The author's hypothesis is that every story we can hear or see has the same structure. The structure consists of seven basic plot points. If the story misses some of those points the plot is not interesting for us. By recognizing the framework in stories, we can understand, where the story of our brand is confusing to customers. The framework can be applied to every marketing material.
Framework grid
Hunger Games story laid out on the framework
The message has to communicate three things:
Who you are.
What you’re here to do.
And why a customer should choose you instead of someone else.
Your marketing message needs to be clear and speak to your customer’s needs.
We should consider the survival-related needs of our customers. How will your product or service help them survive and flourish?
The massage can be based on a hierarchy of needs by Abraham Maslow. Most of us want to be accepted, and everyone has to eat and drink – we should use that knowledge to explain how our product will help customers satisfy those needs.
Framework
is structured around the seven most common components of a story. These components, or modules, are character, problem, guide, plan, calls to action, failure and success.
🦸♂️ A Character…
Principle one: The customer is the hero, not your brand
When we position our customer as a hero and ourselves as the guide, we will be recognized as a trusted resource to help them overcome their challenges. Once we identify who our customer is, we have to ask ourselves what they want as it relates to our brand. Your customers are the heroes of our story, and we should concentrate on one desire.
…has a problem 👽
Principle two: Companies tend to sell solutions to external problems, but customers buy solutions to internal problems.
People like to feel understood, and when we communicate that we’re aware that customers face difficulties, we communicate understanding.
We focus on our customer’s“villain,” or internal problems, to engage them further. Even if our products are external, we should also market with internal problems in mind. These internal problems are inner frustrations, like, for example, the feeling that the customer doesn’t have enough time for themselves.
Examples:
Tesla:
Villain: Gas guzzling, inferior technology
External: I need a car
Internal: I want to be an early adopter of new technology
Philosophical: My choice of a car ought to help save environment.
Nespresso home coffee machines
Villain: Coffee machines that make bad coffee.
External: I want better-tasting coffee at home
Internal: I want my home coffee machine to make me feel sophisticated.
Philosophical: I shouldn’t have to be a barista to make a gourmet coffee at home.
Framework
🦸♂️ A Character…
…has a problem 👽
…and meets the guide 🧙🏻♂️