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brands live in STORIES. . .

HOW COMPELLING IS YOURS?

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Episode 8
 

Five C's of Contagious Narratives 

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Why Your Story Isn't Spreading (Yet)

You're not in the business of products. You're not even in the business of services. You're in the business of stories. Because in a crowded, hyper-connected market, only the story spreads. Not the spec sheet. Not the roadmap.

The modern brand doesn't live in a deck or a tagline4it lives in the mouths of others. Your story is being retold right  now& or it's being forgotten. So why are some companies impossible to ignore, while others fade into the hum of  mediocrity? 

It's because great stories infect. They stick. They compel. They don't just live - they spread. Welcome to the Five C's of Contagious Narratives, a storytelling system born from three decades of battle-tested communications work. Think of it as the diagnostic manual for narrative fire. And if your company's story isn't catching? One of these five C's is broken.

Compelling
Your story must stir emotion. Logic leads to conclusions; emotion leads to action. Great brands understand this. Patagonia doesn't sell jackets - it sells moral clarity. SpaceX doesn't just build rockets - sells a seat at humanity's next chapter. Compelling means you've hit a nerve.

Credible
Emotion without proof is manipulation. Your story has to be backed by evidence. Customers need to believe you before they buy into you. Case studies, traction, team credibility - without proof, you're just another PowerPoint promise.

Concise
If it takes more than 15 seconds to explain what you do, you're already losing. The battlefield is noisy. Your narrative must slice through it like a well-honed pitchfork. We call this "Speed to Cool" - can you go from "what do you do?" to "that's cool" before your audience looks at their phone?

Consistent
If your CEO says one thing, your pitch deck says another, and your team says a third, guess what? You're the next WeWork. Narrative inconsistency is a trust killer. Repetition isn't lazy - it's leadership.

Contagious 
You've nailed 1-4. Now ask: does your story want to be repeated? Can others carry it forward? Align
it with trending topics, hot pain points, cultural movements - and suddenly, your story isn't just
resonating. It's being amplified.

Contributions & Commentary

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MeetUp
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Join us , Tuesdays @ 11:00 AM PT at https://witi.zoom.us/j/xxxxx   Start date TBD.

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Book
Great books on viral strategies. 

CONTACTS

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Bill Ryan 

bill@mandala-vss.com

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Andy Abramson

aabramson@comunicano.com​

CONTACT US

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