IMC Hawks Blog

Tag: Narrative

  • Story Telling or Story Selling?

    Screen Shot 2015-10-02 at 1.04.13 PMTake a moment to think about your home. What comes to mind? Think far beyond the floors, ceilings, and furniture. Whether it is a dorm room, an apartment, the structure forcing you to have a mortgage loan over the next thirty years, or simply the place you grew up with a white picket fence, each one harnesses specific memories and has its own unique story to share. The thoughts of an apartment could evoke memories of college life, living with roommates, throwing parties instead of studying for finals, and that insanely uncomfortable futon in the living room. On the other hand, a childhood home could conjure feelings of comfort and security when thinking about playing football with dad or mom’s fresh-baked apple pie.

    As an intern for a local real estate agent, Patrick Gahagan, who is a UNCW Communication Studies alum, I am learning narrative is at the core of selling homes. Each prospective buyer has his or her own story, which encompasses the place they currently live, the place they grew up, and thus influences their ideal home. One of the biggest challenges a real estate agent faces is gaining a solid understanding of each client’s needs for a new home and finding the perfect place for them. Are they yearning for a cozy place that reminds them of their childhood home? Would an apartment that reminds them of their college days when life was far less stressful be best? Or does the buyer want to keep his or her past homes out of mind and find something new? Buyers must be able to see themselves in a home before they can begin to consider taking out a loan that could keep them in debt for 30 years. Therefore, the real estate agent must craft a story to sell homes.

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    Given real estate agents work for commission, it is critical to master the art of story selling. Professional photos with the perfect lighting, and statistics regarding value and square footage, combine with the home tour to compose a narrative for each home on the market. In real estate, photos, stats, and the home’s structure are all rhetorical tools. A real estate agent’s job is to combine these rhetorical elements using the appropriate language to create a powerful story that will attract prospective buyers. The way in which a real estate agent uses rhetoric to frame a home essentially makes or breaks the sell. Sounds like marketing, doesn’t it? If the real estate agent composed an impactful narrative for the home, the buyers will likely proceed to make an offer and the agent is on their way to getting paid.

    In the world of real estate, stories are not simply told, but sold.

    By: Meleah, Amanda, Kendall, Luke, and Dan

  • Jimmy Buffett: An Example of Corporate Communication in Music

    Music has long been a part of our society. It can tell stories, showcase creativity and open the window to a person’s soul. Music can also showcase aspects of corporate communication through the narrative it creates. Our group has defined corporate communication as the process through which an organization uses symbols to get its message across. Symbols can be found within music and our group chose one particular musician whose lyrics have generated considerable influence and have offered plenty of symbols representing himself and society.
    The musician who we think best represents corporate communication is Jimmy Buffett. Mr. Buffett is an individual whose music and lyrics have generated a fan base of millions and created a lucrative franchise market. Jimmy Buffett’s musical style blends tropical, country, pop and rock to create a genre known as gulf and western, which appeals to a broad range of music lovers. His tunes emphasize easy living and idyllic life on the seaside. In the past, Buffett has cultivated the image of a cheerful beachcomber. Jimmy Buffett still maintains his happy, carefree lifestyle to this day and his fans continue to show unwavering loyalty.
    Mr. Buffett’s fans are affectionately known as Parrotheads (I, Sean, happen to be one). I have had the pleasure of attending two concerts in my life and I have gotten a glimpse of the Parrothead culture. Concert attendees wear wild and outlandish getups to show their devotion to Jimmy Buffet. These outfits include Hawaiian shirts, grass skirts, animal outfits (typically parrots and sharks), and leis. There is widespread tailgating prior to concerts, which includes barbecues and margaritas. This idea of a Parrothead culture gives fans a way to express themselves and identify with Buffett’s music and all that it stands for. Here is a visual aid: Attending a Jimmy Buffett concert is something that is not easily forgotten.
    Aside from his concerts, Jimmy Buffett has other business ventures. He has built his brand to include several best-selling novels, he owns his own beer line, and he even has his own station on Sirius Radio. He also owns two restaurant chains consisting of Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville and Cheeseburger in Paradise (named after two of his songs). These restaurants have a distinct feel to them that is easily recognizable upon entrance. The restaurants include gift shops where customers can purchase memorabilia with all of their favorite Jimmy Buffet sayings. Buffett demonstrates corporate social responsibility through his support of conservation. He has performed charity concerts, including his most recent one at the Gulf Coast after the oil spill. Buffett has built up a large empire through his music and franchising and he continues to do what earned him this success in the first place; perform concerts all across the globe.
    From a corporate communication standpoint, Buffett uses music to create a narrative for his brand. His lyrics contain symbols of his lifestyle, his experiences and his views on society, which his fans can relate to. He has continued to communicate his message to a tremendous collection of people through his books, restaurants and merchandise. The Parrotheads not only represent stakeholders, but they are also loyal followers who demonstrate just how much enthusiasm people can have in response to a unique message. Buffet has always had considerable influence and his music will continue to communicate his message for years to come.

    If anyone would like to listen to the song that started it all, check out this Youtube video: and keep searching for that lost shaker of salt!

    Eliza, Jocelyn, Sarah, Sean