Save the Main Character Energy for Your Audience

 Last month I sat in a ballroom at San Diego Comic-Con for a panel featuring Dean Devlin, the producer of movies like Independence Day and Stargate and TV shows like Leverage and The Librarians. He was asked how the writing team of The Librarians, a show about recovering mysterious artifacts, decides which mythical objects or tales to feature in each episode. He explained that they have a bulletin board full of objects and their backstories. But the episodes are driven by the characters – where do they sit in their journeys and where do those characters need to go within the story. Only then do they refer to the board to see which artifacts can help propel the character story forward.

As a marketer who has written about the importance of centering on the audience, this hit home. The artifact, or product, is not the main character of the story, it’s all about the people. However, it’s critical to have the product stories fleshed out so that when the main character meets an obstacle, you’re ready to go with a product to propel their story forward.

Building product stories that matter

(Read more about your product as “the archer” for your marketing campaigns)

Product stories usually start simply. After all, before bringing a product to market there should be a clear use case. However, these are often technical and centered on why the product makes sense for the organization to launch. They may not be framed as a story for the client.

Translating technical information into a product story is best done as a collaboration across marketing, product management, and sales. It begins with some key questions that go beyond what may appear on a fact sheet:

• What client need does this solve for?

• Under what conditions can this product shine?

• When will it struggle?

• What metrics or proof points demonstrate the effectiveness?

• How does this complement/replace other product the client may be using?

• Are there any restrictions on the product (i.e. firm availability, audience targeting rules, etc.)

Keep connecting back to the needs of the audience. Continually challenge yourself with questions like: “So what?” and “Why should they care?” The goal isn’t to come up with quippy marketing taglines, it’s to have a clear story about how your products can help solve for both the tangible goals and the powerful emotions that are often the real drivers of buying decisions.

Your product has a 6% yield?                How does this change things for the user?

You have lower volatility?                      How will this change their experience?

You have a unique process?                  How might that improve a client outcome?

Once these questions have been answered, each team (marketing, product management, and sales) can provide recommendations of what marketing content, sales stories, product research, or other tools would be helpful in telling the story and begin to prioritize across the organization’s full product suite.

Putting the story to work

(Read more about your audience as “the archery target” for your marketing campaigns)

Character-driven storytelling starts with understanding the character’s story arc, key turning points, feelings, choices, and challenges. It’s not enough to just know a desired outcome (such as retiring at 62), you also need to understand the experiences and anxieties attached to that outcome. When an external event like a job loss, market volatility, or economic uncertainly threatens that outcome, you can connect the right solution to their needs in a way that resonates emotionally, not just factually.

The Librarians writers don’t wait for a character to hit an obstacle before they start thinking about which artifact might help. They’ve already built the board. Marketers can do the same: develop the product stories before they’re needed, so when the right audience and the right moment come along, you’re ready to tell the story.