The challenge

In three hours, demonstrate the effectiveness of storytelling to Dimension’s communicators, help them understand their organisation’s character and how to apply it to stories, and share top tips for overcoming writer’s block. We’ve all been there…

What we did

We began by exploring how well-known organisations use character-driven stories in their communications to resonate with their audiences. We delved into stories that had given products more value and boosted revenue, and those that had turned the tables on an audience’s perception of a brand. Trust and authenticity are a huge part of how big businesses land big success stories – so we taught them how to make people fall in love with the personalities behind a brand. The impact? A more genuine, honest, and empathetic tone that spoke from Dimension’s creative heart.

Understanding the science behind storytelling is crucial to understanding why it’s so effective. After explaining how storytelling ticks, we encouraged the team to explore Dimension’s own character in an activity that saw them identify their business’s unique tone of voice, before rewriting some of their own work that hadn’t previously hit the mark. We demonstrated that plain language isn’t boring language – and taught that getting a clear message across quickly and easily makes for a more engaged audience.

Character-driven stories take a while to build, and writer’s block is a natural by-product of writing. But it can have detrimental effects on the time we spend on a project, and the revenue the business generates. We curated a discussion around top tips for overcoming it, and left them with exercises to help them beat back the blanks in the future.

The triumph

The session was a lot of fun – for us and for Dimension. A quick secondarysession revealed they were going to make a lot of changes to their writing – and look for the story in everything. And our follow-up deck provided them with a useful tool to refer to whenever they need a storytelling nudge or to conquer writer’s block.

“The session was fantastic, and we could see the team were engaged and really understood what was being explained!”

“Thanks once again for the fantastic session and deck you guys provided for us, we’re seeing improvements and more consideration in the way the guys are writing their design intents.”

The challenge

Define and shape the Royale International story in a way that differentiates and positions it as a viable competitor in the logistics industry and as an employer of choice.

What we did

Royale International’s story needed to serve two purposes: to engage all colleagues in the future growth strategy, and to communicate the differentiating value the business delivers to customers.

Helping colleagues to realise how crucial a role they play and understand the values behind the business’s success so far, would see them feel proud to be part of it and the quality of their work soar. In turn, customers needed to feel the passion that fuels the Royale International spirit and to consider Royale as a viable alternative to better-known names. It’s a two-part story with one goal: the long-term success of the business.

During the first part of our Story Shaping programme, we spent time with the team at Royale International, immersing ourselves in their back-story and ambitions for the future. This enabled us to properly understand the personality of their organisation, their thoughts and feelings about what they do, and what it is that makes them different. From that, we evolved a set of personality traits that were distinctive, compelling and unique. And then identified the smaller stories behind the bigger narrative, resulting in five focused and powerful storylines.

To make sure that our carefully shaped story connects with each intended audience, we then developed a communication strategy that makes the most of Royale International’s key milestones throughout the year – getting the important messages through the right channels at the right time for maximum effect. Our ‘episode plan’ approach provides a strong structure to follow but also empowers them to explore creative ways to deliver the strategy. It’s fluid and reactive to anything that might affect the story – internally and externally – while having enough detail to show clearly what needs to be delivered.

The triumph

It’s early days but our work in shaping the Royale International story is already informing their communication collateral with encouraging results – a four-minute film to celebrate their 25th anniversary has been launched and is resonating with colleagues old and new. Meanwhile, two further projects are in progress and we have more scheduled for the year ahead. The Royale International story looks set to fly high.

Please get in touch to talk about this project in more detail.

The challenge

Change the mindset of staff towards customer complaints, and help them to turn the customer frown upside down.

What we did

Kicking off with a Story Shaping session with the Customer Care team, we established the foundation for the planned communication, and clarified the perceptions and actions that needed to change.

Storylining revealed more about the target audience, and the options we had to influence and inform. We interviewed a cross section of branch and call centre staff to get their thoughts – many were afraid of complaints, seeing them as uncomfortable, time-consuming, and non-value adding. They acted defensively with customers who complained, taking the complaint personally.

