Crafting Narratives
That Ignite
Indifferent Minds
Blog
No one wants to be sold to, but good narratives are irresistible!
Our minds are in constant opposition to persuasion.But they’re also always on the lookout for stories: What’s her story? What’s the REAL story with this company? Will doing business together lead to success?
Tapping into these “story receptors” is what we aim for.
Guiding Principle:
With Integrity and Passion
It seems sometimes that in today’s world, integrity has gone out of fashion. It’s sad because I am a big believer in this principle. Personal integrity – committing only to the things you can deliver and standing by your commitments – and professional integrity – passionately pursuing the optimal solution and prioritizing it over personal interests.
Our processes
1
Before attempting to persuade people, one should understand their internal narratives
2
Strategic Narratives demandmulti-dimensional craftmanship
Strategic Narratives should address an intricate web of needs and limitations:
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Business strategy and vision
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Motivations of target personas
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Product strategy and limitations
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Needs of internal stakeholders
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Competitive offerings
3
Boring is bad for business
Even your most conservative prospects hate boring. You should hate boring too because it makes you transparent, and transparent marketing is a waste of money.
There’s nothing I hate more than boring. I’ll kick it out of you!
4
The proof is in the pudding –
the narrative has to be tested and improved to perfection
The strategy should always be validated in real life. Same thing with Strategic Narratives.
I will always insist on validating our work and teach you creative ways of doing so.
Our processes
1
Before attempting to persuade people, one should understand their internal narratives
2
multi-dimensional craftmanship
Strategic Narratives should address an intricate web of needs and limitations:
- Business strategy and vision
- Motivations of target personas
- Product strategy and limitations
- Needs of internal stakeholders
- Competitive offerings
3
Even your most conservative prospects hate boring. You should hate boring too because it makes you transparent, and transparent marketing is a waste of money.
There’s nothing I hate more than boring. I’ll kick it out of you!
4
The proof is in the pudding –
the narrative has to be tested and improved to perfection
The strategy should always be validated in real life. Same thing with Strategic Narratives.
I will always insist on validating our work and teach you creative ways of doing so.
Meet Yonatan the Kagansky behind Kagansky:
Crafting Strategic Narratives for more than 15 years. Crossed the 10k hours mark long ago. Worked with more than 150 companies and startups from all over the world. Mastered numerous markets, from women’s hygiene products and retail to blockchain and financial services. Mentored an additional 200+ startups under the Google for Startups program. Won the EMEA mentor award for 2023 (!) at Google Connect I/O.
What else?
Big consumer psychology geek
Many offerings, one goal – impact!
Positioning – one that will actually create preference
Most positioning statements focus on what a company does best …but nobody cares about that.
Positioning is a nuanced balance between your customers’ conscious and unconscious needs, your competitive landscape, your product, and your strategy. I will understand the nuances and make it work.
Branding – one you won’t need to change after a year
The vast majority of branding processes end with one of two outcomes:
1) trivial and uninspiring, or
2) cool, but ineffective. I’ll guide you around these traps.
* I will lead the process and invite some of the top Israeli art directors to do the design part.
Employer Branding – one that will allow you to hire people you cannot afford
Unlike people think, employer branding is not about you. It’s a story about the life challenges and dreams of your potential employee. Working for you should help them overcome these challenges and achieve their dreams.
I’ll dig deep into your company’s culture to find these unpolished dream-fulfilling gems and create creative assets that will attract the most valuable and relevant people.
* I will lead the process and, if needed, invite top creative talent to help with its execution.
Corporate website – one that actually converts
Most websites describe what companies do. This is not the way to drive conversions.
Our process will start with figuring out the deep psychological motivations of your audience. Once we understand what makes them tick, the execution will become simple.
* I will lead the process and the execution. The design, development, and QA will be executed by experienced international experts.
Investor Deck – one that makes them fantasize about sitting on your board
In the age when even AI platforms can create decent decks, you need to tell a truly remarkable story to be the one who secures funding. You need to be the one who leads investors, not the other way around. But more than a story, you want a partner to go through this lonely process of fundraising. You want someone to join you in meetings, give you honest feedback when you show weakness, push you out of your comfort zone, and be available for you when the deck needs tweaking. I’ll be this partner.
Taking your Marketing Strategy to another level
Having trouble coming up with new creative approaches, new channels, and new funnels? Struggling with connecting many dots into one consistent strategy? I’ve got your back! I’ll help you separate the wheat from the chaff, build a clear plan, and start executing it with you to make sure everything works well.
Advertising Strategy and Creative – for adverts people don’t skip
Advertising shouldn’t be a wild bet on some creative idea. That’s gambling. Effective advertising starts with clear targeting, a great understanding of unconscious psychological motivations, and a solid market outlook. I’ll lead you towards advertising that demands attention, touches people on a deep emotional level, and encourages them to act. I will also teach you ways to test and optimize creative ideas without risking your brand.
Corporate Vision – that actually motivates people to act
Most corporate vision and mission statements do just that – they state things without being able to impact human behavior. By adding human psychology insight and narrative craftsmanship, I’ll help you remove this gap between words and action.
Content Strategy and Strategic content – one that brings more than likes
At a time when even AI platforms can create decent content, you need to do better to stand out in the sea of noise.
My process will start with understanding the deep psychological needs of your target audience and conducting an in-depth analysis of competitive communication. You will end up with a set of narrative templates to use in your communication, a definition of your unique writing tone, style, and format, plus a bank of topics. We’ll be able to test the performance and fine-tune it together as well.
One-on-One Mentorship
Mentoring isn’t about telling you what to do or how to do it. Good mentoring is about connection and empathy. It’s about helping you gain clarity and understand where and how to spend your energy and efforts.
Over the last decade, I’ve mentored numerous CEOs and executives. I’ve done it directly and via international acceleration programs like Google for Startups and Founder Institute. I even won the EMEA mentor award for 2023 from Google for Startups.
The mentorship can cover topics related to strategy, growth, and marketing.
Some of the brands
I had the pleasure to work with
