Stories have long been at the core of travel & hospitality, but we asked ourselves: what would it look like if we brought these stories to life?
IT'S NOT
A timeline of events on the about page of a website
IT'S NOT
Overly thematic, like if Disney & AI had a baby
IT'S NOT
A cool place with a great vibe and interesting decor
SO WHAT IS IT THEN?
It’s something both you and your guests care about; it has relevancy and so people pay close attention to it & want to engage
A purpose-driven, emotion-evoking narrative that guides your guest journey. You bring a story to life through sensorial touchpoints and interactive moments to immerse & transport guests.
It’s not just words on paper, it is something the guests can participate with experientially
It takes people out of their everyday and captivates them
When we focus on story and all that story does for guests, we naturally create a one-of-a-kind destination, deliver more value and warrant higher rates, help guests forge a meaningful bond resulting in greater loyalty & higher levels of word-of-mouth, and attract more exciting press opportunities & fruitful collaborations. ​
Aspect
Typical Concept
Storied Concept
CORE FUNCTION:
EMOTIONAL IMPACT:
ENGAGEMENT:
BELIEFS & VALUES:
BEHAVIOR IMPACT:
LEARNING & GROWTH:
Built for comfort, primary emphasis is on beauty & design
Limited emotional range, pleasant but often lacking potency
Focus on entertainment, often lacks invitation to meaningful interaction
Neutral or minimally expressed, therefore less impactful
Reinforces old behaviors, guests seldom get to try on new roles
Rarely intentionally encourages learning or growth
Built for stories, ignites imagination
& transports guests into a new world
Evokes dynamic emotions, emphasizing a sense of aliveness
Captivates minds, fosters deeper connection & inspires action
Influences beliefs & values through a unique point-of-view
Designed for desired behaviors, invites guests out of their comfort zone
Conveys lessons, inspires hope & sparks transformation
Story gets introduced: through written, oral, and/or visual means
Story gets reinforced: through touchpoints, moments, activities
Challenge is presented: mental or physical challenge that takes guests purposefully out of their comfort zone
Build to peak moment: an invitation and immersion into a heightened experience that mirrors the theme of the story
Resolution: guest leaves with a new perspective, renewed sense of purpose/hope, a feeling of connection, and/or begins to adopt a new way of being
How do we bring stories to life?
Your story can be super subtle or bold & in-your-face. Curious?
See how we applied this strategic & creative process to a fly-fishing lodge in the Catskills!
We don’t have a story - do you help us develop one?
Story can come from anywhere: history, culture, lore, collective dilemmas & struggles, milestones & successes, nature… together we can use existing stories or we can blend stories together to create new stories.
Do you ever create concepts or experiences without stories?
Absolutely! But when we do that the emphasis shifts to creating a new world, so that guests still feel like they’ve been transported somewhere special & exciting. This can be just as impactful if done well.
Do you help brands tell their story online?
We love to, but only after we’ve established a compelling narrative. After 15 years in the online marketing space, we know better than to launch into a promotional campaign without setting the story foundation.