Storytelling for AMC

Challenge & Selection

Selection described in general The tool I used was storytelling for the small & medium enterprise AMC to make a new  business model in tourism in Switzerland understandable and actionable for all stakeholders, also  globally. Storytelling is a great tool to convey meaningful messages that inspire stakeholders to  engage.

Challenge description The challenge was, that the business model is novel, unique, complex and therefore hard to  understand for customers, inhabitants, partners, employees, contributors, shareholders and  suppliers. It contains a property portfolio with rentals to business and residential customers, design  holiday apartments, hotels that also offer services such as laundry, take away and delivery,  housekeeping for business and residential customers, attractive purchase services for other hotels  and restaurants, a marketing and sales ofﬁce, different online sales channels, several restaurants  and some experiments to try out new offers.

As fundamental part of every successful brand, I used the storytelling tool for being able to put the  human beings and their experiences with AMC in front and center, to tell them a compelling,  understandable and comprehensible story that ensures emotional connection to all stakeholders to  get their engagement.

Personal selection reason I have selected the storytelling tool because there was a misunderstanding from inhabitants,  employees and other stakeholders of AMC and I was sure that telling a consistent story  would help people to better understand it.

Additional resources I also refer to the following additional video sources: Ty Montague, How to combine story and action to transform your business, Youtube, 08/07/2013 Simon Sinek, How great leaders inspire action, Ted Talk, (Start with why) September 2009 Nancy Duarte, The secret structure of great talks, Ted Talk, November 2011

Application

Put the human beings and their experience in front and center We started with gathering a deep understanding of our wide audience by collecting all statements  and feedbacks we heard during the last years from customers, partners, employees and  inhabitants and read comments on booking platforms, in local newspapers, correspondence such  as emails and complaints etc. We worked intensively on the characters and values of all  stakeholders who use AMC offers, services and infrastructures daily. Therefore, we used  empathy maps for every stakeholder group to connect deeply with what they hear, see, say, think  and feel and what their gains and pains are.

Subsequently, we looked at trends such as the sharing economy, challenges in Swiss tourism  regarding falling prices and weak utilisation of the whole infrastructure. We then looked at these

topics in the AMC customers perspective by using customer proﬁles and a value proposition  design mindset (Value Proposition Design, Osterwalder Alex, 2014).

Deﬁning the Why, how and what We ﬁrst deﬁned the Why, the purpose of the AMC platform, which includes the challenges  AMC faces and the reason why the current stage is much too dangerous in todays  Switzerland tourism state. When we had found the reason why, we started to deﬁne the How,  which principles the company had to follow by all actions it takes and last but not least the What,  deﬁning all the experiences (front stage/customers) and activities (back stage/company) that have  to be delivered on a long term.

I like to work with that structure as a framework for addressing what will be needed that customers  and all other stakeholders can connect to a sequential, understandable and meaningful storyline.

Brainstorming and adding ideas, testing the storyline with customers We brainstormed and added new ideas and iterated the whole story several times. Consequently,  we tested the storyline with several stakeholders.The story is about 1.5 pages long, starts with  why, continues with how and what. The story contains the challenge and why the current state is  too dangerous than any change. The tensions from todays state to the future state are addressed.  It is written in topic clusters from the customers perspective. The CEO and also the staff can tell  the relevant parts to their stakeholders and explain it more detailed along concrete actions.

Insight & Approach

Focusing on deeper customer insights Usually, business customers like AMC want to quickly see results. This is why I started the  story with all customer insights we had already gained at that point. What I would do next time, is  to better convince the customer that with more and deeper customer insights, the story will become  even more compelling.

Learnings We discovered new and unknown things during the process of developing the story. We also  learned, that the focus of the story in the AMC customers eyes was a bit different than in  Ferienlenks perspective regarding the structure, priorities and also the wording. The AMC  CEO pitched the story on every occasion like employee events, local community meetings,  shareholder meetings, partner events and also tells it with contributors and suppliers. From now  on, he was easily able to link the stakeholders to a consistent story.

Relevant outcomes The story was understood by all stakeholders very well. Not only the story was appreciated, but  also supported and conveyed to the public by the stakeholders itself. It did put the owner in a  comfortable situation to argue in a very clear way and put through his interests. One example was,  that he did not sell a property located on a AMC strategic site to a local milk seller that  absolutely wanted to buy it. Instead, he convinced this partner by delivering the messages using  the story to rent the building and moreover, to become a shareholder of AMC.


