Everyone's a Storyteller

Your company doesn’t have a storytelling department. Every department is your storytelling department—but only if you equip and empower them to tell their unique stories.

When Atlassian, the Australian software company behind Jira and Trello, began to expand beyond its developer-focused roots, they faced a challenge common to many technical organisations: how to communicate their value without diluting their authenticity. The traditional approach would have been to hire marketing specialists to craft polished corporate narratives. Instead, they took a radically different path—they built storytelling capabilities throughout their organisation, particularly among their technical teams.

The results were transformative. Engineers began documenting their problem-solving journeys through the “Team Playbook.” Technical staff shared their innovations during “ShipIt Days”—24-hour hackathons where teams built and presented new features. Product managers articulated user challenges through authentic case stories rather than sanitised marketing speak. This distributed approach to storytelling didn’t just create content—it created gravitational pull from multiple directions simultaneously, attracting developers, companies, and talent through authentic technical voices that marketing alone could never replicate.

This chapter explores how successful companies like Atlassian distribute narrative capabilities throughout their organisations—moving beyond marketing-owned storytelling to create gravitational pull from every function and level. As we’ve established in previous chapters, building gravity requires systematic effort across multiple dimensions. While your product excellence, cultural depth, and sales approach all contribute to this gravitational field, how you tell stories about these elements fundamentally amplifies or diminishes their impact.

What we’ll discover is that the most compelling companies don’t just hire storytellers—they develop storytelling capability throughout their organisation, creating gravitational pull from multiple directions simultaneously. When your engineers tell stories like engineers, your designers tell stories like designers, and your customer service team tells stories like people who live on the front lines—that authenticity creates gravitational pull no marketing department could match.

The Distributed Gravity Principle

Traditional business communication concentrates storytelling responsibility in marketing, communications, and executive leadership functions. The underlying assumption is that consistency requires centralised control, and that most employees lack the skill or judgement to represent the company effectively. This model persists despite overwhelming evidence that today’s customers and talent value authenticity over polish, especially as trust in traditional institutions continues to decline.

The Distributed Gravity Principle flips this model: multiple authentic voices create stronger gravitational pull than polished corporate messaging. This isn’t simply about quantity of content—it’s about the unique credibility that emerges when specialists speak from direct experience rather than through marketing intermediaries.

Consider the contrast between two financial services companies approaching digital transformation:

The first relies on traditional corporate communications, with carefully crafted case studies, executive thought leadership, and professionally produced content. The messaging is consistent but lacks distinctive voice or technical depth. Potential customers read the marketing materials but remain sceptical about actual capabilities.

The second, First Direct, revolutionised UK banking by empowering their customer service team as primary storytellers. Rather than hiding support staff behind corporate scripts, they trained their frontline teams to bring their authentic personalities to customer interactions, encouraging them to solve problems in their own natural voice. As Chief Operating Officer Joe Gordon explained: “Our people on the phones are trained to have a conversation with the caller and if there is an issue, take ownership and resolve it themselves.” This authentic approach created such powerful differentiation that First Direct became the UK’s most recommended bank.

This distributed approach isn’t limited to service businesses. At Brompton Bicycle, the iconic British folding bike manufacturer, production staff became central to their storytelling strategy. Rather than keeping craftspeople in the background, Brompton featured workshop team stories in their “Proudly Made in London” campaign, showcasing individual makers speaking authentically about their craft. This production-led narrative reinforced their premium positioning through the authentic voices of those who actually built the product, creating stronger emotional connections than traditional marketing approaches.

The gravitational impact of distributed storytelling emerges from several key principles:

Proximity Creates Credibility: Those closest to the work bring unmatched authenticity to their stories. When Brompton’s brazers speak about frame construction, their hands-on expertise creates instant credibility no copywriter could replicate.
Diverse Voices Create Multiple Attraction Points: Different audience segments connect with different storytellers. Technical prospects might engage deeply with engineer narratives while overlooking executive communications entirely.
Authentic Language Builds Trust: The natural imperfections of authentic communication often create more trust than polished corporate messaging. Mayo Clinic’s “Science Simplified” approach, where physicians explain complex medical concepts in accessible language, builds deeper patient trust than traditional healthcare communications.
Narrative Diversity Creates Resilience: When storytelling capability exists throughout the organisation, narrative continuity doesn’t depend on any single voice or function, creating sustainable gravitational pull even through leadership changes.

