Most people are familiar with Star Wars and maybe even more familiar with Princess Leia. Why? Because she is a bad ass. Why do you know this? Because she has a solid, character driven story that connects with the audience. We connect with her because we know her backstory, we can relate to her and we know what she is fighting for.
The same is true for public affairs. To make a connection, to be persuadable, we must make our candidates, measures and issues more like Princess Leia, who has an amazing character driven story.
There is an endless mountain of content at our fingertips these days. TV, movies, social media, music, podcasts, blogs, books and yes, political content. What draws us to continue following or supporting one artform over another? We are creatures of habit but there may be another common denominator: a character driven story.
We all want to feel connected, happy or anxious about the main characters. Even in political campaigns, we are drawn to the narrative of a life, the backstory, the vulnerability and of course, the stakes of the character driven story.
So, what are nuts and bolts of a character driven story?
The Backstory
This is the history of what shaped the character and how they came to be. This story provides the audience with details and insight into what makes the characters tick and why they operate the way they do in the world. It’s a peek behind the curtain into past struggles, fears and shortcomings that makes them feel familiar. The backstory serves as a way to humanize candidates by giving them depth and accessibility.
Most candidates have an interesting reason why they are running, its our job to make that long story, punchy, compelling and human because that is what people remember. Even candidates we don't particularly like have a backstory that make us feel, that feeling is the key to creating an emotional connection. Maybe it's a story of Hope for Obama or even a story of a narcissist with a reality TV show and spray tan. Either way, that story is what we connect with.
“Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope.” - Princess Leia
The -ables
Characters need to be believ-able, relat-able, vulner-able and cap-able. This makes them empathetic and imperfect. The human condition is layered and complex. Each and everyone of us has insecurities, quirks, talents, goals and flaws. We want to see ourselves in characters and find personal discovery through them. An emotional impact with audiences provides a character with room to develop, explore and have an arc that takes audiences along for the ride.
For example, the City may need more youth and senior sports programs, but asking for a tax increase without an "-able" isn't going to get the win. Voters need to know the emotional impact of the issue, they need to know the kids and seniors who are impacted. Community narratives with real people will help explain the -ables in context of need and connect the issue.
The Stakes
There is always something on the line. Characters must be active and have a compelling perspective. Their goals and actions must reflect and reaffirm the views, principles and standards that have already been set forth. Audiences must see the main characters get their hands dirty, struggle to stay on course and navigate the hurdles that will arise due to the unpredictability of their circumstances. This is what makes them remarkable and worthy of our support. The importance in a character driven story should be on everything that happens on the way to the final destination. All the bumps, bruises, victories and defeats. That is where the real human connection happens.
The stakes for the 2024 Presidential are insanely high. Some people will definitely vote for someone that tried to overthrow the government on January 6, 2021. There are no higher stakes than preserving - even if you disagree sometimes - the form of government we have in the US.
Biden FTW in 2024, like your life depends on it.
What we believe at Dragonfly.
Voters must connect, empathize and find agreement with anything they vote on. Whether it’s a ballot measure seeking to fund local government or a human trying to make it on the City Council. Our job at Dragonfly is to build that story.
We create the narrative in a manner that connects our candidates or issues into a larger, more personable story that connects to voters, measures or elected officials. That character driven story is the glue that creates common ground and interest.
If you have an issue, a measure or a desire to run for office, Dragonfly is your conduit.
Dragonfly Public Affairs builds the story, tells it to the targeted audience and creates a specific emotional connection. Ideally this connection drives voters to our position and action. This is what we do and we love it. Distilling a complex person or issue into a relatable idea, a character driven story.
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