What Mister Rogers Can Teach Us About Storytelling

The art of storytelling is a skill most people aspire to have. Think about it. A comedian uses her skill of telling a story to evoke belly-aching laughter from her audience. A CEO uses numbers and imagery to illustrate the company’s story to shareholders, painting a picture of the company’s financial health and what’s to come. Even a father uses his natural storytelling ability to get a child ready for bed.

Storytelling Is an Art

The recent release of “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” starring Tom Hanks, got me thinking of how I enjoyed watching “Mister Roger’s Neighborhood” as a child. The illustrative stories he shared with his imaginary group of friends addressed issues that most kids were concerned about. It was both entertaining and comforting.

For instance, as a young child, I was apprehensive about getting my haircut and I remember arguing with my mother. “The scissors will hurt,” I told her. “I don’t want to be bald.” My poor mother.

Then, to my surprise, Mister Rogers talked about this very concern on one of his shows - my favorite. Episode 1634 to be exact. After having watched it wide-eyed and drooling, I no longer feared going to the hair salon. I had all the new-found confidence I needed.

What was it about Mister Roger’s story that made me okay with getting my haircut?

Mister Rogers had a secret: he met kids on their emotional level and took their concerns seriously through the art of storytelling.

If you look back on how Mister Roger’s shared his stories, you will notice that he used the same formula:

Curiosity: About the problem at hand

Creativity: In how he told the story using his imaginary friends

Positivity: How he made children feel comfortable and unashamed of how they were feeling

Open-mindedness: How children could address the problem and conquer it

As marketers, we are consistently exploring ways to create a more compelling story. Whether it’s through a PowerPoint presentation, a blog post or a media interview, we want to elicit a positive emotional response or connection when sharing our story with others.

Here’s what we can learn from how Mister Rogers shared his stories.

STRUCTURE YOUR STORY

Every good story follows a similar formula – a beginning, a middle and an end with a hero, a villain and a problem that needs to be solved. Mister Rogers was a genius in wrapping a red bow around each story in 20-minute episodes. When creating your story, construct it with this formula in mind.

Donald Miller, author of Building a Storybrand, LPC’s book of the month, discusses the importance of building clear messaging and how applying a formulaic approach is proven to be effective in engaging an audience.

PAINT THE PICTURE

As humans, we are naturally curious. We have the propensity to want to understand the “how’s” and the “why’s.” When creating a story, pull back the curtain and share with your audience an understanding of what your product does, what your investment approach is or how your service offering works.

In essence, paint a clear picture that people can get their heads around.

BE CREATIVE

As I mentioned earlier, storytelling is an art. Be creative in how you describe your offering and share how your product is differentiated. This doesn’t mean everything has to be sprinkled with confetti, it simply means to be creative in your storytelling approach - whether that is through video, an anecdote or an article.

SHOW YOUR HUMAN SIDE

Mister Rogers was known for being compassionate and understanding. Through a story, he addressed children’s’ concerns and alleviated their worries through a funny story.

The secret to his magic was showing his human side. Mister Rogers showed children that he understood their concern in a way they could comprehend.

A clear way to engage with an audience you are presenting to is to share a personal story. It’s a natural way to connect with the audience, grab their attention and convey your message.

If you haven’t had a chance to see Tom Hanks in “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” I would recommend the walk down nostalgia lane this holiday season. You will leave the theater feeling uplifted and ready to put pen to paper.

If LaunchPad Creative can be a resource to you as you craft your company’s story, please reach out.

 
 
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