This doesn’t mean abandoning coordination or quality standards. Rather, it means creating frameworks that enable authentic expression within positioning guardrails, ensuring stories align with essence while preserving distinctive voices.

The Barriers to Distributed Storytelling

If distributed storytelling creates such powerful gravitational advantages, why don’t more organisations implement it? Most companies face significant technical, cultural, and skill barriers that limit their narrative distribution:

Technical Barriers

Many organisations lack the infrastructure to support distributed storytelling. Communication tools remain siloed, approval processes create bottlenecks, and content distribution channels require specialist skills to navigate. Simple questions become complex barriers: Where should an engineer share a technical insight? How can a customer service representative document a valuable client interaction? What happens to stories once they’re captured?

Cultural Barriers

Even more significant are the cultural impediments to widespread storytelling. Organisational norms often discourage authentic communication:

Fear of misalignment: Concern that authentic voices might contradict official positioning
Risk aversion: Worry that unfiltered communication might create liability or criticism
Perfectionism: Cultural expectations that only polished communication represents the company
Authority structures: Implicit understanding that only certain roles have “permission” to speak
Visibility discomfort: Individual hesitance to step forward and share personal perspectives
Platform aversion: Common objections like “I hate social media” or “I don’t do LinkedIn” limiting participation
Value perception: The belief that storytelling is marketing’s job, not a core business function

Skill Barriers

Finally, many potential organisational storytellers lack confidence in their narrative abilities:

Structure uncertainty: Not knowing how to organise ideas into compelling narratives
Medium confusion: Uncertainty about appropriate formats and channels
Audience adaptation challenges: Difficulty translating specialist knowledge for different listeners
Feedback scarcity: Limited opportunity to develop through practice and guidance
Time perception: The belief that “I don’t have time to write” or that storytelling requires significant additional effort
Documentation resistance: Challenges in capturing stories while performing primary job functions

Resource Barriers

Beyond cultural and skill issues, many organisations face practical resource constraints:

Time allocation: No dedicated time for narrative development amidst operational priorities
Tool limitations: Lack of accessible systems for easy story capture and sharing
Training gaps: Insufficient development resources for narrative skill building
Recognition absence: No formal acknowledgment of storytelling contributions

Building a distributed storytelling capability requires systematically addressing these barriers with appropriate infrastructure, cultural shifts, and skill development—creating not just permission but genuine empowerment to share authentic narratives.

The Eight Functional Storytelling Archetypes

Effective distributed storytelling recognises that different organisational functions naturally gravitate toward different narrative approaches. Rather than forcing uniform storytelling methods across departments, successful companies develop function-specific storytelling archetypes that leverage natural strengths:

1. Engineering/Technical Storytelling

Natural Mode: Problem-solution narratives with technical authenticity Key Value: Establishing deep credibility through expertise demonstration Gravitational Pull: Attracts technically sophisticated audiences and talent

HashiCorp, the open-source infrastructure company, built their market position through developer-led technical storytelling. Rather than marketing their cloud infrastructure tools through typical corporate channels, they created the comprehensive Learn platform (developer.hashicorp.com) where their engineers share detailed technical knowledge through tutorials, documentation, and implementation guidance. As co-founders Mitchell Hashimoto and Armon Dadgar explain in their engineering blog posts, this approach emerged naturally from their developer-first philosophy. The result? HashiCorp’s tools became the obvious choice for infrastructure developers who connected with authentic technical voices rather than sales messaging.

Development Focus: Helping technical teams translate complex concepts without losing accuracy or authenticity.

2. Customer Success Storytelling

Natural Mode: Transformation narratives centred on implementation journeys Key Value: Demonstrating practical application and real-world impact Gravitational Pull: Attracts prospects seeking proven solutions to similar challenges

Zendesk transformed customer service software by centring their storytelling around authentic support team experiences. Rather than making abstract claims about improving customer service, they document detailed implementation journeys showing how specific companies solved real support challenges. This customer-success storytelling provides both practical guidance and emotional reassurance that creates stronger gravitational pull than generic capability claims.

Development Focus: Building frameworks for capturing transformation moments and structuring implementation narratives.

