Framing the client's story: the value of structure in marketing narratives
A brief from a client to a marketing team can often be boiled down into three precious words: tell our story.
That request is both a privilege and a huge responsibility that should be taken seriously.
Clients are often so lost in the woods of products, sales, and supply chains that they cannot see the bigger picture. Marketing teams have the space to take a step back and use their narrative skills to shape the client's story in a way that can feel both authentic and aspirational.
To do that requires a solid understanding of story structure.
You can think of structure as the frame in which you hang your picture. It provides a shape and an outline and holds the whole thing together. A good structure provides a satisfying arc to all the twists and turns in the story and provides a way to organise complex ideas and large amounts of information into a narrative that is easy for the audience to understand.
This is enormously valuable for a client, and it can often help them figure out where they are on their journey and remind them of where they are trying to go.
How to use the hero’s journey as a tool
One of the most valuable narrative tools at your disposal in this regard is known as The Hero’s Journey. It’s a concept that was developed by an American professor of literature, Joseph Campbell, in his book “The Hero With A Thousand Faces”, which outlines a narrative framework that would resonate with people all over the world.
Copywriters and designers can use the hero’s journey to craft the story that their clients want to tell. After all, the client is always the hero (no matter how flawed, quirky, or downright bizarre they may be).
Let’s run through the stages of the hero’s journey using famous movies for reference, and using the story of LEGO to show how it can be applied in a real-world setting.
The LEGO company was founded in a carpenter’s workshop in Denmark in 1932. The famous colourful plastic brick is their most important, and most innovative, product and is the reason why LEGO was named “Toy of the Century” twice.
Ready? Let’s go on a hero’s journey.
The ordinary world
This is where it all begins. Frodo living happily in the Shire. Luke Skywalker growing up on the remote planet of Tatooine. The client is doing what they have always done. And yet...something isn’t right. They can’t quite put their finger on what it is, but there is just a feeling that something needs to change.
At LEGO, the brand was stale. Kids were no longer content to just get a huge pile of red and yellow bricks to play with. They were more interested in Nintendo video games, Bratz dolls, and the entertainment juggernaut known as Harry Potter.
Call to adventure
The client reaches a turning point and decides they need to make a change. They’ve been stuck with their outdated branding for far too long. Their content feels tired, and they are simply not attracting the attention they think they deserve.
Aladdin meets Jasmine in the marketplace and decides to go on a quest to win her heart by finding the magic lamp. In “The Little Mermaid”, Ariel is called to the surface by Prince Eric's ship passing overhead.
In 2004, LEGO’s losses came in at 1.9bn Danish kroner, which is about R6 billion. The company had debts of over R14 billion and was forced to acknowledge the fact that it needed to do something radical.
Refusal of the call
Change is always hard, and most people are resistant to doing something that takes them out of their comfort zone. In the Spiderman movie, Peter Parker does not want to accept his new powers or use them responsibly. It’s only after he loses his uncle that he is forced into action.
This situation is often resolved by meeting ‘the mentor’ - someone or something who can guide you in a new direction. For LEGO, the period of inaction ended with the appointment of Jorgen Vin Knudstorp, the first CEO from outside the founding Christiansen family. He was unburdened by the past, and willing to set a new path for the company.
Crossing the threshold
This is the moment when the hero sets forth on a new adventure. In “The Matrix”, Neo takes the Red Pill and crosses over into the real world. For Frodo and his friends in the Shire, they gather their few meagre possessions and set off into the unknown.
At LEGO, crossing the threshold meant reaffirming the core business and getting rid of costly distractions. They acted decisively; selling their theme parks, shutting down offices, and making a slew of licensing deals with beloved brands, such as Star Wars and Harry Potter. They were going to focus on the core business of building blocks - but with a new media focus.
Crossing the threshold signals the end of Act One and takes you into Act Two.
For anyone who’s ever tried to craft a novel or a movie, you’ll know this is when things get tricky. Act Two can be long, messy and confusing. “Sorry, the client did what?” you may be thinking, or “How on earth does that decision make any sense?”
These are Act-Two problems that the hero’s journey can help you solve.
Let’s soldier on.
