Employment14 Apr 2025Simon Druery

The EVP Campfire: Storytelling your way to a culture of belonging

Let me tell you about the moment I realised most corporate storytelling was broken.

A few years ago, in a gleaming corporate auditorium in Sydney, I watched nearly 500 people collectively stop caring.

The CEO was unveiling their new Employee Value Proposition. Everything looked perfect on paper. The deck was polished within an inch of its life. The benefits package could rival any funky tech giant. The values were carved into the very walls of the building.

But something was missing.

Then, unexpected and unplanned, something happened. A twenty-year veteran in the back row stood up during Q&A. "Can I share something?" she asked. She told a simple story about her first week with the company, when her manager spent three hours helping her move house after learning she was a single parent. "That's why I'm still here," she said. "That's our real value proposition."

Suddenly, the room came alive. People were nodding, leaning in, sharing their own moments. The PowerPoint was forgotten. Real stories started flowing.

You see, in our rush to scale, systematise, and corporatise, we've forgotten what every culture throughout history has known: stories aren't bullet points on a slide. They're not values stamped on mouse pads. They're the electricity that powers human connection.

In our largest organisations, we've mastered the art of speaking corporate. But we've forgotten how to speak human.

Think about it: When was the last time a benefits package made someone cry? When did a value statement ever make someone change their life? But share a story about that one customer, that impossible deadline, that moment when everything changed – now you're speaking in the native tongue of human experience.

This isn't about making your EVP more entertaining. It's about making it more true. Because here's what I've learned from working with organisations in Australia and around the world: You don't have one story. You have thousands. Your job isn't to create them. It's to uncover them and collate them into meaningful and human reflections of who you are and what sets your brand apart.

In the pages that follow, let’s now explore how the world's most successful organisations are reimagining their EVP through the lens of human storytelling. We'll discover practical frameworks for scaling story-driven culture. And most importantly, we'll learn how to turn your organisation's greatest asset - its people - into its most compelling storytellers.

This isn't about making your EVP more entertaining. It's about making it more true.

Because here's what I've learned from working with organisations in Australia and around the world:

You don't have one story. You have thousands.

Your job isn't to create them. It's to uncover them and collate them into meaningful and human reflections of who you are and what sets your brand apart.

Part 1: The ancient art of corporate storytelling

I remember the exact moment I understood the real power of corporate storytelling and it wasn't in a boardroom or during a PowerPoint presentation. It was in a dimly-lit staff canteen at 5 AM, sitting with George, a maintenance worker who'd been with the company for 37 years.

"Want to know why I've stayed so long?" he asked, stirring his tea. Then he told me about the floods of '86, when he walked eight kilometres through the rain to fix a critical communication system. Not because anyone asked him to. But because he knew hundreds of families relied on their product, and as he put it, "That's just what we do here."

That story told me more about the company's culture than any value statement ever could.

Remember that first campfire? Someone shared a tale of the hunt, another spoke of tomorrow's weather, a third warned of dangers beyond the firelight. Fast forward to today's corporate landscape, and nothing's changed. Except everything has.


The evolution of corporate tales

Over the past two decades or so, I've sat in dozens of corporate storytelling sessions. The ones that fail? They're always about the company. The ones that succeed? They're about the people who make the company what it is.

Take Maria at Nike. During a major retail transformation project, she noticed store engagement dropping. Instead of another corporate presentation, she started "Story Runs." Every Friday morning, before the stores opened, one team member would share their Nike journey while the team did a light jog together. No presentations. No scripts. Just authentic stories shared in motion – perfectly aligned with Nike's ethos.

"The first few runs were awkward," she told me. "But by week three, people were volunteering their stories. By month three, we had a waiting list. And something else happened – decisions started getting made differently. People would ask, 'How will this honour the athlete in everyone?' or 'What story will this create for our customers?' It became about more than just selling shoes - it became about continuing Nike's legacy of inspiration."

The initiative spread from one store to an entire region, with store teams now regularly sharing their stories of how they're helping people find their inner athlete. It transformed from a simple storytelling exercise into a living embodiment of Nike's mission to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.

The power of story in numbers

When Unilever decided to reshape their EVP, they didn't start with benefits or compensation. They started with stories. They asked 100,000 employees one simple question: "What's your Unilever story?" The result? A tapestry of tales that became their cultural backbone.