3. Product/Design Storytelling

Natural Mode: User-centred narratives with creative process insights Key Value: Illuminating how solutions evolve to address user needs Gravitational Pull: Attracts design-conscious prospects and creative talent

Notion, the all-in-one workspace tool, built their growth largely through product team storytelling that revealed their design thinking. Rather than marketing features, they shared the reasoning and process behind product decisions, creating gravitational pull for users who valued thoughtful design evolution. This approach helped build their reputation as a design-led company despite limited marketing resources.

Development Focus: Helping product teams articulate the “why” behind features and connect design decisions to user needs.

4. Operations Storytelling

Natural Mode: Efficiency and quality narratives with practical wisdom Key Value: Demonstrating operational excellence through specific processes Gravitational Pull: Attracts partners and customers who value reliability and quality

Brompton Bicycle transformed their market presence by elevating workshop team stories in their “Proudly Made in London” campaign. Rather than speaking abstractly about craftsmanship, they showcase individual makers explaining specific techniques and quality standards. This operations-led storytelling reinforces their premium positioning through authentic production voices, creating stronger emotional connections than traditional marketing approaches.

Development Focus: Finding compelling narratives in seemingly routine processes and operational decisions.

5. Sales Storytelling

Natural Mode: Value-focused narratives with market understanding Key Value: Translating capabilities into specific client outcomes Gravitational Pull: Attracts decision-makers seeking proven business impact

ARM Holdings, the semiconductor design company, built their gravitational field through a sales storytelling approach focused on ecosystem benefits rather than technical specifications. Their sales teams developed narrative capabilities that explained how ARM’s low-power chip designs enabled entire new product categories, speaking authentically about business model impacts rather than just technical advantages. This approach helped build their dominant position in mobile computing by creating gravitational pull with business leaders, not just engineering teams.

Development Focus: Balancing client focus with authentic value articulation beyond traditional sales language.

6. Service Storytelling

Natural Mode: Customer experience narratives with frontline authenticity Key Value: Humanising service interactions through real examples Gravitational Pull: Attracts customers who value relationship quality over transaction efficiency

First Direct revolutionised UK banking through service team storytelling. Rather than hiding support staff behind corporate scripts, they trained their frontline teams to bring their authentic personalities to customer interactions. This created such powerful differentiation that First Direct became the UK’s most recommended bank, attracting customers through authentic service stories rather than traditional banking promotions.

Development Focus: Capturing and sharing genuine service interactions that demonstrate values in action.

7. Leadership Storytelling

Natural Mode: Vision and purpose narratives with strategic context Key Value: Creating meaning and direction through personal conviction Gravitational Pull: Attracts stakeholders who align with purpose and vision

Neste, the Finnish renewable products company, transformed from regional oil refiner to global sustainability leader through leadership storytelling that connected technical capability with environmental purpose. Their executive team, including many with engineering backgrounds, developed narrative approaches that authentically connected their technical innovations in renewable fuels to larger climate impact. As sustainability advisor Pekka Tuovinen shared in “Through the eyes of a pioneer,” this authentic purpose-driven narrative helped Neste become the world’s largest producer of renewable diesel and jet fuel.

Development Focus: Finding authentic personal connection to organisational purpose and vision.

8. Culture/People Storytelling

Natural Mode: Values-in-action narratives with workplace realities Key Value: Demonstrating culture through specific experiences and decisions Gravitational Pull: Attracts talent and partners who resonate with cultural values

John Lewis Partnership built their distinctive market position partly through their democratic employee ownership structure that naturally distributes storytelling throughout the organisation. Their “Partner Voice” approach ensures frontline staff—or “Partners” as they’re known in the business—actively shape both operational decisions and external communications. This creates authentic culture stories that attract both customers who value their ethical approach and talent who seek meaningful ownership in their work. The gravitational pull comes not from abstract claims about values but from specific examples of democratic ownership in action.

Development Focus: Identifying everyday moments that demonstrate values and culture in practice.

