Strategic Storytelling Research Articles

Case Method Teaching, Strategic Storytelling, and Social Change: A Pilot Evaluation of an Online Course to Address Colourism in Malaysia

Case Method Teaching, Strategic Storytelling, and Social Change: A Pilot Evaluation of an Online Course to Address Colourism in Malaysia

Strategic Storytelling: Russian State-Backed Media Coverage of the Ukraine War

Abstract Strategic narratives help shape wars. In modern history, strategic narratives were used during the Cold War, the War in Afghanistan, and the Iraq War to justify military invasions and manipulate opponents. During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia was accused of weaponizing its state-backed media outlets to promote a pro-Russian version of the war. Consequently, Russian state-backed media faced a series of new sanctions from Western governments and technology companies. While some studies have sought to identify disinformation about the war, less research has focused on understanding how these stories come together as narratives, particularly in non-English language contexts. Grounded in strategic narrative theory, we analyze Russian state-backed media coverage of the Ukraine war across 12 languages. Using topic modeling and narrative analysis, we find that Russian state-backed media focused primarily on promoting identity narratives, forming an image that Russia is powerful, Ukraine is evil, and the West is hypocritical. Russian strategic narratives both converged and diverged across languages and outlets in ways that met Russia’s desired image and objectives in each region. This paper allows us to better theorize the evolving and transformative role of strategic narrative in Russian state-backed news media during times of conflict.

Public Relations Strategies for Non-Profit Organizations

Purpose: This study aimed to examine how different public relations strategies affect the effectiveness of non-profit organizations' communication and relationships with their stakeholders.
 Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library.
 Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to public relations strategies for non- profit organizations. The yielded valuable insights into the multifaceted landscape of non-profit PR. Through diverse empirical studies, it was found that effective PR strategies played a pivotal role in shaping organizational visibility, credibility, and impact. Key conclusions drawn from the research included the transformative potential of digital platforms in amplifying reach and mobilizing support, the importance of stakeholder engagement and strategic storytelling in fostering donor loyalty and conveying organizational impact, the critical role of transparency and proactive communication in navigating crises, and the significance of strategic partnerships in enhancing organizational capacity and impact. Overall, the findings underscored the importance of adopting a holistic and strategic approach to non-profit PR to achieve mission-driven objectives and effect positive change.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Systems theory, Stakeholder theory and Diffusion of Innovation theory may be used to anchor future studies on public relations strategies for non- profit organizations. The study provided several key recommendations to enhance PR practices in the non-profit sector. It recommended that NPOs invest in advanced social media analytics tools, cultivate authentic donor relationships, develop robust crisis communication plans, seek out strategic corporate partnerships, engage in rigorous advocacy planning, invest in storytelling resources and training, and leverage digital advocacy tools. These recommendations aimed to improve PR effectiveness by emphasizing evidence-based decision-making, donor-centric approaches, proactive crisis management, strategic collaboration, and leveraging digital platforms for advocacy and storytelling. Through these recommendations, the study contributed to both theory and practice in the non-profit sector, offering actionable insights to enhance organizational communication strategies.

‘Telling China’s Story Well’ as propaganda campaign slogan: International, domestic and the pandemic

The article critically examines ‘Telling China’s Story Well’ (TCSW), a popular propaganda campaign slogan proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. Drawing on theories about storytelling and propaganda and using the COVID-19 as a contextualised example, the paper discusses how the slogan was adapted into ‘Telling China’s Anti-pandemic Story Well’ to mobilise domestic and external propaganda of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) during the pandemic. We argue that TCSW should be understood as a well-crafted political watchword which promotes and commands strategic narratives of doing propaganda. It has the rhetorical power to integrate and reinvigorate domestic and external propaganda, and to facilitate their convergence. Adapting this slogan to mobilise propaganda campaigns of national or global importance and interest demonstrates the CCP’s ambition to harness strategic storytelling to improve the coherence, effectiveness and reputation of its propaganda at home and abroad.

The Power of Storytelling in Public Relations

Purpose: The general purpose of this study was to explore the power of storytelling in public relations.
 Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library.
 Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to online reputation in the age of cancel culture. The study concluded that storytelling is a powerful tool in public relations, shaping public perceptions, building brand identities, and forging connections with audiences. It emphasized the human inclination towards narratives and their ability to engage emotionally, enhance brand recall, and differentiate organizations. Storytelling is seen as crucial in crisis communication, enabling organizations to humanize their brand and restore trust. Additionally, strategic storytelling is highlighted for driving social change and advocacy, mobilizing support, and raising awareness of societal issues. Overall, the study underscored storytelling as a strategic imperative in modern PR, essential for brand equity, reputation management, and driving positive social impact in an increasingly competitive media landscape.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Agenda Setting theory, Social Learning theory and Cultivation theory ay be used to anchor future studies on the power of storytelling. Storytelling emerged as a potent tool for effective communication in the realm of public relations, tapping into intrinsic human inclination towards narratives. Through carefully crafted narratives, organizations articulated their values, mission, and unique selling propositions, differentiating themselves from competitors. In times of adversity, storytelling humanized brands, conveyed authenticity, and restored trust among stakeholders. Moreover, strategic storytelling drove social change and advocacy initiatives by mobilizing support, raising awareness, and inspiring action around pressing societal issues. The study affirmed storytelling as a strategic imperative in modern public relations practice, essential for engaging audiences, shaping perceptions, and driving positive social impact.