But here's what most people don't know about that Unilever initiative. It almost failed in the first month. The initial responses were corporate, safe, sanitised. Then someone shared a story about failing spectacularly on a project but being supported to learn from it. That story opened the floodgates. Suddenly, people weren't sharing what they thought the company wanted to hear – they were sharing what actually mattered.

The science behind better stories

Dr. Paul Zak's research at Claremont Graduate University shows that character-driven stories with emotional content result in better understanding of the key points and enable better recall of these messages weeks later. His studies found that stories trigger the release of oxytocin, the 'trust hormone', which enhances our sense of empathy and connection.

This isn't just feel-good science. It's business-critical understanding. Here are the numbers that matter:

  • A 47% increase in oxytocin levels after experiencing a compelling narrative (Source: Paul Zak, Harvard Business Review, "How Stories Change the Brain," 2014)
  • 300% more memorable information retention when delivered through story versus plain facts (Source: Jerome Bruner, "Actual Minds, Possible Worlds," Harvard University Press)
  • 95% of our decisions are made by our subconscious mind, which is heavily influenced by emotional narratives (Source: Gerald Zaltman, "How Customers Think," Harvard Business School Press)

But here's where it gets interesting for large organisations:

  • Teams that share personal stories before meetings show a 26% increase in collaboration effectiveness (Source: Google's Project Aristotle research on team effectiveness, 2016)
  • Employees are 22x more likely to remember facts when they're embedded in a story (Source: Stanford University Research by Chip Heath & Dan Heath, "Made to Stick")
  • Companies with strong storytelling cultures see 55% better engagement scores (Source: Gallup's State of the Global Workplace report, 2022)
  • 63% of employees remember stories shared by colleagues, while only 5% remember traditional presentation statistics (Source: London Business School's Corporate Learning Survey, 2021)

The Harvard Business Review backed this up with their own study showing that:

  • 84% of leaders use storytelling in presentations
  • Yet only 31% use it effectively in day-to-day communications
  • Companies that embedded storytelling in their culture saw a 32% increase in employee advocacy

As I mentioned a second ago, this isn't just feel-good science. This is business-critical understanding backed by hard data. 

When Deloitte researched high-performing teams, they found that those using storytelling in their daily operations were:

  • 22% more likely to innovate
  • 38% more likely to have high employee satisfaction
  • 43% more likely to achieve or exceed their goals

McKinsey's research adds another layer: organisations that use storytelling in their employee value proposition see:

  • 20% higher employee satisfaction
  • 28% reduction in turnover
  • 41% increase in employee advocacy

This is why companies like Nike, with their strong storytelling culture, consistently rank in the top 10% for employee engagement globally.

Why are character-driven stories better for recall?

Dr. Paul Zak's research at Claremont Graduate University shows that character-driven stories with emotional content result in better understanding of the key points and enable better recall of these messages weeks later. His studies found that stories trigger the release of oxytocin, the 'trust hormone', which enhances our sense of empathy and connection.

His studies found that stories trigger the release of oxytocin, the 'trust hormone', which enhances our sense of empathy and connection.

  • A 47% increase in oxytocin levels after experiencing a compelling narrative (Source: Paul Zak, Harvard Business Review, "How Stories Change the Brain," 2014)
  • 300% more memorable information retention when delivered through story versus plain facts (Source: Jerome Bruner, "Actual Minds, Possible Worlds," Harvard University Press)
  • 95% of our decisions are made by our subconscious mind, which is heavily influenced by emotional narratives (Source: Gerald Zaltman, "How Customers Think," Harvard Business School Press)
Modern campfires: where stories live now

Let me tell you about James, a Chief People Officer who transformed his company's culture with one simple change. "We stopped starting meetings with metrics," he told me, "and started with stories instead."

Today's corporate campfires look different from the ones our ancestors gathered around, but their power remains the same. Here's where you'll find them:

1. Morning team huddles The first seven minutes of every meeting become sacred story space. One simple question: "What made you proud this week?"

2. Digital spaces Company intranets and collaboration tools become story banks. IBM's "Story Hub" proves it works – over 1,000 employee stories are shared monthly, each one building connections.

3. Casual conversations The water cooler isn't just for gossip anymore. Create designated story corners where teams naturally gather. L'Oréal saw engagement jump 42% after making space for these organic story moments.

4. Leadership forums When leaders share personal stories, permission is granted for others to do the same. One global CEO started every town hall with a story about failure and learning. Within months, psychological safety scores doubled.

5. Customer touch points Every customer interaction becomes a story opportunity. Capture them, share them, learn from them.