The Distributed Storytelling Framework

Building narrative capability across an organisation requires more than simply encouraging people to share stories. It demands systematic infrastructure that enables authentic expression while ensuring strategic alignment. The Distributed Storytelling Framework provides this structure through four integrated components:

1. Functional Storytelling Archetypes

The first component identifies the natural storytelling modes for different organisational functions, creating appropriate narrative approaches for each area:

Natural Voice Assessment: Identifying the authentic communication style for each function
Narrative Pattern Recognition: Documenting the storytelling structures that emerge naturally
Channel-Function Alignment: Matching appropriate platforms to different storytelling types
Cross-Functional Translation: Creating bridges between specialist and general audience language

Application Example: At Mayo Clinic, this component manifested in their “Science Simplified” approach, which identified distinct storytelling modes for researchers, physicians, and care teams. Rather than forcing uniform communications, they developed specific narrative frameworks for each function, allowing technical specialists to maintain authentic voice while making complex health information accessible to patients.

2. Capability Development System

The second component builds narrative skills across the organisation through structured development approaches:

Baseline Capability Assessment: Identifying current storytelling strengths and gaps
Function-Specific Training: Developing narrative skills tailored to different roles
Guided Practice Opportunities: Creating low-stakes storytelling experiences
Feedback and Coaching Infrastructure: Providing development support for emerging storytellers
Narrative Confidence Building: Addressing psychological barriers to authentic expression

Application Example: Atlassian implemented this component through their “Say It” program, which provided engineers with frameworks for articulating technical concepts without forcing inauthentic marketing language. The program combined skill-building workshops with practical opportunities to share technical stories through blogs, conference presentations, and documentation. This systematic approach transformed technical teams from reluctant communicators to confident storytellers while maintaining their authentic voices.

3. Platform and Channel Ecosystem

The third component provides the technical infrastructure that enables distributed storytelling:

Narrative Capture Tools: Systems for documenting stories across functions
Content Development Platforms: Accessible creation tools for different skill levels
Multi-Channel Distribution: Appropriate platforms for various story types
Amplification Mechanisms: Methods for extending reach of authentic narratives
Feedback Collection: Systems for measuring narrative impact

Application Example: HashiCorp built this component through their developer-focused Learn platform, which provided accessible ways for technical specialists to share knowledge through tutorials, documentation, and implementation guides. This infrastructure allowed engineers to create and distribute content without requiring marketing intermediaries, preserving technical authenticity while ensuring consistent quality.

4. Cultural Enablers and Safeguards

The final component creates the organisational environment where distributed storytelling can flourish:

Leadership Modelling: Executives demonstrating authentic narrative approaches
Recognition Systems: Celebrating effective storytelling across functions
Risk Management Guidelines: Clear frameworks for appropriate sharing
Permission Structures: Explicit authorisation for authentic expression
Psychological Safety: Creating environments where authentic sharing feels safe

Application Example: John Lewis Partnership exemplifies this component through their democratic ownership structure, which inherently distributes narrative authority throughout the organisation. Their Partnership Council and other governance mechanisms explicitly empower frontline staff to contribute to both decision-making and communications, creating cultural conditions where diverse authentic storytelling naturally emerges.

Integration: The Storytelling Organisation Matrix

These four components work together through an integrated matrix that maps storytelling development across functions:

Function	Natural Storytelling Mode	Capability Building Approach	Appropriate Platforms	Cultural Enablers
Engineering	Technical problem-solution narratives	Technical-to-accessible translation skills	Developer blog, documentation, forums	Recognition for knowledge sharing
Customer Success	Implementation journeys	Case structure frameworks	Success stories, implementation guides	Client permission protocols
Product	Design thinking narratives	User-story frameworks	Product updates, design explanations	Creative confidence building
Operations	Quality and efficiency stories	Process narration frameworks	Behind-the-scenes content	Quality celebration culture
Sales	Value transformation stories	Authentic value articulation	Client presentations, proposals	Outcome-focused recognition
Service	Customer experience moments	Interaction capture methods	Reviews, social sharing	Service celebration culture
Leadership	Vision and strategy narratives	Purpose connection methods	Vision communications, interviews	Vulnerability permission
Culture/People	Values-in-action stories	Cultural moment recognition	Team spotlights, recruitment	Values reinforcement systems

This matrix provides a systematic approach for developing appropriate storytelling capabilities across every organisational function, creating multiple authentic gravitational fields that collectively strengthen market positioning.

