Creating Positive Story Loops with Kevin Richardson

“Stories are biological.” —@K_Richardson

Welcome to another episode of Park Howell’s Business of Story podcast!
In today’s episode, Park interviews Kevin Richardson, the winner of Volkswagen’s 2010 Fun Theory competition and an expert at turning negative story loops into positive ones. Kevin is a producer and designer, and has managed many incredible story teams including working with Game Spin, Disney, Nickelodeon, MTV, Viacom, Electronic Arts, Industrial Light and Magic, and more.

The Fun Theory

To say that having fun is an infinitely more positive loop than suffering is obvious, but how do we apply this to unpleasant activities? Volkswagen proposed that the easiest way to change people’s behavior for the better is to inject a little fun into their lives. Enter the Fun Theory.
The challenge? “Be it for yourself, for the environment, or for something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s creating change for the better.”

Transforming Negative Loops Into Positive Ones

The concept of transforming human behavior through fun is a very powerful idea for business leaders and communicators. By leading an audience through an impactful story towards a desirable outcome, your job as an entrepreneur becomes easier and your mission and products become more accessible to your consumers.

“Persuasion is always better than force, & we in the business world can find no force greater for persuasion than the power of storytelling” —@ParkHowell

Making a Difference

With a solid belief in the Fun Theory, Kevin submitted his entry. He had witnessed the tragic aftermath of traffic accidents involving children and this weighed on him. He had identified the crux of his story, the conflict that motivated him. Now, he just needed a solution.

“It’s through action that you experience narrative.” —@K_Richardson

Find the Pain

What are the elements of story that Kevin implemented in crafting his entry for Volkswagen’s Fun Theory?
How do you go about adopting them to own the board room or to plan a strategic campaign?
The first step is to “find the pain”; understand where the tension or conflict lies for the individuals you are trying to reach. In Kevin’s case, this pain lay in the tragedy of children being injured or killed in auto accidents.

“You want to turn data into drama.” —Robert McKee via @ParkHowell

Heal the Wound

Kevin’s solution to reduce automobile accidents was to offer a monetized incentive to those obeying the traffic limit. By installing a camera that snapped photos of both reckless and reasonable drivers, those who had breached the speed limit were ticketed and those who had obeyed it were rewarded with the funds that the perpetrator was required to pay. Kevin had effectively created a positive, closed loop that incorporated fun and a methodology of storytelling that healed a societal wound.

Storytelling Tools You Can Use

When working as a story manager, Kevin references two books that he returns to time and again: Robert McKee’s, Story, and Blake Snyder’s, Save the Cat. While Story, Kevin jokes, is dense and very detailed, Save the Cat provides the reader with an immediate 15 step structure so that they can dive in and instantly begin implementing story into their own campaigns.
Immediately actionable story tips allow users to identify and connect with each other empathetically. Kevin suggests that the key ingredient in your storytelling process is to ensure that the tension, the conflict in your story is universal. If you can’t describe it in that way, no one will care. This universal truth should be so compelling that a consumer just doesn’t want to stop using the product. As Kevin puts it, “would using my product or service be more fun than spending the same amount of time with my dog? It sounds crazy but it’s not a bad bar.”

Stories are Biological

No other animal on the planet tells stories. Throughout the centuries we have developed this uniquely human practice and it has fundamentally wired our brains to process information as such.
The most basic way to connect with another person is through the empathy created by story, and luckily enough for us, we have all of the tools are resources at our fingertips to be able to begin our narratives.
By tuning into today’s conversation, you will have access to more excellent resources to tell your business’s story. You can find today’s hot tip by listening to our episode or by going to TheBusinessofStory.com.