As nonstop information shouts for our attention, telling compelling brand stories “grows in importance by the moment,” Rob Biesenbach said. “The one thing that seems to break through all the noise is storytelling.”
Biesenbach, a communications coach in Chicago and columnist for Strategies & Tactics, was among the panelists on March 23 for Member Mondays, PRSA’s monthly webinar for members and nonmembers.
When someone starts to tell a story, “The lights go on and we get engaged,” Biesenbach said. This human tendency to be captivated by stories “is universal, and with the rise of AI, it’s a key differentiator. AI may be able to shape our stories, but there’s no substitute for our own personal stories, the ones that come from our experience.”
Heide Harrell, PRSA’s 2026 Chair and host of Member Mondays, said stories are an opportunity to express emotion. Texts written by AI are just words, but when telling real stories, “we can make it be felt,” she said.
“Stories help us connect,” said panelist Lisa Arledge Powell, APR, CEO and founder of MediaSource in Columbus, Ohio. “We all start paying attention when a story is compelling and not just a fact or a figure.”
Panelist Heather Morgan, APR, is vice president of communications and business development at MHP Salud, a nonprofit that trains public health professionals who work with trauma patients in southern Texas.
As people, “We’re designed to connect with others,” she said. “That’s what storytelling allows us to do, to make that human connection. And it brings the emotional element.”
Make the audience the hero
Every good story will “pull the audience in,” Morgan said. “You need a hero, the person you’re trying to move into action. There’s a problem, there’s a solution, and a resolution. That’s what we do every day with storytelling.”
Arledge Powell agreed. “Set up the problem, and then segue into the solution without blatantly promoting the brand,” she said. “It should feel like an authentic story of how your organization is solving a problem.”
As PR pros, as communicators, “Our goal is to connect our audience with our brand, or our purpose, on a level that moves them to act,” Morgan said. “Storytelling lets our audience see themselves in the story, either as a character or ideally, as the hero.”
In the nonprofit, community-health realm, the heroes of her stories are donors and clients, Morgan said. “The organization is merely the conduit that supports these main characters. We never tell stories about us. We tell stories about you, and how you’ve changed communities,” to create “a more powerful experience for the audience.”
Biesenbach calls stories “the perfect emotion-delivery vehicle. Because emotion is what sells. You’ve got to win their heart to change their mind. Stories are an experience, not just passive.”
Building a bank of stories starts with understanding your audience’s biggest challenges — and how your organization helps solve them, he said.
Member Mondays is an initiative designed to foster direct engagement and provide valuable information sharing within the PR community. Member Mondays take place on the fourth Monday of each month from 1–1:45 p.m. ET. All programs are free for PRSA members. Sign up for future sessions here.
Photo credit: Gejsi
