The story plot is an essential part of any story as it escalates the events in a hero’s journey in a logical order. It defines what the story is all about, what the hero will experience, and what it will achieve. It sets up the motivations, challenges, the goal, and the road hero takes to fulfill it. Once a message, conflict, and cast of characters are all in place, the plot starts the progress of the events. Story flowing events are vital to the audience’s experience. A story only occurs as a progression of sequence events within a given time at a set location that needs careful consideration. It must have a coherent composition to propel it forward and maintain audience interest. Once the conflict escalates to no return point, the hero decides, influencing the outcome result. The escalation of the conflict and the hero’s character progress development drives the story forward, building up to a climax, where the hero finally confronts the villain. The seven basic plots: Why We Tell Stories is a 2004 book by Christopher Booker, contained an influenced analysis of story plot examples and their psychological meaning. The seven-story plot examples are as follows:-
1) Overcoming the
monster
It was featured in
James Bond, Jaws, and many other movies. This plot is about a hero and an evil force.
In a real-world example, this could be overcoming an addiction, fighting off a
lousy boss, debt, beating an illness, or anything else that requires something
to be defeated for the hero (customer) to win.
2) Rags to riches
Like Cinderella
and Aladdin, the success and crisis apply to anyone with an undeniably
incredible talent who wants to break through and be successful in the real world,
i.e., Photographers, musicians, artists, authors like Harry Potter J. K.
Rowling.
3) The Quest
Lord of the Rings,
seeking and finding. This is indeed the story of every beginning
entrepreneurial journey—a product or service to be a long-lasting tool
that can last along the way.
4) Voyage and return
The Time Machine
exploring. Alice in wonderland. A brand
assists the customer at their arrival destination. It could be language
learning software, cultural etiquette training, photo guides, maps, and tours.
5) Comedy
Bridget Jones’s Diary. From confusion to enlightenment. The comedy plot involves confusion that must be resolved before the hero and heroine can be united in love. In the real world, customers cannot seem to get out of their way. They are constantly finding themselves in one misadventure after another and could use a little assistance (the brand) to be led on the right path.
6) Tragedy
Romeo and Juliet, the price of fatal flaws.Plots about divorce lawyers, grief counselors, self-help books, and anyone who helps their customer get through a tough time. Because this is so self-evident, it is not difficult to identify when a customer is going through a tragedy.
7) Rebirth
They are finding
the personal light. But, unfortunately, in the real world, just like in “A
Christmas Carol,” customers may not even know a problem exists until a brand
shows them just how bad they were doing.
In most Hollywood films, screenwriters
used these seven-story plot templates to build up their stories which often end
positively, restoring harmony. Most plots revolve around a hero fighting evil, encountering
a challenge, profound transformation in the hero’s character due to unpleasant
or sudden shocking events, or a hero pursuing a dream comes true.
Robin Hood and Cause Marketing Story Plot
The company fights for
justice. A brand is not afraid to battle against the dominating forces in the
market: forces that have created a monopoly, which does not benefit the
consumer. 70 % of consumers want brands to stand on social and political
issues. That is a 66% increase from 2017, according to (Sprout Social’s 2019)
#BrandsGetReal survey. Following in the footprints of Nike and Patagonia,
the list of brands holding social and political stands has grown to reach over
every industry.
Consumers’ social media feeds
have recently become saturated with brands joining social justice conversations.
However, consumers reported that brands do not always seem genuine, even before
the Black Lives Matter movement. 53 % of consumers believe brands shall take a
stand for P.R. and marketing purposes (known as woke-washing), and 35 % perceive brands speaking out as “jumping
on the bandwagon.” Brands should not be scared to take a stance, but they will
need to sustain their credibility.
According to consumers
surveyed by (Sprout Social 2019), a brand’s stand is most believable when it is
about an issue that impacts its customers and is relevant to the business. And
it does not end there, and a company will also need to be clear about what it
is doing to back its messaging by action. When consumers agree with a brand’s
stance, 37% will recommend that company to their friends and family, and 36%
will buy more from that brand. Brands influencing the cause marketing technique,
it is essential that they are transparent. Brands must prove a genuine
commitment to the cause they are supporting, and this commitment needs to be
examined along the whole customer journey. If brands genuinely consider making
a difference by taking a social and political stand, understanding, and
aligning with consumers’ best interests is vital for creating a successful
campaign and powerful results.
Mastercard Tried To Be Robin Hood and Failed
Mastercard launched a similarly out-of-touch campaign as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The brand proposed to donate 10,000 meals to starving in developing countries for every goal scored by Messi or Neymar Jr in the international tournament. It caused an immediate social protest, indicating that the multi-billion-dollar company donated the meals regardless of which players scored. Eventually, Mastercard admitted and agreed that it would donate the meals, yet was left red-faced, proof that specific topics, such as starving children, should be tackled very properly in marketing campaigns to avoid backfire.
Airbnb #Weaccept
After President Trump temporarily blocked America’s borders to refugees, Airbnb aired a Super Bowl ad to criticize the order, called “We Accept.” Airbnb also promised to provide short-term housing for 100,000 displaced people and donate $4 million to the International Rescue Committee. Their campaign “Acceptance starts with all of us #weaccept” was a well-received campaign by the audience, marking a significant impact.
Luna Bar Women Rights For Equal Pay
Luna nutrition bar aimed at and founded supporting issues like women’s rights for equal pay. The food Luna makes is crafted with purpose. The bars are non-GMO, gluten-free, and made with organic rolled oats. Realizing their female consumer base prospective shared similar values, LUNAⓇ Bar saw an opportunity to attract the female consumer segment interested in diets and organic nutrition by raising awareness around gender equality.
Brand Story Plot- Sustainability Template
Like the quest plot, the company started as the black horse in the market that nobody thought would ever accomplish anything. It becomes a force in its qualities and skills, surprising and impressing even its harshest critics. All companies have the authentic raw material for telling their own stories. Marketers shall build a corporate brand on the real-life stories told by the employees, customers, and working partners. Stories anchored in the corporate culture create a solid and authentic brand for a company. Clothing brands such as Patagonia and The North Face have long been supporters of environmental concerns. Patagonia's initiatives have always aided the brand's environmental commitments; all earnings from the Black Friday sale in 2016 were donated solely to the local environmental NGOs. Moreover, Patagonia’s subversive ‘Don’t buy this jacket’ campaign aided in raising awareness of the perils of rapid fashion-changing trends and the significance of garment recycling.
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