Making it work

  • Keep it simple: 2-7 minutes per story
  • Make it regular: Daily moments beat monthly events
  • Keep it real: Authentic stumbles beat polished perfection
  • Make it relevant: Connect to purpose, not just performance

Remember: These aren't just communication channels. They're where your culture lives and breathes. Your stories are already being told. The question is: are you listening?

The Story Cascade framework: Your 30-day implementation plan

In my work with large organisations, I've discovered that successful corporate storytelling requires structure. Not to control the stories, but to ensure they flow freely.

Last month, I worked with a large team to transform their culture using this simple storytelling framework. Here's how we achieved this, and you can do the same:

Week one: Leadership stories

Task: Gather your top 10 leaders. Ask each to share a 3-minute story answering:

  • What moment made you believe in our purpose?
  • When did you fail and what did you learn?
  • How has a team member inspired you?
Simple action steps:
  1. Schedule one hour
  2. Record on phone or write down
  3. Share in next all-hands meeting
  4. Post on internal platform
Week two: Manager stories

Task: Ask each department head to share:

  • One challenge their team overcame
  • One customer they'll never forget
  • One moment they're most proud of
Simple action steps:
  1. Share in team meetings
  2. Record key themes
  3. Highlight common patterns
  4. Create story collection point
Week three: Team stories

Task: In each team meeting, spend 10 minutes sharing:

  • A moment we worked brilliantly together
  • A problem we solved creatively
  • A customer we helped succeed
Simple action steps:
  1. Start each meeting with one story
  2. Keep a simple story log
  3. Share weekly highlights
  4. Celebrate story moments
Week four: Individual team member stories

Task: Create space for everyone to share:

  • Why they joined
  • Why they stay
  • What makes them proud
Simple action steps:
  1. Set up story corners
  2. Create digital story wall
  3. Share in team huddles
  4. Celebrate storytellers
How to measure the success

If you look beyond numbers it’s easy to track the ripple effects of your storytelling:

  • Stories shared: Track not just how many stories are being told, but how often they're being retold in meetings, decisions, and casual conversations – like the LEGO store manager's story that organically became part of their global training.
  • People engaged: Monitor how your people shift from passive listeners to active storytellers, watching for the moment when "I have to share this story" becomes part of your everyday culture.
  • Moments celebrated: Notice when teams start naturally weaving stories into their recognition moments, using past stories as touchstones to celebrate present achievements.
  • Connections made: Watch for new collaborations, partnerships, and relationships that form when people discover shared experiences through story sharing – like the finance and marketing teams who found common ground through their customer impact stories.

Remember: The best metric isn't how many stories you collect, but how many stories start collecting themselves.

And, don't worry about perfection. As one CEO told me, "The worst story well told beats the best story never shared."

The reality check

Here's the truth I've learned from over a decade of doing this work: Every organisation has stories. The difference between great cultures and mediocre ones isn't the presence of stories – it's whether those stories are treated as assets or accidents.

The first step

Start with this: In your next team meeting, don't begin with the agenda. Begin with "Who has a story about why they're here?" Then watch what happens. You might just rediscover what those ancient storytellers knew – that the real power of stories isn't in their telling. It's in their sharing.

Part 2: Turning employees into protagonists

Simon Sinek famously said, "People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it." But after working with market-leading and challenger brands for two decades, I've discovered something deeper: People don't live what you do unless they're part of why you do it.

Let me share what happened at HSBC. The bank faced a challenge that would make any leader pause: how do you unite 200,000 employees across 64 countries? Traditional EVP communications had created a polished message, but it wasn't creating connection.

Then something unexpected happened in their Hong Kong office. A junior teller shared a story about helping an elderly customer navigate digital banking during lockdown. This simple story travelled faster than any corporate memo ever could. It reached a branch in Mumbai, where another employee recognised their own experience. Then it hit London, Dubai, and beyond.

HSBC's leadership noticed something profound: employees weren't just sharing stories – they were seeing themselves in others' stories. The bank pivoted their entire approach. They created "Global Stories," not as a program, but as a movement. Every employee could share their moment of impact, their challenge overcome, their customer connection.

The results were staggering: Employee engagement scores jumped 23%. Customer satisfaction followed suit. But the real magic? People started making decisions differently. In Mexico City, a branch manager facing a difficult situation asked herself, "What would the Hong Kong teller do?"

