Changing Our Narrative About Narrative

This white paper from American civil rights leader Rashad Robinson can help you understand how narratives can be used to create culture change. The paper argues that impactful narrative work is not just about developing stories - it is about deeper dissemination through “narrative infrastructure.” The author breaks down this narrative infrastructure into three key elements: getting your message out (and, more importantly, keeping your ideas in circulation by finding different ways to retell the same story), investing in people and networks of people to help spread your message, and using a “brand narrative” to engage people on an emotional level. This guidance will be most useful to communications, marketing, and sustainability teams seeking to harness the power of narratives to shift norms and rules.