3 lessons on Strategy I learned from the Horror Genre

#1. Red Herrings are everywhere, in many different forms.

Sometimes we assume that the research will tell us a specific detail about the target market, when it ends up telling us the opposite. Other times, what a respondent tells us in a survey or in-depth interview directly opposes their actual behavior in real life. Our own biases can be misleading and distract from identifying core insights. The horror genre requires our attention and critical thinking in determining whether something is reflective of the truth or simply masked by incriminating evidence.

Movie Recs: The Scream Franchise

#2. Narrative Framing drastically transforms ordinary facts into a compelling story arc.

The most engaging murder mysteries depend less on the actual clues left behind, but more on the arrangement and context built around them (POV shots, cinematography, voice-over, unreliable narrator, etc). Masterful strategy elevates ordinary consumer research for an asthma pharmaceutical drug campaign into a story arc on self-preservation and revitalization.

Movie Recs: The Blair Witch Project, Halloween (1978)

#3. Empathy strengthens storytelling.

Effective strategy is built entirely on a team’s ability to cultivate empathy. When we survey and interview the target market, we have a greater capacity to understand (if not defend) their actions and motivations. As our empathy for an individual or group increases, we can more accurately build character profiles and tell their stories truthfully and in their entirety.

Movie Rec: Carrie (1976)