I want you to think of your favorite story. Pull it up in your mind right now. Maybe it’s a book, a movie, a play, a TV show… okay, now what I want you to do is REMOVE the conflict from this story. Remove all the obstacles, remove all the tension, remove all the drama.

Not very exciting anymore, is it? In fact, according to the majority of storytellers, when you remove these things, it’s no longer a story. So then whyyy do we call romanticized marketing messages that are void of conflict ‘brand story’?

Some might say 'semantics', and I say, in the words of fictitious wizard Albus Dumbledore, “Words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic.” So lets not call something a story when it doesn't deserve to be called a story, right?

As our world right now is absolutely riddled with conflict, I felt this to be an apropos topic for this week’s newsletter. So let’s dive into it.

Stories possess this incredible ability to captivate our minds, challenge our beliefs, and ignite our imaginations. They can inspire hope, bridge gaps & foster connection, and shift our perspectives on the world. As a fundamental tenet of humanity, storytelling is a powerful force.

But it’s incredibly difficult for a story to do any of the above if it’s void of conflict or tension. Without conflict, stories would be flat and uninteresting. Even seemingly conflict-free stories often rely on subtle forms of tension or internal struggles to engage us.

Conflict is the element of a story that keeps people on the edge of their seat. It propels the story forward with obstacles that make for exciting moments. But most importantly, without conflict, we don’t have RESOLUTION. This is why we tell stories - not because conflict is fun, but because the resolution is where all the rich lessons are.

Author of Immersion, Neuroscientist Paul Zak, and his team actually performed a similar experiment with story viewers that I asked you to do at the beginning of this email. They presented two groups with two different stories: one where a clear conflict was presented, another where conflict was only insinuated. Watch what happens when conflict is removed.

In his book, Paul says the zoo story lacks the narrative structure and emotionality of the first story. “There is no crisis, no emotional turmoil, and no heroic decision. But it has the same characters and is the same length as the emotional video”. And according to the research, the unemotional video of Ben and his father at the zoo did not change any of the half-dozen other neurochemicals they measured.

Basically, without conflict, we don't get dopamine/cortisol or oxytocin spikes, and people space out. They start thinking about the errands they need to run or that cruel thing someone said to them 3 weeks ago. And if they're tuned out, they're not emotionally invested, and if they're not emotionally invested, they're likely not turning into a high-value guest for you.

This is, of course, is the last thing we want for your business. So if conflict is essential for compelling stories, how do we embrace story in an industry where we’re trying to help people escape conflict? After all, people travel far lengths to distance themselves from the friction and discord of their everyday life.

Do we just steer clear of story? Do we skirt around conflict and play it safe? Sure, there are a lot of hospitality properties and attractions that take this route. What you end up with isn’t a story brand or storied experience, what you end up with is somewhere in the territory of commoditization and exchanging service for money, the magic and deep emotional appeal of story nowhere to be felt.

Let’s explore some ideas for leading with story and not hiding from conflict:

Subtlety is Key

When you’re creating a story that drives your business but don’t want to bum people out, implied conflict can be incredibly useful. But as we learn from the Paul Zak experiment, too subtle and you risk people tuning out. So it’s about finding ways to hint at the conflict and still get an emotional rise out of people, while most importantly offering some kind of uplifting and empowering resolution. When you tell a story of hope, you’re naturally shedding light on a problem without coming out and stating the obvious.

Balance Balance Balance

There’s no need to be gloomy and ominous, even the most lighthearted and enjoyable of stories have conflict. You can balance with humor, brevity, and whimsy to lighten things up. The fun tone and personality of your brand should still come through strong so that the story doesn’t feel like it’s coming out of left field.

Symbolism is your BFF

A subtle way of expressing challenge is through symbolism, metaphor, and allegory. Fables, folklore, and mythology do a beautiful job of this, and have since the beginning of time. In fact, many stories were often fictitious because truth was less important than providing cultural cohesion... something we could all use a bit more of these days, right?

Reframe the Word

I don't know about you, but the word conflict feels heavy to me. I much prefer the word challenge. It’s feels less adversarial, and it can still help us achieve our storytelling goals.

Most importantly, you can't forget the reason you want to tell and immerse guests into stories. Is it just because you heard story is a great marketing tool? Or is it because you actually believe stories are a powerful force for good?

If you do believe that stories are a force for good, then you won’t shy away from conflict because you realize that conflict isn’t a disruption to be avoided, but a means of transformation. By embracing conflict, we can create storied brands and experiences that resonate deeply with our audience, inspiring them to overcome challenges, pursue their dreams, and live more fulfilling lives.

So with this I ask you: what is the ONE challenge (see what I did there?) that you are most enthusiastic about supporting your guests move through?

Sometimes it's best to work backwards. Figure out what lesson, gift, wisdom, perspective shift you want your storied experience to impart, and then find the conflict within that.

By the way, if you choose a conflict that people are passionate about, they’re not going to be annoyed or triggered when confronted with it. They will be excited for the opportunity to engage with something they care deeply for. So choose your conflict wisely!