Stuck in the Story Loop

Do you know the difference between content and storytelling?

by Simon Arrowsmith

Founder and Editor-in-Chief at Iambic Creative

It seems we can’t go a day without someone mentioning the need for better storytelling. As highlighted in the 2021 GRIT Report, it continues to be a buzz topic, along with its partner in crime data visualization. 69% of respondents say they’re already using storytelling/data visualization in their work. So how come we’re still asking for more support in this skillset? Didn’t we nail this the first (or was it the third) time around?

There’s an issue that immediately springs to mind: why storytelling and data visualization? They’re not the same thing. If I add a chart to my deck, does that mean I’ve ticked the storytelling box? And here lies the main challenge facing insights businesses who want to improve their storytelling: they don’t really understand what storytelling actually is.

Look, it’s not their fault. Like any brand or business that wants to use the power of narrative, story, or storytelling, they’ve turned to specialists to help them navigate their way through the woods. But not everyone gets guided to Grandmother’s house in one piece. Just like Little Red herself, some are led astray from the path. They get lost in the weeds and bracken of academic theory. Or, at the other extreme, they’re shown how to bulldoze through the trees, build a three-lane highway, and land straight at the old lady’s front door. “It’s got a beginning, middle and end, let’s call that a story.”