The primary ingredient behind compelling stories come down to one thing: problems.
The protagonist faces a challenge and tries to overcome it. This is the essence of drama and the key to good storytelling.
Without problems—without troubles and tensions—there’s no story. There’s nothing to engage us.
The hero must face his problem, surmount his fear, resolve his tension. And this reminds you that…
Great Brands Help Their Customers Win Victories
What’s your customer’s primary tension concerning your brand, products, or services?
How can you help your customers win a decisive victory in their own lives?
Apple helps its users win the war against the mundane, arming them with tools for creativity and self-expression. Many humans are starving for this.
Nike helps its customers transform into warriors, allowing them to improve their physical conditions and master themselves.
Harley-Davidson helps free its riders from the tyranny of an oppressive, conventional world, if only for a Saturday ride.
Star Trek helps Trekkies embrace a utopian, futuristic society, free from the insanities of humanity’s current stage of development, if only for a convention.
Brands like Oprah and Life is good counteract widespread pessimism and negativity with optimism and hope.
Try to remember the purpose of customer insights is to understand the role your business plays in the lives of your customers.
Your goal is to understand their desires, motivations, emotions, and beliefs that trigger their attitudes and actions. To accomplish this difficult task, decode your customers’ stories to discover the adventures they are on and the tensions that drive them.
If you do, you’ll be better prepared to provide vital aid to your customers’ quests and become an unlikely ally to them.
And if you do, you’ll win a special place in their hearts and minds.