Master Narratives in US Contemporary War Discourse: Situating and Constructing Identities of Self and Other

The present paper aims to discuss the discursive strategies of otherization, legitimation, and normalization typically found in extracts from the author’s video corpus of US Presidents’ selected official statements at the height of actual or potential armed conflicts between the First Gulf War (1990-1991) and the end of the Obama Administration (2016). The underlying working assumption is that, to consolidate asymmetrical power relationships and monitor dissent and/or win domestic consent about the use of force, the US Administration systematically resorts to a relatively restricted inventory of political myths and cultural constructs sustained by strategic storytelling and powerful master narratives, or Intertextual Thematic Formations. The qualitative analysis, informed by a systemic functional, critical discourse approach, is undertaken at both the macro- and micro-levels, with a view to highlighting how master narratives project distinct/conflicting standpoints and socio-institutional roles and identities (e.g. the-President-as-Father-of-the-Nation; the-Community-as-Protector-of-its-Members'-Interests; the-West-as-Civilizer), while feeding the myth of a ‘super-empowered’ President and ultimately sustaining the ideological square. The final contention is that awareness-raising pedagogical models are needed which work upwards from the bottom of the hierarchical narrative structure, contextualizing the master narrative and linking it to the audience’s individual narratives, so that discourse can fulfil its critical function of dismantling potentially manipulative and/or normalizing discourse practices and foster civil society-led, personal counter-narratives that remove stereotyping and oversimplification.

Tackling colourism through storytelling in an online course for public health professionals

Objective: Strategic storytelling can be used to reframe dominant cultural narratives and improve community health outcomes. This pilot study assessed the impact of an original, online 3-week e-course, delivered from November to December 2021, in increasing learners’ knowledge of and concern for the seriousness of skin-shade discrimination and the use of skin-lightening products in India, increasing learners’ understanding of storytelling-based communication techniques for public health promotion, and increasing learners’ intentions to use strategic storytelling for social change. Design, Setting and Method: The course used case-method pedagogy to address colourism and cosmetic skin lightening. Learners ( N = 25) completed a pre-course baseline survey on their knowledge and concerns regarding colourism and the use of skin-lightening products, as well as their expectations and interests in taking the course. Following course completion, learners completed a post-webinar survey. The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test was used to assess differences from pre- to post-course surveys on quantitative items. Open-ended responses were also analysed using qualitative content analysis for recurring themes on learner interest and experience. Results: From pre- to post-course surveys, there were significant improvements in learners’ knowledge of skin shade discrimination and the use of skin-lightening products ( p < .05). Learners indicated being more concerned about the seriousness of skin shade discrimination post-course compared to pre-course. Learners also described a positive learning experience and indicated that the e-course enhanced their understanding of strategic storytelling. Conclusion: Findings highlight the importance of an original e-course that uses case-method pedagogy to build knowledge and skills that addresses the impacts of colourism on the health of Indian adolescents and provides new directions for future research on health education interventions that aim to tackle colourism.

The story and the storyteller: Strategic storytelling that gets human attention for entrepreneurs

As a captivating way to engage, inform, and persuade one’s audiences, storytelling can serve as a strategic skill in an entrepreneur’s arsenal. Although entrepreneurs often use storytelling to mobilize financial resources from external stakeholders, less attention has been paid to how entrepreneurs can leverage this powerful tool to gain strategic partnerships. As such, there is little practical guidance on utilizing storytelling to gain a competitive advantage. In this article, we use wisdom from the academic and practical world to illuminate the science of storytelling, identify the type of stories that entrepreneurs may narrate (or refrain from telling), and understand the mechanism through which stories engage and persuade external stakeholders. We also highlight Freytag’s Dramatic Arc, which can teach entrepreneurs how to frame profound stories that gain attention from external stakeholders. We offer practical guidelines for entrepreneurs interested in learning and harnessing the power of compelling storytelling for strategic partnerships.

