Episode #16: 'And, But & Therefore' with Park Howell
“We have learned that because we are storytelling apes, that we are always trying to learn from stories. Stories are nothing but a learning tool. It’s just in our DNA. It’s in our evolution.”
-Park Howell, Business of Story
The term “storytelling” gets thrown around so much, that it often loses its meaning in the marketing world. In fact, how often do you, as a PR professional, stop to think about the stories that you tell about the brand you represent? Our guest today, Park Howell, is a storytelling evangelist who wants PR’s to understand what TRUE storytelling is, why it’s imperative in your work, and how to apply proven principles to ensure you’re always telling impactful stories about your brand.
In this episode, you’ll learn...
The ‘And, But & Therefore’ (aka the ‘ABT’) narrative framework
The 5 primal elements of storytelling
How to incorporate these storytelling principles into your PR work
Our guest is:
Park Howell, former advertiser and current storytelling coach for purpose-driven brands. He hosts the Business of Story podcast (which Britt + Jackie have been featured in). He’s also the author of Brand Bewitchery.
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Show Notes:
:00 -- Britt introduces our guest
1:00 -- Park asks Britt and Jackie what the biggest challenges they see across the board are when ideating a story for media relations.
4:00 -- Park explains why he asked the question, and goes into what the ‘and, but & therefore’ method is, and why our “primal brains” love it.
8:40 -- Park gives an example of a story using the “And, But & Therefore.”
9:18 -- Britt mentions that Josh Constine is relevant to this method. (Give it a listen if you haven’t already!)
10:08 -- Britt asks Park what elements PR’s should consider when setting up a story.
14:30 -- Britt asks Park if he has any overused phrases in pitches he receives for his podcast. He explains how ABT may be used to pitch him a guest for his podcast.
19:00 -- Jackie asks Park what the 5 primal elements are of storytelling and how it fits into the ABT. Park goes into a real example of how storytelling was impactful for someone in business.
26:24 -- Britt mentions that clients don’t leverage their customer’s stories enough. Park agrees and demonstrates how marketers can help their clients craft those stories using the 5 primal elements.
29:37 -- Britt asks for Park to give final words. Park gives an overview of his book, Brand Bewitchery.
Connect with Park
Connect with Jackie & Britt