We decided on an animated film, approximately six minutes long, to branch staff to get on board with a new way of looking at complaints. There’s a link between staff wellbeing and the customer experience, so we centred the film around a staff member, to encourage a sense of a collective journey rather than a forced march. We demonstrated to staff that the emotion they feel about complaints shows in their facial expressions and mannerisms. These emotions can transfer to the customer who reacts to them – the customer’s behaviour is affected by how the staff member feels about complaints. And making the lead character an employee sends out the message that this is not only beneficial for customers but for staff too.

After a hugely successful launch, the film became part of the strategy to embed the change in culture within AIB and now forms part of the New Entrant Induction Programme.

The triumph

Surveyed staff found the animation good, engaging, positive and educational:

“The link between staff wellbeing and customer experience is something we want to emphasis so that everyone is aware of the impact their tone and action/ inaction has on the customer and themselves”
– Customer Services

“Positive, educational and full of references to emotion, which help get the message across so well”
– Group Marketing

“Such an engaging way to communicate the important message”
– Chief Risk Office

There was a change of mindset, staff are now owning the customer complaint experience and the Net Promoter Score improved – up nine points on the quarter before. Happier staff = happier customers.

Please get in touch to talk about this project in more detail.

The challenge

Support 500 investment, compliance and risk professionals through a change in financial standards.

What we did

Our Story Shaping programme, involving the Head of Investment and project team, identified the important themes and laid firm foundations for the story. A story that would get the investment team excited about working energetically in sync to new standards.

We built a campaign around seven animations – a new medium that would surprise and engage. Keeping them simple helped the audience to absorb the changes, and we created a visual style that would act as a distinctive brand for ongoing communication. Focusing on the greater goal of AIA’s continually rising standards, using a ‘carrot, not stick’ strategy, we engaged these investment professionals in a collective effort to reach them. The campaign name ‘Together, we’re changing’ is inclusive of all functions and reinforces the idea of support.

The first three episodes of our campaign schedule included:

The big picture – where expectations shifted, the story got its impetus and everyone knew that something important was happening.

Making the connections – the rollout of workshops and shorter animations for momentum and additional context.

Navigating the detail– a comprehensive set of accessible user-friendly takeaway tools to help bed in the new way of working, and prevent the audience from reverting to old practices.

The triumph

The feedback? “The audience has not seen anything like this at AIA before. We’ve made our impact and delivered our intended message.” “The highest level of engagement for any of the sessions that day.” “Engaging even for people in the audience who aren’t necessarily involved with the roll-out.”

Responses to an emailed survey sent to employees after the workshops showed a clearer understanding of their role in the group and excitement about the function’s future.

The project team reported: “Although the programme is only in the early stages of being rolled out, we see it being a real success. So far, everyone’s on board and the tools are being used. The early positive adoption is a really good sign!”

Please get in touch to talk about this project in more detail.

The challenge

Encourage 15,000 colleagues around the world to talk with one voice.

What we did

Already established as a colleague magazine, The Globe brought the latest news and need-to-know information to Barclaycard colleagues. However, with low interaction and engagement rates we knew we could make it do more.

Collaborating with one of our design partners, we set out to transform The Globe into an irresistable read that would help colleagues, wherever they were in the world, feel proud to be part of a remarkable and progressive Barclaycard.

Spending time Story Shaping and Storylining with our client, we identify the subject matter for the year ahead and determined how each of the features should be treated. And making sure there are stories from all the different parts of the business keeps everyone feeling involved.

Reading how great your organisation is will always be more convincing when that opinion comes from somewhere else. So we recommended that the magazine should be written in a journalistic style from an independent viewpoint. And the investigative tone and edgier design differentiates it from a regular internal communication.

We design and break up the features with different types of reader in mind – those who have little time but still want to absorb the essential facts, and those who read it in more depth. From the editorial board meeting, issue planning and interviewing through to drafting, several levels of client review and final proofing, we make sure the content still cuts it for colleagues.

The triumph

The Globe is now read regularly by 60% of colleagues, with 96% of them preferring it following the relaunch and 92% recommending it to other colleagues. Recent readersurveys revealed that, through The Globe, they’re able to get a sense of what’s happening in other parts of the business, and are inspired to apply what other colleagues are doing to their own role.

Please get in touch to talk about this project in more detail.