Reflecting on HSBC's transformation, this simple truth becomes clear: when employees become storytellers, they become culture carriers. Here's how any large organisation can begin this shift:

Step 1: Find your first story — Ask one simple question in your next team meeting: "When did you realise your work mattered?" Don't structure it. Don't overcomplicate it. Just listen. Like HSBC's Hong Kong teller, one authentic story will spark others.

Step 2: Create story moments — Replace one status update in your weekly meeting with a team story. Start with: "Tell us about a customer/colleague who surprised you this week." Watch how energy in the room changes. Notice which stories get retold.

Step 3: Let stories travel — When you hear a powerful story, ask permission to share it. Send it to three other team leaders. Ask them to share it if it resonates. Like that first story from Hong Kong, authentic stories naturally find their audience.

Remember: You're not creating a storytelling program. You're simply making space for the stories that are already there.

As documented in HSBC's 2022 cultural transformation report, their focus shifted from formal storytelling training to creating platforms where employee stories could naturally emerge and be shared. HSBC's leadership noticed something profound: employees weren't just sharing stories – they were seeing themselves in others' stories.

The bank pivoted their entire approach. They created 'Global Stories', not as a program, but as a movement. Every employee could share their moment of impact, their challenge overcome, their customer connection.

The results were staggering: Employee engagement scores jumped 23%. Customer satisfaction followed suit. But the real magic? People started making decisions differently. In Mexico City, a branch manager facing a difficult situation asked herself, "What would the Hong Kong teller do?"

Part 3: Building your collective mythology

"Great stories happen to those who can tell them," said American writer Ira Glass. In corporate culture, I'd add: great companies happen to those who can share them.

When President Kennedy visited NASA in 1962, he met a janitor carrying a broom. "What do you do here?" Kennedy asked. The janitor replied, "I'm helping put a man on the moon." This isn't just a cute story – it's a powerful example of how myths shape belonging. Not fairy tales, but stories so fundamentally true they need to be told again and again.

The power of purpose-driven stories

GlaxoSmithKline understood this when they needed to unite 100,000 employees behind their purpose. Instead of another corporate video, they created "Story Labs" – spaces where teams could discover their role in improving billions of lives.

In one lab session, a maintenance technician shared how his nightly equipment checks meant vaccines could be produced safely. A researcher connected this to her work on vaccine stability. Suddenly, everyone saw their part in the bigger story.

Building your mythology

The secret to building corporate mythology lies in understanding three core truths:
1. Every role has a purpose: At Australian airline Qantas, baggage handlers don't just load luggage – they "reunite families with their memories." This isn't corporate spin; it's a perspective shift. One handler shared how he treated a worn teddy bear with extra care, knowing it was probably a child's comfort object. That story now shapes how new handlers approach their work.

2. Small actions create big impact: When Mercedes-Benz celebrated their maintenance team's stories, they discovered that one technician's habit of leaving handwritten notes explaining repairs had created a chain of customer loyalty spanning three generations. "I'm not fixing cars," he said, "I'm maintaining family traditions."

3. Connection creates meaning At IKEA, store employees don't just sell furniture; they "create better everyday lives." One store assistant shared how she helped a domestic violence survivor furnish her first safe home. That story now influences how teams approach customer conversations.

Making mythology live

Nike's Phil Knight once said, "The most powerful stories have a person, a place, and a purpose." Here's how companies make this real:

Daily practice:

  • Start meetings with impact moments
  • Share customer transformation stories
  • Celebrate everyday hero moments
  • Connect tasks to purpose

Building belief:

  • Link individual actions to larger mission
  • Share stories across departments
  • Create story-sharing spaces
  • Celebrate the ripple effects

Creating legacy:

  • Document founding stories
  • Celebrate milestone moments
  • Share customer journeys
  • Build future narratives
The GSK effect

These stories became GSK's new language. When facing decisions, teams would ask, "How does this add to our story of improving lives?" Performance reviews began with impact stories. New hires were introduced through the stories of lives they'd help change.

One senior executive noted: "We stopped talking about market share and started talking about lives changed. Remarkably, market share grew faster than ever."

Your mythology moments

Look for stories that:

  • Show individual impact
  • Connect to larger purpose
  • Demonstrate values in action
  • Create emotional resonance
  • Shape future behaviour

Remember: Stories create cultures when they're told, retold, and lived. As anthropologist Joseph Campbell said, "A myth is something that has never happened, but is happening all the time."

The result

When done right, corporate mythology turns:

  • Tasks into purpose
  • Jobs into callings
  • Colleagues into community
  • Work into meaning

At GSK, the purpose wasn't just a poster on the wall – it was alive in daily conversations, decisions, and actions. Employees didn't just comply with quality standards; they protected families. They didn't just meet deadlines; they saved lives.

