How to craft a narrative that helps you stay relevant in turbulent times

In the noisy theatre of professional visibility, stories are everywhere. Yet most of them merely seek attention. They are reactive, opportunistic, and often disconnected from a deeper strategy. If you want your personal brand to endure, evolve and matter, you need something different. You need a strategic narrative.

A strategic narrative is not just a story—it is an architecture. It is the deliberate and coherent structure that connects what you say today with where you want your brand to go in the long term. It works like a compass in a fast-changing world: it adapts to the moment, but never loses its direction.

In contrast to reactive storytelling—which bends to trends, algorithms or temporary audience whims—the strategic narrative holds two essential functions in balance:

• It anchors your message to your positioning: the difference you want to be known for, the value you bring, and the audience you serve.

• It adapts to the present: capturing what is contemporary, urgent, or emotionally resonant for your audience now.

This dual function allows your brand to remain alive and relevant while staying coherent. It is what distinguishes noise from signal. And in a hyper-VUCA world, knowing how to send out signal—clear, consistent, meaningful—is more important than ever.

Let’s take a closer look.

Strategic narrative as the compass of your brand

Think of the strategic narrative as the story your brand tells to position itself in the world. It is not one story—it is the architecture that holds many stories together. It gives direction and consistency to your communication. It ensures that the stories you tell today help you arrive at the future you want to inhabit.

This is the opposite of improvisation. But it is not rigid. Like a living system—think autopoiesis—it regenerates itself in coherence with its identity while adapting to its environment. It is, in fact, your brand’s narrative intelligence.

A good strategic narrative answers these three questions:

1. What are we really about? (the essence, values, and mission of the brand)

2. What do we want to change in the world? (the transformation we aim to create)

3. How do we make it matter to others? (the relevance and value we bring to specific audiences)

The role of the centre: narrative coherence starts from within

As I’ve written elsewhere, your personal brand needs a centre of gravity—a clear identity made of values, purpose and boundaries. Your strategic narrative grows out of that centre. It expresses your worldview and positions you as a voice that others can recognise, remember, and trust.

Without a centre, stories become scattered, and your brand loses shape. With a centre, your narrative gains authority. It becomes not just a mirror of the moment, but a lever for transformation.

Strategic narrative and personal brand plots

If the strategic narrative is your compass, personal brand plots are the paths you take to travel through different territories. They are sub-narratives—focused, tactical, emotionally rich. Each plot explores one facet of your value, identity or purpose. Each is directed toward a specific audience segment or need.

Plots are designed to meet people where they are. They enter different conversations, formats, and channels. But they always carry with them a piece of the strategic narrative. They never contradict the main storyline.

A powerful example of this architecture at work is Richard Branson. As the founder of the Virgin Group and a high-profile entrepreneur, Branson has long used his personal brand to add visibility, distinction and credibility to his corporate ventures. His strategic narrative revolves around challenging the status quo with courage, creativity and a human touch. It is a story of entrepreneurial rebellion that positions him not just as a businessman, but as a cultural icon.

To bring this narrative to life, Branson activates four distinct plots:

• The successful business person, reinforcing his credibility as a serial entrepreneur who disrupts industries—from airlines to telecoms—with boldness and strategic acumen.

• The top networker, constantly pictured alongside influential figures from business, politics and entertainment, which strengthens his legitimacy and reinforces his access to power and opportunity.

• The juglar, a playful and provocative showman who performs stunts and dresses in costumes to attract media attention and create memorable moments, turning visibility into brand equity.

• The adventurer, who undertakes risky challenges such as crossing oceans and skies in balloons or attempting space travel, thus embodying the very spirit of the Virgin brand: bold, fearless, and curious.

Each of these plots targets a different emotional territory—respect, aspiration, amusement, inspiration—but all of them serve the same strategic narrative. They help Branson maintain contemporaneity across different moments and audiences, without diluting his core identity.

From storytelling to narrative strategy

To build a consistent and powerful narrative strategy, you need to work in layers:

• Strategic narrative: the unifying story that expresses who you are, what you stand for, and where you're going.

• Plots: the specific angles through which you show your value in different contexts.

• Content: the actual materials you publish—posts, talks, articles—that populate your plots and reinforce the narrative.

In practice, your content strategy should be organised by plots. This allows you to diversify your messaging while maintaining coherence. It also helps you monitor the balance of your visibility: are you talking too much about one aspect of your value? Are you neglecting a plot that could connect with a new audience?

In times of turbulence, this logic becomes indispensable. It protects your brand from two major risks:

• Dilution: saying too many things, in too many directions, without consistency.

• Obsolescence: sticking to a static message that no longer resonates.

A strong narrative strategy lets your brand evolve without losing itself. It keeps your signal strong. And it helps you move through chaos with purpose.