Allies and enemies
As the journey continues, the hero picks up a motley array of characters that will either help or hinder the progress. Luke Skywalker meets Han Solo and they team up. Neo meets Trinity in the Matrix. Barbie makes it to the real Los Angeles and meets Gloria, the stressed-out mom played by America Ferrera.
At LEGO, Act Two began when the business embraced its massive online community. It seems strange in hindsight, but for years the company had ignored the AFOLs (Adult Fans of LEGO) - a group of LEGO superfans who had built an influential online community where they shared all their wild and wonderful LEGO creations.
The company opened up around 2007: it began inviting feedback and started rewarding new ideas from the community. This resulted in a few hit products, such as the DeLorean car from Back to the Future and NASA’s Mars Rover, to name just two.
Of course, there were critics/enemies who accused them of losing focus and diluting what they were doing with all these ‘cool kid hookups’ and suggested they should just focus on building bricks for construction. Conflicting advice is also part of the process.
Tests and trials
This stage of the journey can take many forms. For your client, it may mean a period of A/B testing various campaigns or targeting new niche demographics to look for new growth paths. Not everything they try is going to work, but you can help them see it for what it is.
The Hunger Games took the tests and trials stage literally, throwing Katniss into an arena where she must survive danger around every corner.
In 2012, LEGO launched the line of LEGO Friends, which was a test of their commitment to moving away from simple bricks into more realistic, flesh-coloured characters (and girls in particular).
LEGO Friends ‘featured vibrant characters and imaginative locations, to inspire your little ones to create their very own storytelling universe.’ With LEGO schools, hospitals, resorts, and a whole world of characters to inhabit them, LEGO Friends was a massive success that inspired a whole new generation of kids to role-play with LEGO and build their own worlds.
Approaching the innermost cave
This is an important phase in the Hero’s Journey. Frodo and Sam gear up for Mordor. Rocky Balboa secludes himself from the world to do some intense training in a remote gym. This is usually the furthest point from the Ordinary World and there can be no turning back. Although they have come through trials and tribulations and discovered their true friends, the biggest challenge still lies ahead.
LEGO took the decision to invest heavily in digital and started pre-production of a feature film.
This is where your client faces the moment of truth and decides if they are truly committed to the path they are on.
Supreme ordeal
The name says it all. This is the ultimate test of everything you have been working on. The supreme ordeal is the Rebel Alliance attacking the Death Star or Dorothy defeating the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz.
For LEGO, it was the release of the LEGO Movie - a blending of their digital strategy, their Hollywood partnerships, and a new focus on simply building cool stuff. It was a high-profile swing for the fences that cost around $60 million to make. Luckily for them, the gamble paid off - the movie was incredibly well-received by the public, earning $468 million at the box office and a 95% score on the movie review blog Rotten Tomatoes.
There’s no doubt that the supreme ordeal is a huge moment for you and your client, but don’t make the mistake of thinking this is the end of the story.
There is always an Act Three in your story, which is where you want to resolve conflict, wrap up loose ends and allow your hero to demonstrate how much they have changed and grown on the journey.
Return home
The hero comes back to his/her ordinary world transformed. She/he is transformed by what she has been through and brings new insight and wisdom to share with the community. Barbie returns to her world with new knowledge only to find it in disarray. Marlin becomes a much better father to Nemo after the long, arduous journey to find him.
The return home is never smooth sailing. There are still obstacles to overcome but the destination is clear, and the path has been set.
For LEGO, it was a validation of what they had been trying to achieve. They followed up the LEGO movie with the LEGO Batman movie and saw massive success there.
CEOmagazine.com reported in 2021 that “LEGO had toppled Ferrari to become the world’s most powerful brand, with profits soaring from US$311.5 million in 2009 to US$1.9 billion.”
For many clients, this is their chance to reap rewards. That can mean turning customers into advocates for the brand, building loyalty, growing their footprint, and expanding with a new confidence that they have learned valuable lessons.
Of course, the ability to tap into the Hero’s Journey is not only useful when you’re writing a complete history for the client. It’s also a powerful tool for the daily work of writing blog posts, white papers, social media campaigns, and all the various assets that build a brand, day in and day out.
Your ability to tap into the full arc of a client’s journey and tell stories that reflect who they really are is valuable and should lead to exceptional and effective marketing material.