Storytelling for AMC Challenge & Selection Selection described in general The tool I used was storytelling for the small & medium enterprise AMC to make a new business model in tourism in Switzerland understandable and actionable for all stakeholders , also globally . Storytelling is a great tool to convey meaningful messages that inspire stakeholders to engage . Challenge description The challenge was , that the business model is novel , unique , complex and therefore hard to understand for customers , inhabitants , partners , employees , contributors , shareholders and suppliers . It contains a property portfolio with rentals to business and residential customers , design holiday apartments , hotels that also offer services such as laundry , take away and delivery , housekeeping for business and residential customers , attractive purchase services for other hotels and restaurants , a marketing and sales ofﬁce , different online sales channels , several restaurants and some experiments to try out new offers . As fundamental part of every successful brand , I used the storytelling tool for being able to put the human beings and their experiences with AMC in front and center , to tell them a compelling , understandable and comprehensible story that ensures emotional connection to all stakeholders to get their engagement . Personal selection reason I have selected the storytelling tool because there was a misunderstanding from inhabitants , employees and other stakeholders of AMC and I was sure that telling a consistent story would help people to better understand it . Additional resources I also refer to the following additional video sources : Ty Montague , How to combine story and action to transform your business , Youtube , 08/07/2013 Simon Sinek , How great leaders inspire action , Ted Talk , ( Start with why ) September 2009 Nancy Duarte , The secret structure of great talks , Ted Talk , November 2011 Application Put the human beings and their experience in front and center We started with gathering a deep understanding of our wide audience by collecting all statements and feedbacks we heard during the last years from customers , partners , employees and inhabitants and read comments on booking platforms , in local newspapers , correspondence such as emails and complaints etc . We worked intensively on the characters and values of all stakeholders who use AMC offers , services and infrastructures daily . Therefore , we used empathy maps for every stakeholder group to connect deeply with what they hear , see , say , think and feel and what their gains and pains are . Subsequently , we looked at trends such as the sharing economy , challenges in Swiss tourism regarding falling prices and weak utilisation of the whole infrastructure . We then looked at these topics in the AMC customers perspective by using customer proﬁles and a value proposition design mindset ( Value Proposition Design , Osterwalder Alex , 2014 ) . Deﬁning the Why , how and what We ﬁrst deﬁned the Why , the purpose of the AMC platform , which includes the challenges AMC faces and the reason why the current stage is much too dangerous in todays Switzerland tourism state . When we had found the reason why , we started to deﬁne the How , which principles the company had to follow by all actions it takes and last but not least the What , deﬁning all the experiences ( front stage / customers ) and activities ( back stage / company ) that have to be delivered on a long term . I like to work with that structure as a framework for addressing what will be needed that customers and all other stakeholders can connect to a sequential , understandable and meaningful storyline . Brainstorming and adding ideas , testing the storyline with customers We brainstormed and added new ideas and iterated the whole story several times . Consequently , we tested the storyline with several stakeholders . The story is about 1.5 pages long , starts with why , continues with how and what . The story contains the challenge and why the current state is too dangerous than any change . The tensions from todays state to the future state are addressed . It is written in topic clusters from the customers perspective . The CEO and also the staff can tell the relevant parts to their stakeholders and explain it more detailed along concrete actions . Insight & Approach Focusing on deeper customer insights Usually , business customers like AMC want to quickly see results . This is why I started the story with all customer insights we had already gained at that point . What I would do next time , is to better convince the customer that with more and deeper customer insights , the story will become even more compelling . Learnings We discovered new and unknown things during the process of developing the story . We also learned , that the focus of the story in the AMC customers eyes was a bit different than in Ferienlenks perspective regarding the structure , priorities and also the wording . The AMC CEO pitched the story on every occasion like employee events , local community meetings , shareholder meetings , partner events and also tells it with contributors and suppliers . From now on , he was easily able to link the stakeholders to a consistent story . Relevant outcomes The story was understood by all stakeholders very well . Not only the story was appreciated , but also supported and conveyed to the public by the stakeholders itself . It did put the owner in a comfortable situation to argue in a very clear way and put through his interests . One example was , that he did not sell a property located on a AMC strategic site to a local milk seller that absolutely wanted to buy it . Instead , he convinced this partner by delivering the messages using the story to rent the building and moreover , to become a shareholder of AMC .