Contents
- Turn your ESG story from blah to brilliant. Make your startup unforgettable!
- 1. Great stories are simple and focused
- 2. Great stories appeal to our deepest emotions
- 3. Great stories have a character to root for
- 4. Great stories are surprising and unexpected
- 5. Great stories have a clear structure and purpose
- 6. Great stories are universal
- Final thoughts
Turn your ESG story from blah to brilliant. Make your startup unforgettable!
Who (person or studio) has received eleven Grammys, ten Golden Globes, and twenty-three Academy Awards over the years?
Clint Eastwood? No.
Will Smith? Definitely not.
Alan Menken? Getting warm!
Pixar. Well if you answer them, you are spot on!
Ok, ok, it’s not as many as Warner Bros but a lot of awards nonetheless.
For me, undoubtedly, Pixar is one the best storytellers of our time, period.
I remember the first time I saw Toy Story 1.
The cinema was not only ablaze with action.
It was also full of emotion. If I was to say that I was not emotionally involved?
I would be lying!
There are so many lessons in Pixar productions. Lessons are for writers, marketers, and more (like telling your mates a story at the pub).
To genuinely move an audience, a storyteller must possess a profound comprehension of human emotions, motivations, and psychology.
Fortunately, we all have a natural ability to tell stories from an early age. However, there is a distinction between excellent and poor narrative.
So, over the weekend I reread Pixar’s 22 storytelling standards.
Here are the top six, in my order of preference, and how they apply to ESG storytelling.
Enjoy!
“All great literature is one of two stories; a man goes on a journey or a stranger comes to town.”
― Leo Tolstoy
1. Great stories are simple and focused
Have you ever read a book or seen a movie where you had to constantly question yourself or someone else what the plot was about?
I hate that!
When we watch or hear a good tale, as audiences, we can recognize it.
It is only natural for us as storytellers to want to pack our stories with as much detail as we can.
We aim to include as much as possible.
I do this all the time, and it puts a heavy load on my audience.
You know what I mean; those details and narrative twists when our fingers are tapping away.
Furthermore, we sometimes may not even be aware that we are creating unnecessary layers.
Here, Pixar suggests “combine characters and hop over detours.”
Even while it could seem like you’re losing a lot of important things as the creator, it will release you. The other bonus is that your audience will fall deep into your story.
So, is your ESG story easy to follow?
A helpful tip is to give it to a friend or family member who has never heard it before. Watch their face as you read it and try to see where they pause and what questions they might have.
A Sadness face (character in Inside Out) face means more edits, I can guarantee you that!
2. Great stories appeal to our deepest emotions
Any brand narrative we create should trigger emotions.
Here are some that I recommend you go for fear, happiness, sorrow, disgust, anger, and surprise.
Have you ever felt these feelings? I’m sure you have.
I want you to tap into past experiences where you have experienced these feelings.
Because you’ll be able to better capture those emotions in your stories.
On top of that, you can appreciate how others’ emotional levers are pushed the more you comprehend how/when they are pulled in yourself.
So, the next time you put pen to paper, consider the “why” of the emotions you want to trigger in your audience.
Why do they feel that way? How could you use the “why” underlying these feelings to weave into your ESG brand story?
Ask yourself constantly to better understand your own emotional responses to stories.
This will help you craft more real and impactful narratives that speak to your tribe and not to the void.
3. Great stories have a character to root for
Unbelievably, potential clients enjoy a good underdog story.
Although it may sound simple, this is something to remember if you’re writing a tale.
And never forget that your prospective client is the protagonist of your tale.
According to Pixar, we as viewers respect a character more for their attempt than for their accomplishments. Stated differently, the focus is more on the character’s journey than their final goal.
A wonderful story is created when your character is up against overwhelming odds, experiencing hardship, or finding themselves in a tight spot.
So, give your ESG story a hero they won’t see coming.
For instance, everyone enjoys a good “overcoming challenges” productivity tale in office culture.
How many times have you read about a manager who struggled with team communication, faced multiple setbacks, and still managed to turn things around?
Figma and Slack have been featured countless times as the game-changers that streamlined communication and that is their story.
4. Great stories are surprising and unexpected
Stories are most engaging when they disrupt or alter our preconceptions of truth.
Pixar encourages us to confront difficulties, conventions, stereotypes, and phenomena that occur in real life.
For your ESG narrative, are you accomplishing that?
ESG stories need to help us understand and reflect on big, human-centered pain points that we might not otherwise take time out of our day to think about.
If the themes or pain points are unexpected and startling, the audience will be left wondering about the narrative long after it has ended.
Oh, and forget the traditional “fairytale” plot. A lovely prince steps in to save the day, and there’s a defenseless princess in need.
It will never be effective.
5. Great stories have a clear structure and purpose
Let me focus more on purpose, as for me that is super relevant for a story.
(I’ll write about structure in another future post.)
Pixar asks us to question a few very important aspects of our story:
- Why must you tell THIS story?
- What’s the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of?
- What greater purpose does this serve?
- What does it teach?
That is the core of an effective ESG brand narrative.
I think that purpose is often forgotten.
It’s simple to become mired in the day-to-day grind when concentrating on marketing KPIs and sales figures.
However, you can create stories that inspire and engage people when you take the time to consider the true drive behind your ESG impact.
The human-to-human connections created by these stories are the ones that foster trust and loyalty.
Your brand will have a deeper impact on your audience if you craft a ESG narrative that you are excited about.
I mean, think about it. Why would others be excited if you are not?
So, if you are excited about genuine needs, or a real problem that you’re solving, remember to include it in your ESG story.
You’ll thank yourself later for it.
6. Great stories are universal
The secret to great ESG storytelling is to use your business’s distinct journey to convey the core of human needs.
Examine the stories that your target audience finds compelling to achieve this in your ESG storytelling.
Dissect each and every element that intrigues you about them. If you were in their shoes, what feelings would you experience?
Their true emotions are important, and identifying and highlighting them in depth will enable you to create an engaging ESG narrative that speaks to them.
Put another way, knowing your target customers should be a pillar of ESG storytelling.
I want to remind us that we’re writing for human emotions, and people will relate to that – always.
Final thoughts
What makes Pixar-style storytelling so important for your ESG, then?
as the purpose of sharing experiences is to foster bonds and elicit strong feelings.
You’re selling more than simply a product when you weave a tale around your ESG. You’re offering a glimpse into how you will change the truth for your customers.
Add authentic feelings and difficulties for them, so they can relate to and understand.
They will then recognize themselves in your narrative.
Then you’ll be winning with your ESG narrative.
Would you like help developing your ESG story? I am able to help! Please get in contact with me for a free discovery call.
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