Storytelling and PR

Once upon a time, a former CBS newsman devised a new strategy for telling a company's story: classic storytelling. Robbie Vorhaus founded his own Public Relations firm based on this principle. He shares the story of how it works in this interview with About Public Relations.

APR: Exactly how does storytelling relate to PR?

Robbie Vorhaus: Public relations is a form of classic storytelling, but for business. It is pure non-fiction -- truth -- told in the exact same context as any other story form, such as movies, novels, advertising and journalism.  Essentially, storytelling, and that includes PR, is having a point of view or theme, focusing on one person or thing (the hero) and taking your audience on that hero's journey through trials and tribulations to arrive at some new point, but now changed. It doesn't matter if you're promoting a country, company, product, person or cause; if you tell the story with the same structure, elements, archetypes and path of all great stories, your message will be heard and acted on. And, in business, whoever tells the best story wins.

APR: What are the components of an effective story?

RV: First, you need a strong beginning, which is always the hero's ordinary, believable world.  Then, add the middle, which is the hero's journey into some extraordinary world. And the end is the hero's return to his ordinary world, but changed, very changed. Other components of an effective story are a compelling point of view or theme, such as "nothing takes the place of persistence," or "true love never dies," or "it's all in the delivery."