Never the Hero

Happy Friday, Sippers,

How was your week?

Mine was… well, let's just say I'm happy it's Friday.

This week, I want to dive into the core engine of that character: Storytelling.

I did a fantastic sprint on this subject with Section (inspired by Will Storr's work) that fundamentally changed how I approach brand briefs. The insight is this: storytelling isn't just art; it's a formula that works because it bypasses the rational brain and taps straight into our primal, psychological wiring.

The most vital lesson? Your brand is never the hero.

Act I | Your Audience Is The Hero

Effective storytelling requires you to immediately identify the core roles in your narrative: the Hero, the Shadow (adversary), and the Light Figure (the guide). The universal mistake brands make is casting themselves as the hero. But the truth is simple: your audience is the hero, and your brand is the Light Figure.

A powerful brand story must focus on helping the hero (the customer) achieve one of two primal, non-negotiable human desires:

1. The Primal Need for Connection

Every human desires to belong to the social groups that matter to them. The hero is looking for community, shared values, and acceptance.

Your Brand's Role: The Light Figure must use its products or platform to help the hero connect to their desired identity group.

2. The Primal Need to Rise in Status

Connecting is not enough; we also have a desire to rise in social rank and be seen as valuable. The hero is seeking self-belief, success, or validation of their worth.

Your Brand's Role: The Light Figure must help the hero defeat the Shadow (the obstacle) that prevents their rise.

Balancing Head and Heart: The Three-Act Storytelling Formula

The power of the narrative lies in its structure. When convincing stakeholders to buy into your story, you must simultaneously balance the emotional appeal of the story (Heart) with the rational case for the strategy (Head).

The Heart captures attention and provides meaning, while the Head delivers the evidence and justification for buy-in.

Act I | Broken (The Setup)

The Emotional Appeal (Heart): The Hero is in a problematic situation, facing their Shadow. You must generate empathy and recognition by vividly describing the customer's pain point.

• Dollar Shave Club | The man is frustrated by the ridiculous cost and complexity of buying razors in a traditional store (The Shadow of the expensive monopoly).

• We need to talk about Eli (Maxbo) | The father is deeply worried about raising a complicated teenage daughter (The Shadow of parental doubt/inter-generational division). (and yes, you can get hooked even in Norwegian, here's the English version

The Rational Case (Head): You must articulate the Broken World—the customer's challenge—and align it to a rational business goal. Show them the cost of the problem.

Act II | Struggle (The Action)

The Emotional Appeal (Heart): The Hero grapples with the Shadow, empowered by the empathy and guidance of the Light Figure (the brand). You use stories and sensory language to show transformation in progress.

• Just Ask (Google) | The child is struggling with a basic question about the world (The Shadow of not knowing). The parent immediately uses the simple voice query (The Light Figure) to deliver knowledge and connection.

• For Life (Volvo) | The driver feels vulnerable on the road. The car (the Light Figure) provides technical safety, enabling them to focus on the human connection within it.

The Rational Case (Head): You provide data, facts, and evidence (like case studies or test results) to show why your product/service (the Light) is the logical, low-risk tool the hero needs to defeat the Shadow. Prove your solution works.

Act III: Fixed (The Resolution)

The Emotional Appeal (Heart): The Hero defeats the Shadow and achieves their Better World. This is the emotional payoff—the rise in status or the achievement of connection.

• Chicago Marathon | The runner crosses the finish line, achieving personal mastery and validation (Primal Need to Rise in Status).

• Heartstrings | The teenager achieves connection and acceptance as her family and classmates discover her music (Primal Need for Connection).

The Rational Case (Head): You demonstrate how this emotional transformation leads to a quantifiable business outcome that directly aligns with stakeholder objectives. 

The Sip Takeaway

The discipline of a great brief is ensuring it starts and ends with the hero, not the brand. When you brief your teams, use this psychological framework:

• Hero and Shadow First: Define the Hero's core motivation (Connection or Status) and the specific Shadow your brand is helping them defeat (the Broken World).

• The 4S Toolkit: Ensure the execution is Solo (single idea), Sapient (focused on the hero's transformation), Simple (no jargon), and Sensory (prioritize emotion over data).

• The Head-Heart Balance Pledge: Never forget that the Heart (the story and emotion) captures attention, but the Head (data and logic) generates buy-in.

Finally, a quick confession. 

My week was actually fantastic. I was just using the oldest trick in the narrative playbook to get your attention. I created a Shadow for the hero (you) to empathize with—and you will, read on, till here. 

 (shm)

See you next week,