Good guy v. bad guy stories are memorable
Most every memorable story has a good guy and a bad guy, and if you want to sell your story in a way that connects with people and makes them take action, you must identify your bad guy. Disney does this beautifully. We cheer for Cinderella, because we all can’t stand the thought of the mean step mother and step sisters. We celebrate when the prince slips the shoe on Cinderella’s foot, and it fits perfectly. The good girl wins. Yea!
Journalists naturally look for the good and bad guys in stories. Reporters are the watchdogs of government, making sure elected officials don’t become the bad guy and misuse their power. The good guys in the story may be people who were not treated fairly, or the good guys may ultimately be the tax payers. It’s usually obvious in most crime stories who the bad guy is. Even memorable human interest news stories have bad guys. It may be the story of a woman and her doctors (the good guys) who tried an experimental new treatment to beat her cancer (the bad guy).
As you plan your business marketing strategies, first identify the bad guy in your story. You may even have more than one bad guy. Then utilize your good guy to save the day. You must not be afraid to do this with emotion, thinking deeply about the human connection to your business story’s plot. You’ll more likely get the attention of a news reporter to cover your story and ultimately be more successful in selling your product.