Creating Compelling Stories From Your Research

How to create stories that resonate throughout your organization

Many companies conduct numerous research studies each year, and too often these efforts have limited shelf lives or are referenced only in a limited capacity. For those of us who design and manage these studies, we all want to see a high ROI in the work we do. So that begs the question, what can you do to make your research more impactful and memorable throughout your organization?

Recently, one of our clients conveyed that a particular study we did on packaging has remained incredibly impactful to their organization, long after the final results have been delivered. Even though the core need for that work has since been addressed, the findings have continued to influence people.  The reason they gave for this? Video that we integrated into the report to share the views of a few of their key consumers. The videos told a story that resonated because…

• There was some conflict, a pain point uncovered that needed to be solved.
• The related data points had stuck because there was an anecdote to go with them.  Studies show that we retain data far longer when accompanied by a story versus just a data point on its own.
• There was an emotional element of seeing and hearing actual customers and their video testimonials.
• The insights were written to speak specifically to the packaging team who needed to implement the findings. Knowing your audience is key to storytelling.

Telling great stories with research insights isn’t necessarily easy or straightforward, as we all know. However, we wanted to share some key elements that Radius focuses on to create a story with impact across an organization:

Research Design

There are a few important things to keep in mind during the design phase: Who will use the research, when it will be used, and the current reason why things are done as they are. These elements help determine what will be the most powerful data to discover.

Data Visualization

A few fancy charts do not make for impactful visualization. There should be a rationale behind the data visualization. At Radius, we adhere to such principles as clean and simple line art icons, photography that feels authentic, limited color palette, and concise and consultative language.

Story Arc

Instead of a straightforward research report, we write using a story arc that includes time-tested elements for more persuasive results. A story arc contains three phases: 1) the current context or starting point of the research; 2) the challenges and struggles uncovered in the research; 3) the destination informed by the strategic insights.

Implementation

A strategic, business-building research story must be integrated throughout an organization in order to activate the recommendations. Radius uses a range of methods to assist cross-functional teams (sales, marketing, operations etc.) in interpreting the outcomes for their specific needs. This has been most successful when there is a cross-functional team working across the organization to ensure consistency, while each individual team takes responsibility accordingly.

Want to learn more about the Radius approach to research storytelling? Contact us to speak with one of our senior research professionals.