Increasing small nonprofits’ influence through strategic storytelling

In the last few years, marketing has increasingly focused on storytelling as a way for brands to deepen relationships with customers. However, there is limited guidance for practitioners on how to apply storytelling in nonprofit contexts, especially in small ones that are financially constrained. After a brief review of the literature on storytelling for charitable organizations, we present a storytelling framework for small nonprofits, illustrated with examples primarily from animal rescues. The use of our suggestions should result in more effective and meaningful storytelling for small nonprofits that seek the support of donors, volunteers, and other community members.

Strategic stories: weaponized or worldmaking?

The deployment of strategic stories, that is, stories designed to prevail over adversaries, is at work in domestic politics as well as in diplomacy. In both cases, the strategy has two aims: to create a division between ‘us’ and ‘them’, and at the same time to ascribe moral supremacy to ‘our side’ while posing ‘their side’ as an existential threat. Strategic storytelling specialises in discrimination and foe creation, but the nature of the actors involved has changed in the digital era. Now, ‘we’ and ‘they’ are organised into decentralised and mediated classes based on common identities, enabling collective action at planetary scale (e.g. climate activism, gender and ethnic justice, far-right extremism). At the same time, media platforms and news organisations are part of the apparatus by which strategic narratives are weaponised for warfare. Thus, I argue, digital media analysis needs to understand the ‘strategic turn’ in storytelling, and its deployment by states and ‘non-state actors’ alike, in this case, news media. Alternative models of worldmaking, in which popular culture acts as a pedagogic platform for class formation and activism, enter an ecology in which narrative is already a weapon of war – where it’s aircraft carriers, all the way down.

Strategic storytelling in the age of sustainability

Sustainability is high on the strategic agenda and is here to stay. While some companies have been sustainable since inception, others are repositioning themselves to be associated with sustainability values. In both situations, communicating about sustainability is key but requires delicate handling to avoid misleading perceptions. Authenticity and emotions are therefore key dimensions of sustainability communication, which match with strategic storytelling elements. Storytelling is discussed in this article as a powerful mechanism to bring about the desired change in individuals, communities, organizations, and society. Drawing from the literature on storytelling, we present, discuss, and illustrate a framework with four strategic elements for companies that want to be successful with sustainability storytelling, which we refer to as the 4 A’s: Aim (the “why” of the story), Actors (actively engaging stakeholders and associating with partners), Aspiration (using an aspirational context), and Action (using the right media to bring your story to life). We also emphasize that a holistic approach is key to doing sustainability storytelling the right way. We conclude with general recommendations that managers must consider when conducting sustainability storytelling.

When the Doors Close: Promoting Academic Library Services in a Remote Environment through Strategic Storytelling

During times of upheaval, storytelling can become a bridge to establish organizational trust and convey essential service information. When the doors to the University of British Columbia Library’s physical branches closed in March 2020, the work performed by librarians and library staff across campus didn’t stop—instead, it pivoted, shifted and expanded. UBC Library's Communications & Marketing team created a three-part story series to strategically draw the focus of the wider campus community to promote these new and adapted services and reinforce the library’s essential role in research, teaching and learning. Using this series as a case study, this article explores how to craft and pitch a compelling academic library services story.

Political public relations within foreign affairs: Ireland’s public diplomacy campaign for a security council seat

This study investigates the storytelling discourse in Ireland’s public diplomacy campaign to win a seat on the UN Security Council. It dissects public relations materials to ascertain what system, identity, and issue narratives constructed the narrative component of Ireland’s UNSC campaign. Results of a strategic narrative analysis suggest Ireland built the campaign around themes of Empathy, Partnership, and Independence. System narratives featured Ireland as a revisionist actor seeking to rebalance the UN toward more equal and participatory representation. Identity narratives emphasized Ireland as a small island-state whose past of economic hardship and struggle for independence drives its desire to help those in need globally. Issues narratives highlighted Ireland’s commitment to global peacekeeping, fighting climate change, and promoting humanitarian aid through gender equality, food security, and refugee assistance. Findings elucidate the strategic storytelling role of public relations and public diplomacy communications within foreign affairs.

Business Horizons Special Issue: Strategic storytelling

Business Horizons Special Issue: Strategic storytelling

Brand activism change agents: strategic storytelling for impact and authenticity

ABSTRACT Brands have recently begun to take a brand activism strategy through which they align themselves with a sociopolitical cause to increase their relevance and strengthen customer relationships. This paper brings together three streams of research: narrative transportation theory, narratology, and narrative comprehension, in order to propose how brands can increase their potential to be brand-activism change agents in the context of their sociopolitical stance. We define brand activism change agents as the brand’s potential to further their aligned cause through the fortification of an engaged customer base. However, this can be a risky strategy, and brands often alienate a significant part of their existing market. We propose a theoretical model to explain how brands can minimize alienation of their existing audience (stakeholders and especially customers) and increase overall support and brand activism impact.

