Sir David knows the power of a good story

‘David Attenborough has spent a lifetime travelling, exploring the wild places of our planet and documenting the living world in all its variety and wonder. He's also witnessed the damage caused. Saving our planet is now a communications challenge. We know what to do, we just need the will.’

I couldn’t agree more.  

These were the words on Sir David’s new Instagram account, which has broken Jennifer Aniston’s record for getting one million followers (he’s presently at 4.5 million and counting). As his new documentary, A Life On Our Planet gets ready to premiere’s across British cinemas this evening I find myself asking the following question.

In terms of business, are our present approaches to creating brands and communications up to the job?

For me it’s a firm ‘NO’. 

You see, most businesses still communicate in the same old ways and say the same old things. 

More alarmingly, most of them remain the ‘hero’ of their own story. 

Yes, a lot of businesses are starting to ditch the bottom line (profit first) in favour of the triple bottom line (people, planet and profit). 

It's also heartening that so many businesses recently signed up to explore the BCorps journey and many more are aligning their organisations with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

By a long way. 

But why does that even matter?  

It matters because:

• businesses are failing to articulate these changes and create the momentum required to build and accelerate a real movement for change

• they are failing to communicate in ways that will inspire others to support the global shift to a zero carbon society and restoring this beautiful planet we call home at a pace that will get us there in 10 years 

• they are failing to put their customers at the heart of their story and both speak and act from the level of their heart AND soul. 

You see, your story is one of your organisation’s most important and underused assets. It’s an incredibly powerful tool for articulating and making changes. But most organisations don’t even know they have ‘a story’ let alone harness it. 

The branding community is way far more obsessed with ‘image’ than what lies within. No wonder its words remain uninspirational and narcissistic. 

An organisation I greatly admire revealed their new brand identity this week. 

My heart sank.

Again. 

Yes, it looks nice and is refreshingly new. But their words and language are still the same. I still feel outside of their movement not a welcome or active participant.

They and many others remain the hero of their story. And when you’re the hero it leaves no room for your customers’ greatness. 

20:30 the clock’s ticking

Every single aspect of our lives must evolve over the coming decade. 

The way we feed and clothe ourselves, travel from A to B, go on holiday, build, furnish and heat our homes… ALL of it must change. We need to a) find and switch to zero carbon ways of living and fast, and b) build the restoration of the planet into every single transaction as we go.   

That’s a whole lot of stories that need transforming.

So what’s the answer?

When your business hits zero carbon, your story shouldn’t be about how you became or are a zero carbon brand. 

Your story’s role is to make it easy for people to see how becoming a customer of yours will help them to change whatever behaviour your story is evolving into a zero carbon, planet restoring one.

It’s time to make your customer(s) the hero of your story. A customer whose loyalty is helping humanity to create a zero carbon society and restore this beautiful planet called home.

Yes, Sir David knows the power of a well told story.

What about you?   

Want to know:

⭑ How well you're telling your story right now
⭑ How well you’re connecting with your customers
⭑ How you can improve things?

Book your FREE story health-check now and find out.