work. You can contact Pattie through www.communicopia.net.
