The 6 corporate story recommendations of 20 top communication directors

1. Start with the Corporate purpose

The interviewed communication directors see their challenge in making it clear what value they have for shareholders and society. So don't tell them what your company does, but why it exists. People are increasingly longing for authenticity, connection and sustainability. Companies and organisations that respond to this have the future. Every corporate story should therefore start with the social challenge and the organisation's right to exist: Why are we on earth?

2. Make sure that the message of the story corresponds with the behaviour of the company

Many consumers indicate that they do not trust business stories or 'brandstories' as long as they are only told through communication and advertising. What is successful, however, are the stories that are reflected in the behaviour of employees and thus approach those of the company. Corporate communications and HR should integrate these authentic stories much more into one story. And use this story as a source for a vibrant corporate culture. Where one thing is essential: actions count more than words in behaviour and attitude.

3. Storytelling demands emotion

Storytelling is a powerful tool, but it requires a new way of thinking and a OneStory approach. It is important to make 'storytelling' tangible for 'the board'. Make it tangible that a story focuses on: connecting people. And that this requires a transformation in communication: from 'blue' corporate language to 'red' personal language. It's about making people feel: what do you stand for, where do you come from and where do you go.

4. Tell your story by sharing stories with your audience

Telling brand stories through advertising and communication alone is not going to do it. The organisation should not have a corporate story but be a corporate story. The story only acquires colour and involvement through the personal stories of employees, customers and consumers. Only when I see or feel reflected as an individual will I connect with the story.

5. Make the CEO the owner of the story

A good corporate story requires inspirators and ambassadors. The CEO should be a Chief Storytelling Officer: he or she personifies the big story. Consumers indicate that they think more positively about a company if it has a nice leader with a human face.

6. Provide an inspiring dot on the horizon

Formulate a common goal to connect the organisation with the corporate story. Nothing works as connecting as a common goal. The road to it is a story in itself, the achievement of the goal: the icing on the cake. What's more, if the ambitious goal also has a social significance, there is meaningful energy. That is what makes everything meaningful!

Getting Started

Do you want to start storytelling right now? You can start by taking a look at our websites storytellingpeople.nl, storytellingpeople.com or corporatehistory.com.

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For more than 30 years Storytelling People has been recording corporate stories and bringing them to life with storytelling and community building.

Storytelling makes the abstract corporate story accessible in stories by and for people.

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