Make the Truth Fascinating: Tips from Planet Money
For its 1000th Episode, Planet Money gave out some free storytelling tips
It’s a little precious to start a post quoting David Ogilvy, but I’m going to do it anyway, because it’s pretty much perfect for the life many of us lead. You know…where we are trying to explain boring but important things that people need to know.
Oglivy said this:
“Tell the truth, but make the truth fascinating.”
Not bad, right? Make the truth fascinating.
Good Storytelling Defeats The Dreaded Explainer
One time I remember that we were trying to explain how a combined sewer works as opposed to a sanitary/storm sewer system…and why combined sewers overflow and why that’s bad for water quality.
Not exactly a box-office hit, right?
We made an animated video that showed what happened in a combined sewer overflow and what could be done to prevent them…which was what we were advocating for.
I won’t say we made the truth fascinating…but I’d say we landed somewhere between interesting and watchable. And the program is still in effect 25 years later.
One of the biggest problems is that we don’t often structure our communications to be compelling. We make the boring boring.
Which is why I enjoyed greatly when Planet Money (NPR podcast) did a recent story on their 1,000th episode in which they pulled back the audio curtain and let us see how they construct stories.
Which is something we can learn from. They breathe life into topics that are perceived to be boring and make it fun. They make it entertaining….fascinating.
The Planet Money Storytelling Structure
They start each story with a tease. Sounds obvious, but how often do we do it? Even better, it is often from a character in the story. Characters help you tell a good story…even one that appears boring.
Important about characters: Yes, Planet Money talks to CEOs and Professors. They also talk to people on the front lines of the company. Your communications can be the same…give a voice to the people actually doing the work, and highlight your employees—creating a benefit with multiple audiences across your Flywheel Matrix.
Next, they have what they call a “cliff-hanger soundbite” that serves to lock the listener in. Something like “Stay tuned, this man has a one-page dream plan to solve global warming.”
Then…and only then…do they welcome, list sponsors, etc.
Done right, this is where we we first introduce the facts.
Planet Money then proceeds into the meat of the story. They say that they almost always find that they have to take a step back before moving forward.
I think that’s something we all know, but it’s dangerous. I feel like people are anxious about the real news and they hide in the history. For example, say we are discussing the change in a pension plan. There is a tendency to want to give the entire history lesson, which will lose your readers.
You’ve been to the presentation where Bob talks for 45 minutes about the past. Don’t be Bob.
There is a happy middle. Again, be a good storyteller. Try to place the issue in historical context in a way that is relevant, concise and interesting. Explain how we got here without starting in Mesopotamia.
For economics, Planet Money finds itself referring back to the Great Depression. You might go back to an ownership change, a bankruptcy, a new CEO, a new law.
You also have to explain the concept of what you are talking about. Again, our goal is for people to understand it, so this is going to require a creative solution.
Planet Money is big on metaphors. Perhaps their finest hour was explaining the 2008 Financial Crisis on this American life. They used a $100 house as an example and walked through a simplified explanation without talking down to anyone…without using a single visual aid. We need to learn to do the same thing. How can we make a story relatable without talking down to people? Put your creative muscle to work here. Develop multiple options. Don’t take your first idea.
They also put themselves into the story. The people on the show have bought oil and ordered t-shirts from China…all to put complicated concepts like oil future trading and global trade at an understandable level.
Finally, at the end, they close the loops and re-connect with the tease from the top of the story.
I say this all just to point out that PR stories—in newsletters, IC or even on videos—don’t have to be boring and formulaic. Planet Money can only survive when their stories are compelling. Isn’t the same true for us? When we explain something, we can do it in a way that increases comprehension. We can be fascinating…and sometimes the best place to learn how to do that is to study the very best storytellers you can find, which would include Planet Money.