Lead with narrative for better communication.

Paragraphica Narrative is a minimalist communications firm led by Iain Ferguson, providing strategic consulting in visual storytelling, thought leadership, and brand and corporate messaging.

We help you uncover the narrative buried in the stories people tell about you. Customers, employees, and even competitors are constantly weaving their own threads into yours—sometimes tall tales, sometimes heartfelt testimonials, sometimes barefaced lies. We’ll help you decide which strands to keep and which to cut.

Executive Narrative & Positioning

We build strategic frameworks for founders, CEOs, and C-suite teams at strategic inflection points. We act as corporate anthropologists, using AI to reinterpret the deeper structures of verbal and written communications.

**Corporate Messaging & Branding

We work with leaders to align internal** and external communication around an ethical narrative that is authentic and defensible. Our role is to act as a means to open dialog around who you are and who you ought to be. We can then help you create branded assets.

**Thought Leadership & Editorial

We assist in executable strategy for internal comms, social media and marketing, acting as your narrative editor. We offer creative** direction, storyline development, and visual storyboarding. Often, the most important communication is what you choose not to say.

FAQs

What’s the difference between story and narrative? And why should I care?

Storytelling is a power technique of persuasion; but stories have a beginning and an end. Narratives are long-lasting, potentially immortal, modes of interpreting the world. Confusing stories with narrative can result in conflicting internal and external messaging that stakeholders can easily manipulate and distort.

How do you find an organizational narrative? Can they be created?

This question gets to the heart of how Paragraphica can help. You are right to believe that narratives exist in the world independent of corporate or political control. The first step is to recognize and respect them. All controlled narratives need to be robust enough to survive ‘in the wild’. The narratives that currently exist within your organization will likely be hybrids of external and internal creation; we work with you to identify and edit those narratives to bring them under control. Sometimes, it’s necessary to create a new narrative from scratch but always honouring the ‘natural narratives’ that set the boundaries for your stakeholders.

Surely individuals, organizations and nations are driven by economic incentives? Shouldn’t narratives remain in the realm of English Literature departments?

You don’t need to look further than your own experience to know that many of our actions are not strictly economic. In fact, we may know that something we do is going to cost far more than it is ‘worth’ but persevere because of narrative pressures. One of the most successful narratives of all time was constructed by De Beers who created the social narrative that an engagement ring should be a diamond ring and that it should cost three times the proposer’s monthly salary.

Iain Ferguson, a narrative nerd

Iain is a writer and a narrative strategist with over 35 years experience in Europe, the Pacific and North America. He has helped major brand to align their narratives with internal and external cultural pressures. His experience ranges from sports to politics, with deep knowledge of multi-family real estate development, energy, retail finance and the not-for-profit sector.

Iain is based in Victoria, British Columbia but is a frequent traveller to client offices in far-flung locations.

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To talk about Narrative in all its forms,

You can Whatsapp me or find me on LinkedIn

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Paragraphica by Iain Ferguson

Work

Narrative Practice

Let’s chat, donuts optional

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Great doubt, great awakening. Little doubt, little awakening. No doubt, no awakening.

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