How Do I Create a Story for My Brand or Organization?

Storytelling is becoming increasingly important within organizations. Stories move people far more than facts and rational arguments. The unifying power of stories is being used for vision development, brand strategy, change management, sales, and marketing communication. But how do you actually create a story? We explain this here using our Storytelling Canvas.

Storytelling Canvas

Our Storytelling Canvas is based on the work of American mythologist Joseph Campbell, creator of ‘The Hero’s Journey’. We have distilled the basic elements of his work to sharply formulate the narrative dynamics of a brand or organization. (If you'd like the PDF version, just email us and we'll send it over).

How to use the Storytelling Canvas?

The canvas contains various text fields where you can add all the building blocks that help you create a compelling story. The elements are interconnected and together form the dynamic structure of the story. The Storytelling Canvas includes the following components:

A.   Story roles: Hero, Treasure, Monster, Helper

B.    Worlds: Ordinary and Special World

C.    Moments: Call to adventure, Crisis and Result

D.   Title: Story Theme

 A. Four Roles in the Story

There are always four basic roles to be found in a story:

1.     HERO

The main character of the story—the perspective. The one who must embark on a journey and live through the adventure. Think of: Frodo, Bridget Jones, or Walter White. But also the founder of a company, the intern, a potential employee, or a customer.

2.     TREASURE

This is what the hero is seeking or needs. The treasure is never easy to find, but it motivates the hero to go on the adventure. Think of finding a lost son (Finding Nemo), achieving a world of equality for all (Martin Luther King), or moving to another planet (Elon Musk). A treasure can be very concrete, like a lower energy bill or more suitable job applicants, but is often more abstract, like a sustainable world, love, or self-confidence.

3.     Monster

This is what stands in the hero’s way—the greatest threat. Something frightening the hero must face. Is it the dragon the knight has to slay? Or self-doubt and fear of failure? Many brands and organizations prefer to leave the monster out, because it’s associated with negativity and uncertainty. But naming the monster is essential. It shows what battle you’re fighting. It makes your story authentic, believable—and exciting!

4.     Helper

The hero often can’t defeat the monster alone and needs a little help: that’s where the helper comes in. The one who supports the hero with wise advice and/or special tools. Think of Gandalf in Lord of the Rings or Yoda in Star Wars. For organizations: if you place the customer in the hero’s role, what helper role does your brand or organization play? How do you help your customer defeat the monster and reach the treasure? If your brand or organization takes the lead role, this makes clear who’s helping you on your mission—partners, a specific technology, or your own team?

B. Two worlds

Every great story takes place in two worlds: the Ordinary World and the Special World.

1.     Ordinary World

The Ordinary World is the starting point: the day-to-day reality, the current situation, the comfort zone. This is the world the hero moves through daily. Think of the Shire for Frodo, the present-day setting in Back to the Future, or the safe coral reef in Finding Nemo. In a business context, the Ordinary World might refer to the current way of working, consumer behavior, brand image and awareness, or the current state of the market.

2.     Special World

The treasure lies in an unfamiliar, Special World—a place where the hero doesn’t know the rules and where the monster lives. It’s in this unfamiliar world that the hero learns and grows. Frodo must pass through dark caves and over high mountains, Marty ends up in the past, and Nemo’s father must cross a perilous ocean to find his son. In an organizational context, the Special World could represent a new vision or strategy, a shift in the market, changing consumer behavior, or a new reality following a merger.

C.  Three key moments in the story

There are three crucial moments in every story that determine the movement and outcome.

1.     Call to adventure

This is the event that forces the hero to step out of their Ordinary World in search of the treasure. It’s the moment the hero must embark on the journey—whether they want to or not. That unexpected phone call that changes everything, declining revenue that shifts the entire perspective, or an emotional speech from a passionate employee—this is the call.

2.     Crisis

This is the moment when the hero is closest to the monster. Courage falters—this feels like a battle they will never win. The hero may want to give up. Being shut down by a manager, bounced between departments in a call center, yet another failed product launch—it can take many forms. Fortunately, with the lessons and tools from the Helper, the hero often endures the crisis and continues the journey with renewed strength.

3.     Result

When the hero finally reaches their treasure, something changes. Maybe revenue has increased, the hero receives a long-awaited promotion, or a new proposition becomes a success. The world is no longer the same—and neither is the hero. They’ve learned and grown.

D. Title

Once you've filled in the entire Storytelling Canvas, the core theme of your story will begin to emerge. It becomes clear what your story is truly about—whether it’s for you, your organization, a new product or service, or your brand.

If this story were turned into a film, what would its title be? Is it a “rags to riches” tale, a love story, or a journey of discovery? Write the essence of your story at the top of the canvas.

For an even better explanation of the elements on our canvas, watch the following video before you get started.

Get started with the Storytelling Canvas!

We hope we've given you enough inspiration and guidance to start building your story. With a completed canvas, you can now begin to flesh out and shape your narrative.

Need a little extra help? Don’t hesitate to get in touch — we’re happy to support you!