Thread by @TrungTPhan

1/ There's a communications technique called "Public Narrative". Created by a Harvard prof, it has influenced leading politicians (Obama) and business people (Bezos).

Once you learn it, you see it everywhere...like in Vlad Tenev's GameStop speech.

Let me explain 🧵

2/ "Public Narrative" was created by Marshall Ganz, a Harvard PhD, community organizer & Harvard lecturer.

It's a way structure speech so to persuade and turn values into action. It's been used by lawyers, politicians, activists, PR, teachers and business folk of all stripes.

3/ "Public Narrative" is composed of 3 parts:

• Story of self (a personal story, which invites listeners to connect w/ the teller)
• Story of us (a collective "we" story to show shared purpose)
• Story of now (an urgent story to create action)

Again: Turn values --> action

4/ Example 1: Barack Obama's 2004 DNC Speech

• Story of self (personal story = my father is from Kenya...)
• Story of us (collective story = faith in the American Dream)
• Story of now (an urgent story = "we stand at the crossroads of history" and voting is critical)

5/ Example 2: Jeff Bezos' antitrust opening statement

• Story of self (personal story = my mom had me when she was 17...)
• Story of us (collective story = risk-taking entrepreneurship is the American Dream)
• Story of now (an urgent story = race, climate change, pandemic)

6/ Example 3: Elon Musk's famous cold phone call to Jim Cantrell when he wanted to start a rocket company

https://twitter.com/TrungTPhan/status/1303038649349541888?s=20

7/ Example 4: Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev's GameStop statement

• Story of self (personal story = born in Bulgaria, inaccessible financial system)
• Story of us (collective story = investing is a right)
• Story of now (an urgent story = wealth inequality needs to be addressed)

8/ To be clear, I'm not passing judgement on the actual content of this text. As with any persuasion tool, it can be used for good or ill.

I just want to demonstrate that Marshall Ganz's "Public Narrative" technique is everywhere.

Trust me, you can't un-see it now.

9/ If you enjoyed this breakdown (or like business breakdowns and dumb memes), SMASH THAT FOLLOW

Source 1 (def read this): medium.com/@bethkcarter/w…
Source 2:
workingnarratives.org/article/public…

10/ PS. If you like frameworks, check out Steve Job’s product philosophy

https://twitter.com/trungtphan/status/1298371662815956992

11/ Links to transcripts

Obama: pbs.org/newshour/show/…

Bezos: aboutamazon.com/news/policy-ne…

Tenev: docs.house.gov/meetings/BA/BA…

12/ Best part of this thread.

All the random PhD social science professors yelling “gOoGlE aRiStOtLe” or “hElLo RhEtOrIc” in the comments.

13/ POSTSCRIPT: I triggered the entire Rhetoric dept at UT Austin.

They take issue with the Harvard prof, saying he’s just stealing Aristotle’s work (which he does cite).

None of the comments actually address the analysis of the thread.

People pay 5-figure tuition for this?