We love a good story well told.
In this era of ‘big data’ and location-based targeted offers, marketers should keep in mind that great stories, well told, are what move people and stay with them forever.
‘The Moth’ is the Peabody award-winning NY-based non-profit dedicated to the ‘art and craft of storytelling’. It provides a platform for ordinary people with extraordinary tales to share their true experiences in front of a live audience. No notes, no net.
Stories are based around a central theme such as ‘Firsts’, ‘Loss’, and ‘Courage’. Storytellers are given a few minutes to share their tale, and musical cues let them know when they’ve gone over their allotted time. Judges, typically individuals picked from the audience, score the storytellers and a winner is declared. Winners of the smaller events – ‘StorySLAMs’, then work their way up to ‘GrandSLAMS‘ and eventually onto The Moth Mainstage where storytellers have the opportunity to tell their stories alongside literary greats such as Adam Gopnik and Salman Rushdie.
A really great storyteller, not just a good storyteller, takes you by the hand into the rabbit-hole and through the emotional highs and lows of their experience. You are invested, you’re there with them – a front-seat passenger on their journey. You relate to their tales of untamed love, crushing anguish, foolish pride, and devastating loss. A powerful story told by a masterful teller stays with you long after the lights come on and the audience has left.
The Moth has a weekly radio hour, heaps of content available for download on their site or through their app. If you’re a fan of NPR’s, ‘This American Life‘, you’ll appreciate The Moth.
The Wonderblog 