We live in a world dominated by value narratives — stories that inform, inspire, or justify, linking action with meaning, like:
- Apple doesn’t just sell devices — it sells simplicity.
- Starbucks doesn’t just sell coffee — it sells belonging.
- Tesla doesn’t just sell cars — it sells a vision of the future.
These iconic brands use storytelling to bridge what they offer with what people believe.
As Will Storr explains in The Science of Storytelling, we don’t experience life as raw data but in “story mode.” We’re not satisfied with loose facts; instead, we demand meaningful patterns, cause and effect, and resolution, not gaps.
When a narrative thins, contradicts, or remains unresolved, we don’t just lose interest — we start to lose trust in the storyteller.
But what happens when a product, brand, or policy fails to communicate its value? What happens inside organisations when researchers can’t connect insight with…