Someone at dinner says, “I’ve got to tell you what happened to me this week,” and we stop. The room quiets and eyes focus on the teller of the tale. He or she is now center stage.
Why is story so powerful? When a teacher is droning on about the important facts of a subject, and students begin to slowly fall into a dreamy half-aware trance, why will a story from this same monotone instructor suddenly produce instant, riveted attention?
Our hearts thirst for delight, yet so little in this world satisfies that yearning. But something in a well-told tale, with a protagonist, antagonist, and a redemptive quest calls to that longing.
That is why broadcasters covering a sporting event for which there is little rooting interest for most viewers (unless they are rooting against a despised rival) will dig up a story that hooks the unengaged channel surfer. The little boy battling an illness who has made a connection with a star player and is watching (safely) from the sidelines that day. The college athlete overlooked by the top-tier programs because of her size who has her team, led by the coach who believed in her, on the edge of a championship.
Compelling. Satisfying. Deeply moving.
This is the power of a good story. And this is the power of public relations. Public relations as part of your organization’s brand communications program can help you share facts and achievements in a way that not only informs but captivates. Good public relations will do more than tell, it will show.
Providing millions of dollars in aid to those devastated by a war is important to communicate, and should be communicated, but the story of selfless, devoted volunteers transporting food and supplies through bomb blasts and past armed patrols to save a mom and her children lays hold of the heart and creates a path to the mind and will.
Strong stories capture the attention of media, which is one of the goals of public relations. Broadcast and print journalists, radio hosts, and podcasters are constantly on the lookout for inspiring and instructive narratives that will draw listeners, viewers, and readers. In this way, public relations can serve three constituents: clients wanting to share the amazing work and accomplishments of their people and the ways they are serving those in need; the media seeking gripping content; and the audience member wondering how to enjoy greater meaning to his personal story by participating in your organization’s narrative.
Public relations helps audiences connect not just with what you do or how you do it, but with the heartbeat that animates your nonprofit and ministry. And at the heart of that is storytelling. And that’s why public relations should be an essential piece of your brand communications plan.
Let Infinity Concepts help you tell your captivating story.
CLICK HERE or call us today at 724-733-1200.
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