Storytelling
The Five C's of Storytelling
Use this simple framework to easily drive home your points, engage your audience, and compel them to act.
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Gavin Hammar
January 6, 2022
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Because no-one remembers a faceless brand.
hey@storyprompt.com
Use this article to plan out any story you intend to tell – whether written, verbal or through video. It will give you a solid basis to start from so you can flesh it out when you sit down to produce your content.
You'll need a notebook, some post-its, a whiteboard or a note-taking app. You can collaborate with your client, a coworker – or, if you prefer do this alone.
Open your notebook, launch your note-taking app or walk up to the whiteboard.
Draw a large rectangle and break it up into 5 equal sections.
At the top of each section, write the following, respectively:
Great! Now it’s time to get our creative juices flowing...
Let’s start by introducing the audience to the hero of the story.
In the Context section, answer the following prompt:
The audience will now learn about what changed in the hero’s world and why they needed you.
In the Catalyst section of your rectangle, write your answer to the prompt:
The person is now faced with a problem and a decision to make.
In the Complication section of your rectangle, write your answer to the prompt:
The audience will now learn about the decision that was made that resulted in them overcoming the complication.
In the Change section of your rectangle, write your answer to the prompt:
The audience will now hear about the lessons learned as a result of the transformation and how the person's life changed.
In the Consequence section of your rectangle, write your answer to the prompt:
Now that you have answers jotted down for each of the five sections, you can use them to tell a compelling brand story. The story should tie back to your organization's vision, mission, or values, and the aim should be to bring your audience closer to your brand.
Below is an example of an employee story using the 5C's. It's designed to help potential candidates learn more about the company culture and its values. It can also be used to instil trust in existing employees by showing them that the leadership team is willing to bend the rules to look after them.
In a world that's constantly trying to distract us, as humans, we are consistently drawn to good stories. Whether it’s a book, a movie, a famous celebrity or a TV show – we buy into a believable, authentic story. We want to relate, to feel, to connect.
And it's the same for brands. Brand stories help you establish consistency and build trust. They have the power to attract loyal customers in a way that traditional sales and marketing activities cannot. If you're new to storytelling, the 5Cs of Storytelling is a great way to get started as it forces you to think through all the components you need to tell a compelling story.
I highly recommend reading What Great Storytellers Know to learn more about The Five C's of Storytelling.
Founder & former CEO @Sendible (acquired in 2021). Now building Storyprompt to help small businesses accelerate sales by amplifying the stories that earn their buyers' trust.
