Screenshot of the new PlanetForward.org, designed by BRINK

Planet Forward and the role of storytelling in social advocacy

It's always a good fit when your client has an identical purpose to yours.

My creative agency BRINK and Planet Forward, a project at The George Washington University that teaches and celebrates environmental journalism, both evangelize storytelling as a vital tool in advancing social causes.

We have a motto: "stories can't change the world, but they can change minds."

Progress can never march forward without the underlying culture being primed to move with it.

For example, on the issue of climate change, the level of investment in denial propaganda was able to stranglehold the culture for decades. It's only because of talented storytellers - like those that come through the Planet Forward program - that we are now winning public opinion.

What I love about Planet Forward is not only does it work to make the next generation of storytellers stronger at their craft, but it gives them perspective on the cultural context they are entering today and how to speak in a way that builds bridges over our vast social fractures.

Advocating inside a bubble is no longer advocacy; it's just performance.

If your goal is affect change you must always operate with an empathetic and curious mind so you can persuade new allies who don't think like you.

I am particularly disheartened at how often I see my contemporaries in the marketing and communications space comfortably settle into an elitist I-think-half-the-country-is-crazy mindset. You cannot possibly be good at your job if you can't see past the surface of other people.

It's for this reason that I will gladly see alumni of the Planet Forward program as good potential hires because I know they were instilled with the right perspective.

Congrats to them on the launch of their new website at PlanetForward.org (and to my team for the great work).

If you run an organization that shares this perspective, check them out and consider supporting them.

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