Implementation Across Different Organisational Functions

Building narrative capability works differently across various business functions, requiring tailored approaches that respect their distinctive characteristics:

Technical and Engineering Teams

Technical specialists often possess deep knowledge but hesitate to share it broadly, concerned about oversimplification or audience misunderstanding. Effective implementation with these teams requires:

Expertise Validation: Explicitly acknowledging their technical authority
Translation Not Dilution: Helping them make concepts accessible without sacrificing accuracy
Peer Recognition: Creating status for effective technical communication
Progressive Exposure: Building confidence through graduated visibility opportunities

Mayo Clinic exemplifies this approach through their “Science Simplified” program, which helps physicians and researchers communicate complex medical concepts to patients and the public. Rather than having marketing staff translate medical information, they developed physicians’ own narrative capabilities, helping them find language that maintains accuracy while improving accessibility. This preserved the credibility of having medical experts communicate directly while ensuring patients could understand and act on the information.

Customer-Facing Teams

Sales, service, and success teams interact directly with customers but often lack structured ways to capture and share these experiences. Effective implementation with these functions includes:

Moment Recognition Training: Helping identify significant customer interactions
Simple Capture Methods: Creating frictionless documentation approaches
Customer Permission Protocols: Clear guidelines for appropriate sharing
Value-Based Narrative Structure: Frameworks for highlighting strategic relevance

First Direct revolutionised banking through this approach, training customer service representatives to recognise and share significant customer interactions. Rather than relying on centrally-produced case studies, they created systems for service teams to document and share authentic customer conversations, maintaining the distinctive voice that differentiated their brand from traditional banks.

Operational Teams

Operations, manufacturing, and delivery functions often possess fascinating insights into quality and efficiency that remain invisible to customers. Implementation with these teams focuses on:

Process Appreciation: Developing pride in operational excellence
Visual Documentation: Using images and video to showcase craft
Quality Narrative Frameworks: Structures for explaining standards and practices
“Making the Invisible Visible”: Revealing hidden aspects of production

Brompton Bicycle exemplifies this approach through their focus on workshop team storytelling. Their “Proudly Made in London” campaign features individual craftspeople explaining specific processes, elevating production voices that traditionally remained behind the scenes. This operations-led narrative reinforces their premium positioning through authentic demonstrations of quality that generic marketing claims could never achieve.

Leadership Teams

Executive and management functions face different challenges—often having platform access but struggling with authentic connection. Implementation at these levels includes:

Personal Purpose Connection: Finding genuine emotional links to organisational mission
Vulnerability Permission: Creating safety for authentic expression
Narrative Consistency Development: Building sustainable storytelling practices
Balancing Vision and Reality: Creating aspirational yet credible narratives

Neste demonstrates this approach through leadership narratives that authentically connect technical expertise with environmental purpose. Their executive team, including many with engineering backgrounds, developed storytelling approaches that linked their renewable fuel innovations to personal convictions about sustainability, creating more authentic gravitational pull than typical corporate vision statements.

The Storyteller Development Path

Building narrative capabilities throughout an organisation requires systematic development approaches tailored to different roles and starting points. The Storyteller Development Path provides a progressive model for building these capabilities:

1. Storytelling Foundations

The initial phase focuses on basic narrative principles accessible to everyone regardless of role:

Story Recognition: Identifying narrative moments in everyday work
Basic Structure: Understanding fundamental storytelling components
Audience Connection: Recognising what makes stories relevant to listeners
Authenticity Elements: Finding genuine voice in professional contexts

Application Example: John Lewis Partnership begins their Partner Voice development with foundation workshops that help retail staff identify significant customer interactions and experiences that demonstrate partnership values in action. This initial training focuses less on communication techniques and more on recognising which moments contain meaningful stories worth sharing.

2. Function-Specific Narrative Development

The second phase adapts storytelling approaches to different organisational roles:

Functional Archetypes: Understanding storytelling modes appropriate to specific work
Relevant Frameworks: Learning narrative structures that fit particular functions
Domain-Appropriate Language: Developing vocabulary that balances authenticity and clarity
Format Selection: Choosing appropriate media and approaches for different stories

Application Example: Atlassian’s engineering teams learn technical narrative frameworks through their Team Playbook, which provides specific structures for sharing development challenges, solution approaches, and learning moments. These frameworks differ significantly from those used in other departments, respecting the unique nature of engineering storytelling while ensuring accessibility.

