Reflection: Storytelling

Challenge & Selection  Storytelling is a useful tool to understand the underlying problems that consumers face when  using a product or a service. The key advantage of using the storytelling is that it helps to create  empathy with the problem as the consumers tell their stories from their own perspective, when  describing their pain points in the process. I am a marketing researcher and professor. I have  worked on multiple consumer research projects. I always use storytelling when conducting  qualitative research, especially for in-depth interviews and focus groups to gain insights from the  informants.

Application  One example of storytelling I have used is when I conducted in-depth interviews with eight small  bakery owners in Thailand about “how they used mayonnaise (e.g., brand, price, flavor, package  size, place to purchase, and used mayonnaise for what bakery products)”. Each in-depth  interview lasted about an hour. My client is a well-known mayonnaise brand in Thailand. The  client wanted to come up with the better marketing mixed strategy for their current two  mayonnaise products (one is about 30% more expensive than another one). I started the  interview with broad questions to get to know the informants better “Please briefly tell me the  stories of yourself as a bakery owner (e.g., why became a bakery owner, location of the bakery,  how long have been bakery business owner, primary & secondary customers, sales per day, major  competitors, marketing strategies etc.). Then, I asked more specific questions related to  mayonnaise buying behaviors and usage. All the interviews are recorded digitally. I can listen and  watched the videos later when writing up the report.

Every question I asked, I listened to the informants and observed their non-verbal  communications thoroughly with empathy and appropriate facial expressions. I shared my  opinions, agreements/ disagreements with their answers thoughtfully. Importantly, during the  interviews, I wrote the important information in the flip chart to summarize the informant’s  stories using flow chart, arrows, boxes, circles, and emojis. So that, the bakery owner and I can  follow and stories in the same way and pace.

After conducting all eight in-depth interviews, I gained many interesting insights, WOW. One  critical and interesting insight and pattern I found and would like to share is that the informants  generally bought both types of mayonnaise and mixed them together before using it, especially  when making filling buns (e.g., ham, shredded pork, and sausages). They told me that one type  of mayonnaise was sweeter, while another type (the more expensive one) was creamier. So, they  normally mixed them together come up with the better taste and texture (their own mayonnaise  recipe). They liked both types of mayonnaise than other brands’ mayonnaises because both types  were less sour. The client was happy with this finding. They talked to their R&D to come up with  the new type of mayonnaise with the appropriate taste and texture, especially for filling buns.  (Ps., filling buns, especially shredded pork is very popular in Thailand).

Insight & Approach  From my experiences in using storytelling in qualitative research, the informants’ stories provide  the useful contents for the design thinking process. Asking the right questions in the right flow/  sequence expands the breadth and depth of the informants’ stories (i.e., about how they used  mayonnaise) with empathy, leading to lots of innovative thoughts and ideas for design thinking  process. Indeed, storytelling links between the abstract ideas gained from visualization with the  more concreate mind mapping, and ultimately narrower thoughts for learning launch.  As such,  storytelling is a critical tool for feedback/ crosscheck, which is the foundation of the iterative  process leading to solutions to the consumers’ pain points.

After taking this design thinking for innovation course, I will utilize storytelling more and more,  not only for quality research but also for my innovative teaching strategies. For instance, I would  like the students to remember the contents in the course syllabus better and come up with the  better course contents and format. Many students forgot about what I expect and what have  written clearly in the course syllabus. They asked me multiple times throughout the semester,  which they shouldn’t.  Using storytelling strategy for course syllabus in the first class will help the  students memorize the contents in the course syllabus better and look forward to working with  me throughout the semester. This is because stories are much easier to remember than simple  facts. Stories encourage the audiences to follow the flow of the contents. Therefore, this will help  engage the students and make the contents interesting/ not boring. At the end of the semester,  I will work with the students using storytelling strategy together with other design thinking tools  to come up with a better and innovative course syllabus, contents, graded assignments, exams,  and activities.


