One of the biggest bottlenecks to brand storytelling is finding storytellers.
Some people don’t want to talk on camera. Others are willing but never seem available when you need them.
The most common and frustrating challenge: stories hiding in plain sight within an organization, never making their way to the marketing team.
The flip side is having a plethora of storytellers who haven’t been vetted. As marketers, it’s our job to set the criteria for what makes a good storyteller for our brand.
The most powerful brand stories are told by real people whose lives changed because of the work you do. Strong brand storytelling begins by finding the right storytellers whose story best reflects that impact.
Here’s how our team goes about these critical steps in brand storytelling, and what you can borrow for your own storytelling strategy.
Start With Clear Brand Story Criteria
Understanding what makes a good story for your brand is step one. Before you go looking for a single storyteller, define what kind of person actually makes sense for your project. Not by name, but by profile.
The question to answer as you search for storytellers:
What did the storytelling candidate experience that demonstrates the impact we provide to everyone we serve?
Let’s take the example of our work with ReImagine Appalachia to demonstrate this approach in action.
When ReImagine Appalachia set out to build their Stories of Hope campaign, the goal was to show how investments in clean, renewable energy were improving life across their region — healthier homes, lower bills, good jobs, and more hopeful communities.
To tell these stories, we needed storytellers who could speak to their personal, lived experiences with renewable energy.
Answering this question is critical. That’s because a storyteller who’s perfect for one brand can be completely wrong for another. Not because of who they are, but because of the message each brand is trying to communicate.
Lean on Your Partners for Storytelling Connections
Once we answered this question for ReImagine Appalachia and knew the profile of the storytellers we were looking for, ReImagine did what a great partner does best: they opened doors.
Take our work in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. ReImagine invited us to a community event and, just as importantly, helped us navigate the room — who’d be there and whose story was worth hearing.
They pointed us toward a couple of people before we even walked in the door. From there, we ran person-on-the-street interviews on the spot, sizing up in minutes whether someone was the right voice for the story we were building about restoring clean water in a former coal community.
That’s the key. You don’t have to source storytellers entirely on your own.
Your partners — community organizations, clients, members, vendors — often have relationships and credibility you haven’t earned yet. Tapping into those networks isn’t a shortcut. It’s the smart way to find authentic voices faster.
Stay the Decision-Maker
If you remember one thing, it’s this: let your partners make the introductions, but you, as the brand representative, should always make the final selection.
Some of the people we met in Indiana County were a perfect fit. Others, despite having great stories of their own, weren’t right for the particular story we were there to capture. And that’s completely okay.
Whether you’re vetting someone over a scheduled pre-interview call or reading the room in real time, selecting the right storyteller is your responsibility, not your partner’s. They can help you find people. But only you can decide who represents your brand best.
The hardest part comes first
Notice that every step here leans on the very first one: knowing what makes a good storyteller for your brand.
Without that clarity, even the warmest introductions and the smoothest interviews won’t get you where you want to go.
That’s the work we love doing with clients. If you’re struggling to find storytellers or discerning which are the right storytellers for your brand, let’s talk.