3. Confidence and Voice Building

The third phase focuses on developing authentic expression within organisational context:

Personal Style Development: Finding distinctive voice that remains professional
Constructive Feedback Systems: Building narrative skills through guided practice
Risk Management Understanding: Learning appropriate boundaries for sharing
Psychological Safety Creation: Building environments that encourage authentic expression

Application Example: First Direct implements this phase through their “Everyday Banking Stories” program, where customer service representatives share their interactions in internal forums before broader distribution. This progressive exposure builds confidence through peer feedback, helping develop distinctive voices that maintain brand alignment while preserving individual authenticity.

4. Advanced Narrative Capability

The final phase develops sophisticated storytelling abilities for organisational impact:

Multimedia Storytelling: Expanding beyond text to visual and interactive narratives
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Creating integrated stories across departments
Strategic Alignment: Connecting individual narratives to organisational positioning
Storytelling Leadership: Mentoring others in narrative development

Application Example: Mayo Clinic’s most experienced physician communicators reach this level through their Science Simplified program, developing capabilities to explain complex medical concepts across multiple formats while mentoring colleagues in narrative approaches. These advanced storytellers maintain impeccable accuracy while creating accessible content that strengthens Mayo’s position as the obvious choice for complex care.

Technology and Platforms for Distributed Storytelling

Effective distributed storytelling requires appropriate technical infrastructure that enables narrative creation, development, and distribution across the organisation. Key elements include:

Content Creation and Capture Tools

Low-Friction Documentation: Simple systems for recording narrative moments
Mixed-Media Capabilities: Support for text, image, audio, and video storytelling
Mobile Access: Capture capabilities accessible throughout the workday
Collaborative Development: Tools for refining stories with input from others

Example: Brompton Bicycle implemented workshop tablets with simple video recording capabilities, allowing craftspeople to easily document production processes without disrupting their work. This accessible technology enabled authentic shop floor storytelling that traditional marketing approaches could never replicate.

Structure Templates: Frameworks for organising raw narrative content
Editorial Support Systems: Assistance that preserves authentic voice
Feedback Mechanisms: Ways to improve stories while maintaining authenticity
Version Control: Managing narrative evolution while preserving original insights

Example: HashiCorp’s Learn platform includes behind-the-scenes development tools that help engineers refine technical content without marketing intermediaries. Their collaborative editing system provides structure and guidance while ensuring technical accuracy and authentic voice remain intact.

Distribution and Amplification Systems

Channel-Appropriate Formatting: Adapting stories for different platforms
Audience Targeting: Directing narratives to relevant segments
Cross-Platform Integration: Maintaining consistency across touchpoints
Analytics and Measurement: Tracking narrative impact and engagement

Example: John Lewis Partnership created a multi-channel distribution system that shares Partner stories across internal communications, customer marketing, social media, and in-store displays. This integrated approach ensures authentic employee narratives reach both internal and external audiences through appropriate channels.

Training and Development Infrastructure

Skill-Building Resources: Accessible learning materials for narrative development
Practice Environments: Safe spaces for storytelling experimentation
Feedback Systems: Mechanisms for improving narrative capabilities
Recognition Platforms: Ways to celebrate effective storytelling

Example: Atlassian’s “Say It” program includes a comprehensive digital learning platform with function-specific modules for different teams, practice forums for developing narrative skills, and internal recognition systems that celebrate effective technical storytelling across the organisation.

Building Your Storytelling Organisation

Implementing distributed storytelling typically begins with high-potential functional areas rather than organisation-wide initiatives. Consider these starting points:

Identify Natural Storytellers: Find individuals already sharing authentic narratives across functions.
Select Initial Focus Areas: Choose 1-2 high-impact functions for initial capability development.
Develop Function-Specific Frameworks: Create narrative approaches that respect distinctive characteristics.
Build Necessary Infrastructure: Implement appropriate tools and platforms.
Create Success Examples: Develop initial stories demonstrating the approach.
Establish Feedback Systems: Create mechanisms for narrative improvement.
Expand Systematically: Extend to additional functions based on initial learning.

The most compelling companies don’t just hire storytellers—they develop storytelling capability throughout their organisation, creating gravitational pull from multiple directions simultaneously. As we’ll explore in the next chapter, this distributed capability forms the foundation for informal storytelling practices that further strengthen cultural and market gravity.

Marketing-owned storytelling creates awareness. Organisation-wide storytelling creates gravity. When your engineers tell stories like engineers, your designers tell stories like designers, and your customer service team tells stories like people who live on the front lines—that authenticity creates gravitational pull no marketing department could match.