Apply design thinking to craft stories your customers will chase
Traditional marketing asks, “What do we want to say?” Design thinking flips the script and asks, “What do they need to hear?” Start by listening—not guessing. Run a quick poll or watch social media chatter for verbatim pain points and desires. These raw customer words become the beating heart of your story’s empathy phase.
Next, define your story’s core challenge by casting the customer as hero facing a very human obstacle. Maybe it’s the jolt of anxiety before a big presentation or the frustration of a jam-packed inbox. Craft a one-sentence storyline: “A busy professional races time to clear her inbox before a critical meeting.”
Then unleash your imagination. Use SCAMPER—swap elements, mix two ideas, adapt a scenario—to spin three fresh variations of that core plot. Sketch each on a napkin or slide deck. Share these paper prototypes with a handful of customers and observe their reactions: are they nodding, frowning, leaning in? Each cue is a clue.
Finally, test the most promising variation in a real setting—a short video, live pitch, or social media teaser—and watch body language and feedback. This quick cycle of empathy, definition, ideation, prototyping, and testing transforms abstract concepts into stories that truly resonate.
By viewing your story through the lens of your audience, you move from assumptions to insights that fuel compelling narratives. Spend minutes collecting direct customer quotes, then frame a clear hero’s journey. Brainstorm fresh takes with SCAMPER, sketch the top ideas, and gather quick reactions. When you finally test live, the story you share will already carry the emotional DNA your audience craves—so start small, learn fast, and watch your ideas take flight.
What You'll Achieve
You will shift from marketer-centric stories to customer-driven narratives that solve real needs and evoke genuine empathy. Externally, this leads to stories that spark engagement, sharing, and higher conversion because they mirror your audience’s lived experience.
Walk in your customer’s shoes
Gather real-time empathy data
Conduct a quick 5-question poll or mine social channels for customer pain points. Record direct quotes to use as story fuel.
Define your story’s challenge
Frame each case as a journey: who is the hero, what obstacle do they face, and what is the emotional goal? Draft a clear one-sentence storyline.
Brainstorm multiple plot tweaks
Use SCAMPER—Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to other uses, Eliminate, Reverse—to spin at least three variations on your core plot.
Prototype in two dimensions
Sketch or storyboard each variation on paper or digital slides. Share these drafts with 3–5 customers and note their emotional reactions.
Test with a small group
Run a mini live session—virtual or in person—to deliver your prototype tales. Watch body language and record feedback to refine your final concept.
Reflection Questions
- Which customer quotes most surprised me, and why?
- How does my current story frame the customer as hero, not product?
- Where could I apply SCAMPER to add tension or delight?
- Which medium will best reveal my prototype’s emotional core?
- What did I learn last week that should reshape my story design?
Personalization Tips
- A café owner surveys morning visitors to uncover anxieties about long lines, then weaves that data into a coffee-queue story promoting mobile ordering.
- A nonprofit drafts three volunteer journey scenarios and tests them at a local event, refining the script based on audience nods and hardened frowns.
- A fitness coach sketches different ‘before and after’ client stories, sharing prototypes on Instagram Stories to gauge which storyline sparks the most comments.
Brand Storytelling: Put Customers at the Heart of Your Brand Story
Ready to Take Action?
Get the Mentorist app and turn insights like these into daily habits.