building a strategic narrative messaging framework

Strategic Narrative Messaging and

MarketingAn

Overview

Boulder Marcom Group

October 30, 2014

Today’s Objectives• Examine positioning and messaging from a higher,

industry level perspective• Outline the basics of the strategic narrative and how

can it help align companies• Discuss practical approaches to strategic narrative

messaging and marketing• Leave with a new mindset

Messaging Challenges• Crafting messaging that is truly compelling and

stands out is difficult• Traditional positioning and messaging approaches

often are too inward and self-centered• Many companies explain “how” they do things – not

what they do• They leave it to others to define their market space• They lack a central “cause” that all facets of the

business can rally behind

The Opportunity • Organizations can define existing or new categories as a

means of creating a market-leading position• The “category story” becomes the basis of a corporate

narrative that engages influencers, employees, investors, partners and customers, and impacts perceptions and drives positive change

• The narrative becomes more than a marketing message; its a corporate strategy that reaches all facets of business

• It can be leveraged through PR and marketing campaigns• The results are profound – helping align companies and

providing a roadmap to execute against

Strategic Narratives • Strategic Narratives are central to the practice of

international relations. Governments use narratives strategically to achieve desired objectives: defining their countries’ identities, explaining their role in the world, identifying allies and enemies, establishing the nature of the relationships among them; contextualizing historical events, as well as policy decisions.

• They provide a “concise statement of what it is doing, why, and how that links to a positive vision of the future with the individual actions of members of its own societies and members of other societies whom it wishes to influence”

Strategic Narrative Messaging• Defines the landscape and trends

– Industry level, category focused – then company “what” • Vision for the Future

– Market segment growth/promise, company “cause/purpose” • What the Company Does

– Advance cause and industry, customer benefits tied to trends • Tangible Company-wide

– Brings company vision to life – everyone can support it• Single Message, Company-wide Initiative

– Clear, with purpose, confidence and pride• Open and Inclusive

– Company, industry and competitors – the more the merrier

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Basis of Strategic

Narrative

Market Dynamics

Popular Perceptions

Challenges

Opportunities

Best Practices

Benefits/Value

Strategic Narrative Discussion

• Think up at industry level

• THINK BIG!• Be provocative,

contrarian and bold• Think like a visionary

Don’t worry about competitors

• Think like a teacher• But, act like a leader!• Dare to change the

world!

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#1 Add Context to Mega-trends

• Most industries are being disrupted – define the mash-up of industry dynamics?

• Aim to provide insight and context into industry trends

• Provide a viewpoint and opinion on what’s happening outside of your own company

#2 Define and Honor the Category

• Step outside of your company to define the category as you see it

• How can your company advance the adoption and the evolution of the category?

• Is there a process or framework you can develop and “give” to the industry?

• Always make it a priority to champion the overall good of your category or market space

#3 Shape a Better World

• Outline a vision statement for the industry • Where would you like to see your industry in three

to five years? • What contributions can your market segment make

to industry/customers/mankind?

#4 Define Your Role

• Define your company’s goals and course of action • What overall role do you play in the world you’ve

defined?• What is the company vision for innovation? • How will it benefit customers and align with the

mega-trends you’ve defined?

#5 Be Inclusive

• Don’t define a strategic narrative that “only applies to us”

• Re-shaping a category/industry – welcome visitors, including competitors!

• Think how it touches each and every employee, partner, customer and influencer

• Talk less about yourself, and more about the world you live in

Strategic Narrative

Website and Digital

Marketing

Analyst Relations

Media Relations

Content Marketing

Thought Leadership

Social Media

Rally Around and Promote the Narrative!

Example: CodeFutures

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What does CodeFutures Stand for?• A new, much-needed approach for gaining value

from databases and the data they hold • Total commitment to data agility – through a

combination of streaming technology and flash• Accelerating access to information that matters for

real-time big data and operational intelligence • Simplifying data access complexity – with back-end

structure for dynamic customization • Making databases more agile and useful• Aligning big data and IT process agility – “Agile”• Sharing knowledge and expertise

What Do We Do – Tagline Set-up

We’re all about agile data, combining flexibility with structure, the ability to leverage big data to its fullest,

and enabling the real-time enterprise That’s what CodeFutures does!

CodeFutures:

Making Your Data Agile

Championing: Agile Big Data

Thank you!&

Questions?