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A strategic narrative framework offers companies a structured way to articulate and reinforce what their core business story is all about. As author Kristian A. Alomá explains on “The Business Storytelling Show,” rather than simply purchasing based on functional benefits, consumers also buy products and services based on the identities and self-stories that brands allow them to construct.
By outlining a compelling strategic narrative, companies can thus better resonate with customers’ deeper psychology and drive everything from product design to marketing campaigns in an aligned way. Internally, it also serves as a north star for decision-making across large, complex organizations.
The 5 Narrative Components
The strategic narrative framework consists of five key elements that together encapsulate the essence of a company’s driving purpose and vision:
S – Struggle: What core struggle, tension, or unmet consumer need prompted you to start this business? Providing true value often begins with identifying an authentic pain point. For example, 3M identified how people struggled to capture ideas and tasks at work.
T – Technology/Tools: What proprietary technology, tools, or approach are you bringing to bear to address this struggle? This could be a technology you’ve invented, like a software algorithm or a creative business model. 3M responded with innovative sticky Post-It notes.
O – Objective: What core products or services does your business offer? Specify your business model’s key customer offerings, like 3M offering Post-Its and other office products.
R – Reward: What concrete functional and emotional rewards do customers obtain from your offerings? Go beyond the rationale to highlight how customers feel – for example, Post-Its customers feel able to capture ideas anytime.
Y – Yearning: What ambitious future state do you aspire to help bring about? Paint a picture of the emotionally resonant change you work towards – like 3M envisioning a world where no ideas are ever forgotten.
Cascading Strategic Alignment
With this narrative clarified, it can then serve to align decisions and guide priorities across large, multifunctional organizations. Leaders can actively cascade it by identifying “narrative champions” within each department to relay stories showcasing the narrative in action. This makes it relatable while allowing individuals to see their unique contribution. Ongoing internal communications also beats the steady drumbeat of strategic alignment amidst business change and evolution.
The result is a broadly aligned organization well-equipped to invest in the right growth opportunities, optimize processes for customer value, and design cohesive brand touchpoints. All of this ultimately fuels the central narrative conveying why the company matters in customers’ lives. The strategic narrative framework thus acts as both an internal compass and external magnet by illuminating and advancing the core story of the business.
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