Your organisation has these stories. They're happening right now. Your job isn't to create them – it's to find them, celebrate them, and let them shape your future.

The GSK Effect

These stories became GSK's new language. When facing decisions, teams would ask, "How does this add to our story of improving lives?" Performance reviews began with impact stories. New hires were introduced through the stories of lives they'd help change.

One senior executive noted: "We stopped talking about market share and started talking about lives changed. Remarkably, market share grew faster than ever."

Part 4: Making your EVP breathe

Let me tell you about a moment that changed how I think about Employee Value Propositions forever.

I was sitting with a team of Brand and Talent Managers at a large, global business and they had a big problem. They'd just received Employer Brand Guidelines from their global headquarters. The issue was they hated the creative direction. They didn't want to deploy it locally. "It's dull, cold and boring," they said looking at me with some hope in their eyes to appease their global counterparts while at the same time 'fixing' the creative. I could see what was missing. Local stories that would resonate with Australian candidates and employees.

Culture eats strategy for breakfast, as Peter Drucker famously said. But culture without story is like a body without breath—technically complete but fundamentally lifeless.

Why stories matter more than statements

Think about your favourite restaurant. You don't love it because of its mission statement. You love it because of that time they remembered your anniversary, or how the chef came out to check on your food, or the way they welcomed you back after lockdown.

The same is true for your workplace. People don't connect with value propositions. They connect with moments that make those values real.

Breathing life into values

Here's the thing about breathing — you can't force it. It has to happen naturally. The same goes for your EVP. You can't mandate connection, but you can create the conditions where it naturally occurs.

Start with this: Next time you're in a team meeting, don't begin with the agenda. Ask instead, "What moment made you proud this week?" Watch how the energy changes. That's your EVP starting to breathe.

How to make it real

Let me share what works in real organisations:

  1. Start small: Begin each day by sharing one story that brings your values to life. It might be a customer thank you note, a team breakthrough, or a moment of support between colleagues.
  2. Make it natural: Don't create formal "storytelling sessions." Instead, weave stories into your natural rhythms:
  • Start meetings with meaningful moments
  • Share customer feedback in real-time
  • Celebrate team victories as they happen
  • Capture learning moments
  1. Keep it real: The best stories aren't polished. They're real. They're human. They're sometimes messy. That's what makes them powerful.
  2. Let it grow: Watch for which stories get retold. Notice which moments people keep referring to. These are your living values in action.
The magic happens when...
  • A new hire says, "Now I get why people love working here"
  • Teams start making decisions by asking, "What story do we want to tell?"
  • Customer feedback mentions your values without you mentioning them first
  • People share stories spontaneously because they matter, not because they have to
Remember this: Your Employee Value Proposition isn't a document. It's not a poster. It's not even a promise. It's the collection of stories your people tell about why their work matters.

Give them space to tell these stories. Give them permission to be real. Give them moments worth talking about.

Because at the end of the day, you don't need a better EVP document. You need more stories worth telling.

The next step

This is where Belong Creative comes in. As one of Australia's leading brand strategists in EVP and CVP, we've learned that authentic storytelling isn't just about collecting narratives – it's about creating genuine belonging.

Think about when the last time a value statement made someone's eyes light up. Now think about the last time someone shared a story about why they love working here. That's the difference between stating values and living them.

Through discovering, articulating, and promoting what makes your business unique, Belong Creative helps you:

  • Transform your EVP from a document into a living narrative
  • Unite your employee and customer stories into one powerful voice
  • Create the conditions where authentic stories naturally emerge and thrive
  • Build a culture where belonging isn't just a word - it's a daily experience

As Joseph Campbell once said, "If you want to change the world, you have to change the metaphor." In your organisation's case, if you want to change the culture, you have to change the stories you tell, gather and celebrate.

Your stories are waiting to be told. Your culture is ready to breathe. And with Belong Creative as your partner, you're not just creating an EVP — you're creating a place where people truly want to belong.

Ready to transform your Employee Value Proposition from a statement into a story worth sharing? Let's write your next chapter together.

Article by Simon Druery

Simon Druery is Director and Brand Strategist at Belong Creative. What gets him jumping out of bed each day is helping business owners and marketers craft brands that people want to belong to. When he’s not working you can find him travelling Australia in the family caravan and enjoying a tawny port by the fire.