Creating a Cohesive Narrative in a Complex World

Companies look to their communications and marketing teams to come up with something called a cohesive narrative to help polish their brand. A cohesive narrative means that all parts of the story stick together. When all parts of the story work in tandem, the consumer understands clearly what solutions your company has to offer, and the company has an idea how the customer or consumer is going to experience each touch-point involving them. This is important not only for customer acquisition, but retention as well. It is also critical for setting your brand apart from the competition, and it's as relevant in the B2B and nonprofit space as it is in B2C markets.

The frequent flyer narrative

Flying over Lake Champlain in Burlington, VT

Here's a B2C example. When a traveler needs to go from Point A to Point B, they have a lot of options to choose from. Beyond the myriad airlines -- from major carriers to low-cost flights -- consumers can also opt to travel by car, train, or even a ride-share. With so many choices, how will a consumer make up their mind?

The Innovator's Solution

Clayton Christensen and Michael Raymond, writing in The Innovator's Solution offer a powerful insight (italics are mine):

"Only if managers define market segments that correspond to the circumstances in which customers find themselves when making purchasing decisions can they accurately theorize which products will connect with their customers."

This is where a strong, cohesive narrative comes into play. If the consumer isn't already a part of a rewards program (itself a part of a cohesive narrative strategy), then chances are she is going to check either online or with friends for recommendations first. Is your brand there to pick up the story? For example, if they choose to check on Google Flights, will your airline serve the route the fastest? With the least cost? Including baggage fees? How does the story go from the initial search? If they do a standard Google search, has your brand been in the news lately? If they look on social media, does your brand have a strong presence there? Does a social media story perhaps inspire a trip itself?

Then, once they're on your website to buy the ticket, are you offering last-mile travel options? Hotels? Car rental? Does the consumer have to decide whether to add baggage, meals, or priority check-in? Is there an app to download at the end of the process? How many emails does it take to confirm the flight? What's the language of the email?

Then on the day of, are there reminders from the airline? Speedy check-in? Friendly customer service? In the hyper-competitive airline industry, all of these experiences will become part of the consumer's brand experience, and this is before they've even gotten onto the plane!

Once they're on the plane, how is the entire experience? The only safety instruction video I remember is a Richard Simmons-inspired dance video on New Zealand air, and I'd look for that airline again if they flew to more US destinations. It was that good.

Consumers access several touch-points with the brand

The point is that today's consumer will access several touch-points with the brand before, during, and after the execution of a product or service. A cohesive narrative is one that includes each touch-point in its overarching strategy.

Read more from Elie Sherman:

The Biggest Issue with the Typical Story Arc

How to Write a Winning Press Release: A Journo's Perspective

Pluses and Minuses to Work-from-Home: 2020

This is critical in the B2B space as well. From the very first ad online, your brand speaks. If you reach customers through word-of-mouth, your brand speaks. If you reach customers through a third-party platform like Upwork, your brand speaks. Each milestone your product or service crosses after conversion is a step in the "cohesive narrative."

And of course this is relevant in the nonprofit world too. How do volunteers discover your events or activities? How easy is it for donors to understand your vision and mission statement before agreeing to a contribution? Once they donate, where does the story go from there?

How to be in control

The point is, the company should be aware of the whole story behind the experience of its product or service, and have a communications or marketing plan to accompany each step of the way. That's how a brand retains control of the narrative, and prevents possible catastrophic plot holes from developing. By understanding the circumstances in which a consumer will find themselves, the brand can help frame the story and glue the pieces together.