Reflection : Storytelling Challenge & Selection Storytelling is a useful tool to understand the underlying problems that consumers face when using a product or a service . The key advantage of using the storytelling is that it helps to create empathy with the problem as the consumers tell their stories from their own perspective , when describing their pain points in the process . I am a marketing researcher and professor . I have worked on multiple consumer research projects . I always use storytelling when conducting qualitative research , especially for in - depth interviews and focus groups to gain insights from the informants . Application One example of storytelling I have used is when I conducted in - depth interviews with eight small bakery owners in Thailand about “ how they used mayonnaise ( e.g. , brand , price , flavor , package size , place to purchase , and used mayonnaise for what bakery products ) ” . Each in - depth interview lasted about an hour . My client is a well - known mayonnaise brand in Thailand . The client wanted to come up with the better marketing mixed strategy for their current two mayonnaise products ( one is about 30 % more expensive than another one ) . I started the interview with broad questions to get to know the informants better “ Please briefly tell me the stories of yourself as a bakery owner ( e.g. , why became a bakery owner , location of the bakery , how long have been bakery business owner , primary & secondary customers , sales per day , major competitors , marketing strategies etc . ) . Then , I asked more specific questions related to mayonnaise buying behaviors and usage . All the interviews are recorded digitally . I can listen and watched the videos later when writing up the report . Every question I asked , I listened to the informants and observed their non - verbal communications thoroughly with empathy and appropriate facial expressions . I shared my opinions , agreements/ disagreements with their answers thoughtfully . Importantly , during the interviews , I wrote the important information in the flip chart to summarize the informant ’s stories using flow chart , arrows , boxes , circles , and emojis . So that , the bakery owner and I can follow and stories in the same way and pace . After conducting all eight in - depth interviews , I gained many interesting insights , WOW . One critical and interesting insight and pattern I found and would like to share is that the informants generally bought both types of mayonnaise and mixed them together before using it , especially when making filling buns ( e.g. , ham , shredded pork , and sausages ) . They told me that one type of mayonnaise was sweeter , while another type ( the more expensive one ) was creamier . So , they normally mixed them together come up with the better taste and texture ( their own mayonnaise recipe ) . They liked both types of mayonnaise than other brands ’ mayonnaises because both types were less sour . The client was happy with this finding . They talked to their R&D to come up with the new type of mayonnaise with the appropriate taste and texture , especially for filling buns . ( Ps . , filling buns , especially shredded pork is very popular in Thailand ) . Insight & Approach From my experiences in using storytelling in qualitative research , the informants ’ stories provide the useful contents for the design thinking process . Asking the right questions in the right flow/ sequence expands the breadth and depth of the informants ’ stories ( i.e. , about how they used mayonnaise ) with empathy , leading to lots of innovative thoughts and ideas for design thinking process . Indeed , storytelling links between the abstract ideas gained from visualization with the more concreate mind mapping , and ultimately narrower thoughts for learning launch . As such , storytelling is a critical tool for feedback/ crosscheck , which is the foundation of the iterative process leading to solutions to the consumers ’ pain points . After taking this design thinking for innovation course , I will utilize storytelling more and more , not only for quality research but also for my innovative teaching strategies . For instance , I would like the students to remember the contents in the course syllabus better and come up with the better course contents and format . Many students forgot about what I expect and what have written clearly in the course syllabus . They asked me multiple times throughout the semester , which they should n’t . Using storytelling strategy for course syllabus in the first class will help the students memorize the contents in the course syllabus better and look forward to working with me throughout the semester . This is because stories are much easier to remember than simple facts . Stories encourage the audiences to follow the flow of the contents . Therefore , this will help engage the students and make the contents interesting/ not boring . At the end of the semester , I will work with the students using storytelling strategy together with other design thinking tools to come up with a better and innovative course syllabus , contents , graded assignments , exams , and activities .