Stories have the power to connect with people in a way that facts and figures never can. That's why businesses have been using storytelling as a marketing tool for years. By creating a compelling narrative, companies can capture their audience's attention and inspire them to take action. 

 

But that can be easier said than done. After all, what makes a good story? How do you write a good story and how do you captivate your audience?

 

Well, before you start crafting your story you need to think about the plot. Just like in popular novels, movies and tv shows, there are several plot structures that businesses can use to craft effective marketing campaigns. According to one author and journalist, Christopher Booker, all stories follow one of seven plot structures.

 

In this blog post, we'll explore the seven types of plots typically used in stories and how they can be adapted to help businesses sell their products and services. I’ve also included some tv ads for you to see these plots in action.

 

Overcoming The Monster

Everyone will be familiar with this type of plot. It’s the archetypical story of good overcoming evil. Of the hero defeating the villain and restoring the world back to its previous state of balance. Examples in fiction include David and Goliath, Jaws, Alien or War of the worlds. In the real world, a story might cover defeating obstacles that stood in the way of your business, or how your product or service helped a customer to overcome a problem. 

 

One of my favourite examples of this is the Cadbury Milk Tray Man ads featuring a James Bond-esq character who overcomes all sorts of obstacles including a shark, to deliver the chocolates to his love.

Rags to Riches

One of the most recognisable story plots, the rags to riches structure is the ultimate Cinderella story. It’s the tale of the underdog who comes from humble beginnings and overcomes adversity to achieve their dreams or goals with the help of a fairy godmother or (more realistically) someone who acts as a coach or mentor to the underdog. In the real world, this might be someone with an unknown or unrecognisable talent becoming acknowledged for what they do, with your help. 

 

An example of this is John Lewis’ Edgar the Dragon christmas advert. The dragon’s talent for breathing fire upsets the village after causing destruction until, (with the help of his little friend) he finds a way forward - he lights up a christmas pudding at the village christmas feast and is welcomed to the feast.

The Quest

Quest stories are very popular and are some of our favourite plot structures. In a quest the hero or heroine sets out (usually with one or more sidekicks) on an adventure with a particular goal in mind. Modern story examples include the lord of the rings, the Indiana Jones franchise or Treasure Island. In the real world, this might be a long-term goal that you help a client achieve where they have to go on a metaphorical journey. It might be a weight loss or fitness program or a course that if followed will lead to certain results.

 

The Honda impossible dreams advert uses a version of this.

 

Voyage and Return

The voyage and return plot is similar to the quest plot structure in that the main character goes on an adventure, the difference is that once the adventure is over they return home or wake up - usually with a new perspective. Fictional examples include the Wizard of Oz and Alice in wonderland. Similar to a quest, this is a great choice if you are writing a transformational story as you can use it to show how the voyage has resulted in making changes and demonstrate these changes.

Comedy

Everyone loves a bit of humour and when done right comedy can be very effective. Comedy plots usually feature confusion which must be resolved to give a happy ending which is often unexpected or romantic. In the real world, you could talk about the screw-ups that have been happening to the client - how everything they’ve tried has led to chaos and confusion in a funny way. You could then introduce your product or service as the solution.

 

The Freeview cat and budgie advert is a great example. Watching the cat and budgie sing is funny and you are convinced that the cat is going to kill the budgie but in the end, they are snuggled up together with a shocked owner looking on.

Tragedy

Another plot you can consider is the tragedy plot. As their name suggests, these have a tragic element in the story which is usually heartbreaking. Quite often there is a lesson to be learned for example in Romeo and Juliet the death of the main characters serves as a catalyst for change and resolution, in the lovely bones its about the main character finding peace after a tragedy. In variably, a tragedy normally ends with the potential for hope. Charities will commonly use the tragedy plot to tug on heartstrings to entice people to donate like in this video used by Children in Need a few years ago. This type of plot is lesser used than some of the others, but sometimes it can work if done right.

Rebirth

The rebirth story is a story of redemption. The plot takes someone who often doesn’t realise they have a problem, some miraculous event forces them to take a look at their life and leads to them redeeming themselves by the end. A Christmas Carol is a classic example in fiction. From a business point of view, it could be used to demonstrate a business owner making poor choices without realising it and the transformation once they’ve been shown the ‘error of their ways’.

 

Using Story Plot Structures in Marketing

 

Understanding the different plot structures used in storytelling can be a valuable tool in marketing. By incorporating these storytelling techniques into your marketing campaigns, you can create more engaging and memorable content that resonates with your target audience. 

 

Ultimately, the goal of any marketing effort is to connect with consumers and persuade them to take action, and storytelling can be an incredibly effective way to do just that.

 

So if you're looking to elevate your marketing game and stand out from the competition, consider incorporating some of these plot structures into your content strategy. With a little creativity and a lot of heart, you can craft compelling stories that leave a lasting impression on your audience.