Storytelling    Challenge: I was working for a PR Consultancy whose client was one of the top philanthropic  organizations in India that reaches millions of people in India. They’re known for grassroots- level interventions that strengthen communities and bring about tangible outcomes. The media  has always shown interest in the initiatives that they anchor because they are so result-oriented  and impact-focused. Their initiatives encompass a wide range of portfolios such as healthcare,  urbanisation, nutrition, art and conservation, livelihood, water and sanitation, education, social  innovation, and sports. However, it was one of those unusual times where they were unable to  gain media traction on one of the first-ever human interest story they were doing. The keyword  was ‘story’.       It was about a para-swimmer who had conquered insurmountable odds to achieve significant  milestones and accolades with the support of this organisation. Usually, PR agencies are  equipped with the skill to be able to highlight initiatives of organisations to the media and enter a  quote from a beneficiary or spokesperson. The challenge here was to weave in the narrative of  the successful para-swimmer and how the organization gave him a platform to capitalise on his  talents and achieve great things.     After I was tasked with the responsibility to pitch for this story, I had shared the pitch prepared  by the team member working on it earlier with the sports media. I received the same cold  response. Intrigued by this, I decided to revisit the pitch note and realized what may have gone  wrong. It was about an incredible para-athlete, his story. But the pitch note was largely centred  around his achievements and a factual summary of his journey.      Selection: The first step was evaluating all the information we had in place and a thorough scan  of the media and their approach to such stories. I liaised with the team and the client and  explained to them that we may have to connect with the journalists on a human level. And that  was possible through an inspiring story. One that accounted for the failures and the successes,  and most importantly, the mindset. We strived to bring out the human connection and highlight  the thought process that got him his achievements rather than relying on his achievements.     Application: Bring out the human was my goal. I knew we had to detach the person from his  achievements. I decided to listen to past interactions and understand him as a person. I even  scheduled an interview with him to understand him and his story better. Keeping in mind that our  audience – the journalists and readers of the publications in mind I had to sketch out his story in  his own words, highlighting his moments of triumph and failure. It had to seem like it wasn’t a  brand talking, but the para-swimmer.     I rewrote the entire pitch highlighting the mindset of his limitations being his strength. And that  mindset was what led him to the success he went on to achieve. I had to speak to journalists in a  tone that felt like I was sharing something unique and inspiring with them. About this individual  who overcame hurdles biologically, socially, mentally, from the system, financially, but still  managed to cross the Catalina and English Channel in record time.

Insight and Approach: Before I knew it, the media was hooked. While I was tasked with  merely attracting one opportunity for this story, I managed to rope in four different publications.  Four interviews by simply telling a story than describing an initiative. Storytelling worked  wonders for this challenge. The journalists attuned their questions to understand the person and  his mindset and going deeper than his achievements. The eventual stories were exclusive large- format stories that the para-swimmer and the client organisation alike were thrilled to see.        This resulted in a more revised understanding across the PR agency about more unconventional,  but potentially effective way of pitching stories that are not profit-driven. Stories that need to  simply be told to inspire. The agency began taking an approach of speaking to spokespeople  more often, to understand their mindset and perspectives and try to incorporate those flavours in  the stories they churn out for their clients.     This course made me understand that while storytelling may be considered as a very fluid term  used only for things that may be less serious, it is highly effective in an industry that thrives on  stories. How ironic is it when agencies speak to clients about stories but use infographics, charts,  facts, and numbers to communicate? Storytelling is an asset that I am sure to deploy at whatever  juncture I possibly can professionally.