Modern Language Olympiad: Unleashing Potentials for 21st Century Skills

The challenge of becoming employable 21st century graduates to meet current industry demands was the basis of this innovation. With the aim to equip a group of students with soft skills on one hand, and another with industry-specific communicative abilities on the other, the Modern Language Olympiad (MLO) was established under Akademi Pengajian Bahasa, UiTM Shah Alam, as the first multi-language competition held internationally that is fully student-led. Five categories of competitions were designed with close engagement with the industry, which were strategic storytelling, idea pitching, versatile presenting, and radio drama across three languages (English, Bahasa Melayu, and Arabic) from 29 October to 2 November 2019. Preparations to conduct this international competition commenced a year before that. In total, 330 participants from 11 public universities, 6 private universities and 4 foreign universities and 10 UiTM branch campuses participated in the event, which was run by 40 student committee and 100 student volunteers, guided by 30 academic advisors. A total of 40 judges from the industry were involved in the competitions. The event, which amassed a total profit of RM58,416.45, managed to develop the student committee’s critical thinking, problem solving, time management, project management, and budgeting skills, while the participants gained immeasurable benefits in enhancing their communication skills through feedback from the industry and by observing others. This innovation is a step forward to improve students’ soft skills and communication skills using the two-pronged approach through running a student-led, student-driven, wide-scale international event.

Telling the Right Story at the Right Time: Women Seeking Asylum with Stories of Trafficking into the Sex Industry

Exploring the (re)emergence of human trafficking as a global social problem, this article presents an analysis of asylum determinations where claims for Asylum and/or Humanitarian Protection included accounts of trafficking to the UK. The article traces the emergence of trafficking as a credible claim for refugee status and argues that this recognition was time-specific and story-specific. Trafficking victims were identified by the UK Home Office where a claimant’s narrative mirrored the narrowly defined female ‘sex trafficking victim’ presented in campaigns and fictional depictions of human trafficking in the early 21st century. Through an exploration of the work that trafficking stories did in establishing an ‘ideal’ trafficking victim in asylum determinations, this article illustrates how social problems and legal judgments can be profoundly shaped by situated and strategic storytelling. These findings develop an understanding of the social construction of, and relationships between, social conditions and micro-meso-macro narratives of identity.

Decriminalisation of sex work in the post-truth era? Strategic storytelling in neo-abolitionist accounts of the New Zealand model

In the context of on-going debates regarding sex work laws, in most jurisdictions forms of criminalisation continue to dominate. Despite decades of sex workers calling for the decriminalisation of sex work and collectively organising against repressive laws, decriminalisation remains uncommon. New Zealand was the first full country to decriminalise sex work with the passing of the Prostitution Reform Act in 2003, which aimed to improve occupational health and safety. Several empirical studies have documented positive impacts of this framework. However, despite this, neo-abolitionists persistently describe the New Zealand model as a failed approach. This article examines neo-abolitionist knowledge claims regarding the New Zealand model and in doing so unpacks the strategic stories told about this approach, considering the implications for sex work policy making.

Maternity and Justice in the Early Modern English Court of Chancery

AbstractThis article is a case study of female litigants acting in the capacity of mother in the English equity court of Chancery between 1550 and 1700. It starts by asking how prevalent mothers were as plaintiffs and defendants in Chancery, though the burden of the article is a qualitative analysis of maternal narratives in Chancery pleadings and the use of gendered tropes such as “poor mother.” Stepmothers and women acting in loco parentis—aunts, grandmothers, and godmothers—have been included to reflect the full range of women who acted in a maternal role in early modern society and explain how they were portrayed, sometimes through aquerelle des femmeslens. The different legal strategies of mothers (and their lawyers) are examined in detail and the question of the “female voice” in the archives is addressed. The intention is to demonstrate how social and legal maternal identities were used to produce strategic storytelling by mothers and their lawyers in a rhetoric that they hoped would advantage their cases. More broadly, the article addresses questions about the structural connections between law and society, especially the construction of social identity and thehabitusand doctrine of equity.

Strategic Storytelling: When Narratives Help Versus Hurt the Persuasive Power of Facts

Stories are known to be powerful persuasive devices. Stories can capture attention, evoke emotion, and entrance listeners in a manner that reduces resistance to a message. Given the powerful persuasive potential of stories, one might deduce that it is best to embed one's facts within a story. In contrast to this perspective, the present research suggests that coupling facts with stories can either enhance or undermine persuasion. Specifically, to understand when facts benefit from the use of stories, this work provides a deeper examination of how counterargument reduction-a common explanation for the unique persuasive capabilities of stories-operates. Across three experiments, evidence is found for when it is more effective to embed facts within a story versus to use facts alone.