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The power of storytelling
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It’s all about the audience

People rely on TV for their information

A recent study by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) asked participants questions about where they get their information when it comes to climate change, and how much they actually trust those sources of information.

The results might surprise you…

  • 87% Scientific organisations
  • 71% TV and radio documentries
  • 66% Charities, environmental or campaign groups
  • 63% TV News
  • 50% The Government
  • 40% Newspapers

As content creators and storytellers, we can help

While Scientific Organisations came out on top in the survey, TV and radio documentaries were a very close second – and significantly higher up the list than our government and Newspapers.

With 77% of the UK public ‘concerned’ about climate change, and 41% ‘very concerned’ (Ipos Mori July 2023), it is clear that we have a collective responsibility – as one of the most trusted sources of information on climate change – to support and guide our audiences when it comes to home decarbonisation and climate-positive living.

77%

77% of the UK public are ‘concerned’ about climate change

When it comes to climate content, our audiences want and expect us to lead the way:

Six in ten viewers expect all production to become Net Zero, and five in ten would like broadcasters to donate to environmental charities and run environmental awareness campaigns.

80% of people across Europe support the idea of broadcasters using content and advertising to encourage people to adopt more environmentally positive behaviours.

Research from Sky and the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) across six European countries reveals seven in ten consumers are willing to make lifestyle changes to address the climate crisis.

The same report found that one in three have changed their lifestyle because of content seen on TV.

Good storytelling is emotionally engaging

We are born programmed to find meaning in stories.​

Unlike numbers or facts, stories can trigger an emotional response, harnessing the power of motivation, imagination, and personal values.​

When we listen to a story, the mind becomes focused on the events of the story, and reality fades into the background. Narrative transportation, stimulated by the release of oxytocin, prevents us from critical engagement – meaning that stories have a greater power to make us engage with novel ideas or opinions, than information or data presented in a more logical structure.​

Equally, if there are characters in a story we can identify with whose characteristics, views, hopes and dreams are similar to our own, we are far more likely to connect with them on an emotional level and, in turn, are more likely to see them as role models whose behaviour we should mirror.

Previous section
The power of storytelling
Next section
It’s all about the audience