Narrative Mapping

Narrative Mapping™ (or Message Mapping) is Sheffield’s signature service. This is a distinctive approach to message development where the focus is to create a clear and concise visual storyline. Small groups are led by an experienced facilitator through a four-hour session in which they openly discuss the key elements surrounding a topic (i.e., new product, service, strategy, business unit, issue, brand position, mission/vision, etc.). The objective of the workshop is to incorporate the thinking of a variety of key stakeholders to form consensus agreement regarding the essence of the story they want to tell. Unlike other approaches to messaging, these sessions gather both logical and creative elements that can serve as the basis for broad initiatives where the message really needs to stick. During the session, the group answers such questions as:

• What’s the focal point? What is this all about?
• Why is this needed? What is the main challenge and opportunity?
• How will we deliver on our promise and address these needs?
• How do we define success? What’s the payoff?

Narrative Mapping sessions not only help establish a clear hierarchy of messaging quickly, but also create consensus. After only a few hours, the group agrees to what needs to be said and can use the storyline to guide the creation of a variety of materials to communicate the core story to distinct audiences in different ways. Organizations use this service when they are starting a campaign, launching a product, defining a brand position, and creating a new strategy. In fact, Strategic Narratives are becoming a powerful application of this mapping technique when embedded in a planning process.

Sheffield can also conduct small-group Fluency Sessions immediately following Narrative Mapping to make sure that key individuals can fluently tell the story. These sessions can be as simple as audio-recorded conversations or more elaborate question and answer video interviews that will later create additional content.

In addition, Sheffield can help an organization maintain a consistent story with Message Guidebooks that provide more detailed explanations of the meaning of each message, relevant facts and figures that support the story, relevant customer examples, answers to basic questions and samples of executives telling the story (i.e., audio and/or video interviews, etc.). Please click here to see a recommended session agenda.

» Read more about Narrative Mapping on the Sheffield Blog
» Read more about Message Development on the Sheffield Blog

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