“No one ever made a decision because of a number. They need a story.” – Daniel Kahneman
Storytelling is a powerful tool for any industry, and insights professionals are always striving to improve this key element. What makes storytelling so powerful is the overlay of emotion, tension, conflict, and resolution in the analysis. A great story leads to more engaged stakeholders and more successful business outcomes.
Every report and data deliverable at Vital Findings is story-driven, and that’s a key reason our clients are longstanding partners: our decks can stand alone, don’t require extensive editing, and capture stakeholders’ attention. Stakeholders recognize our decks just by how they look.
To create a standout story for every project we take on, we use a story arc centered on telling a clear, compelling narrative that demonstrates what’s at stake and outlines the definitive actions to drive business outcomes.
HOW TO USE A STORY ARC WITH INSIGHTS
The Story Arc is a key component of our analysis and storytelling process. In the Story Arc, we organize and map what we see in the data into cause-and-effect relationships to establish order and hierarchy. The end result is that our clients get a full picture of what the data is telling them, presented in a format that allows them to confidently communicate and message the story throughout the organization.
Our internal analysis process begins with a deep dive into the data in an analysis brainstorm. Here, we look at all of the observations across the dataset and discuss how findings might be interconnected. Our next step is a Story Meeting, where we focus on the order, flow, and connections of findings and insights. This is where the Story Arc comes into play and helps our team create the story flow. We do this before creating any slides to keep the focus on the big picture.
Let’s a take a closer look at each part of the Story Arc and how it applies to a market research project:
Exposition:
This is the starting point. The story setup is important for sharing key background and context that explain the past/present state of the market. We like to start by giving the lay of the land, which we’ll build upon with insights.
Things to think about as you determine how to set up your story:
- What are the trends impacting the category right now?
- How big is the market/opportunity?
- What’s our baseline? If we did nothing/took no action, what does the market look like and how would it behave?
Rising Action:
This is where interest starts to build. In this part of the report, we’re showing a series of observations and insights that are building upon one another in a purposeful way, thoughtfully revealing more and more to the reader/listener. This is where we reveal problems, tensions, and opportunities for the client’s brand or product, and where many surprising findings live—cortisol builds here as we lay out barriers uncovered by the work.
Things to think about as you lay out your Rising Action:
- What are the tensions uncovered?
- What are the motivators and barriers?
- What are the jobs to be done?
- How is the market responding to recent activity?
Apex:
The apex is the most interesting finding—clearly showing what is at stake. This is the “aha” moment—where we connect all the events and findings that we revealed in the Rising Action to how they are impacting the clients’ goal. This is where oxytocin is released by the brain as our audience begins to understand and empathize with the consumer.
Things to think about as you determine your Apex:
- What is at stake if the tensions are solved (or not solved)?
- What are the opportunities for the brand?
- What is the most compelling hook or value prop for the brand/idea?
Falling Action and Resolution:
This is where we clearly show the “what next”—what should the brand do as a result, and what they should keep in mind when making decisions following the work. This would include everything we’ve learned about how to improve a product or service/experience, how to resonate with messaging, go-to-market strategy, etc. It’s the part of the story that triggers an increase in dopamine for the audience, motivating action. We gather and consolidate all forward-looking learnings and observations into this section for a strong finish.
Things to think about as you transition into Falling Action and Resolution
- How can existing tensions or barriers be solved?
- How can consumer motivations be better leveraged for a positive outcome?
- What needs to be changed or optimized, and how exactly should it change?
- Who is the best target and what is the go-to market strategy?
- What are the best practices to employ?
THE STORY ARC IN ACTION
Financial services firm Principal approached Vital Findings to conduct thought leadership research for its nonprofit Principal Foundation (the Foundation). The Foundation was launching a new initiative focused on financial literacy among low-to-moderate income youth—an audience traditionally left behind by the financial services industry.
The Foundation sought to shine a spotlight on the challenges these young people face while also guiding its community grant program. One of its key goals was to understand the real challenges these young people face and provide concrete guidance on how the financial services industry could help reverse this trend.
Here’s a condensed version of the story arc for this publicly released thought leadership research.
Exposition:
- Today’s young people make up the largest and most diverse generation in US history.
- They face challenges: high unemployment among college graduates, low wage growth, and the second-highest poverty rate in the industrialized world.
- Achieving financial stability is especially hard for youth in today’s environment.
Rising Action:
- Half of young people say they’ve already hit rock bottom.
- Depression, mental health challenges, and job loss are the key contributors to hitting rock bottom.
- Financial crises are more common among young people who have experienced hardships in their youth, like divorce, illness, or job loss.
Apex:
- Despite unprecedented challenges, young people are hopeful about their financial future and are willing to take steps to achieve their goals.
Falling Action & Resolution:
- Early intervention is key—the longer they struggle and the older they get, the more their outlook fades.
- Showing young people financial strategies is more effective than telling them how.
This story clearly articulated the challenges these young people face, emphasized their hopes and dreams, and identified how the financial services industry—and Principal Foundation specifically—can more effectively get them on track to financial stability with outreach and resources. This story was picked up widely by the media, raising awareness for this issue. The Foundation also used the results to help guide their community grant program for low-to-moderate-income youth.
Try applying this story arc the next time you prepare an insights report or presentation, and let us know how it worked for you.
Want to learn more? Reach out to Krista at krista.socia@vitalfindings.com
Krista Socia is a Vice President of Insights and Strategy at Vital Findings, where she specializes in storytelling and thought leadership. A key member of the team since 2012, Krista helped shape the company’s signature approach to insight-driven storytelling and continues to lead the development of internal tools and analysis frameworks. In an endless pursuit to make insights come alive, she’s known for turning data into narratives that intrigue, inspire, and challenge convention.
