scheherazade’s sister
You may have heard the story of the prolific and potent storyteller, Scheherazade, who saved a kingdom of women from a deathly fate at the hands of a betrayed and revengeful sultan. But what about the character most critical to her success, her sister - your brand role model!
Once upon a time, as the frame story goes, the sultan left his castle to partake in a little hunting in the countryside of his immense and powerful kingdom. Returning unexpectedly early, he was enraged to find his beloved wife in bed with servants. Following the massacre that ensued, he fled to visit the estate of his brother, who had also left his home unattended. From one of the guestrooms in the outhouse, he heard music in the gardens late at night and was shocked to find his brother’s wife among a small crowd of nude figures, dancing in the moonlight.
He returned to his own court and made a revengeful and bloody vow to take a new virgin wife every night and then behead her the following morning before she had the chance to be unfaithful. As the kingdom became a dangerous place for young women to be, the vizier urged his two daughters, Scheherazade and Dunyazad, to flee before it was too late.
Scheherazade famously refused to leave and insisted on becoming the sultan’s next bride. A woman with a plan - and a whole heap of self-belief.
After Scheherazade and the sultan were married, she begged for the presence of her sister in the bridal chambers. Dunyazad joined them and requested one last tale from her sister, and with that, Scheherazade began captivating the sultan with story after story night after night that reflected his current situation and resolved his feelings from the betrayal. As she was able to keep telling and re-telling stories that the sultan could relate to and leave the telling at a tantalising twist each time, the sultan was forced to keep her alive for one more night in a saga of never-ending stories. And we know how this ended. After a thousand and one nights, the sultan was healed and in love with the beauty, charm, and intellect of the woman who had shown him the error of his ways. The bloodlust stopped, peace was restored, and another chance at love was created.
Scheherazade is clearly the heroine of her story and that of all the other women in the kingdom. She gave women a voice and showed the power of eloquence and determination.
So, what of Dunyazad, her sister? And how does this help you with captivating storytelling for your brand?
I’m getting to that.
Although her role is not centre-stage, Dunyazad played a crucial part in the success of her sister’s plan. In story structure, the hero always needs a little help to get to their destination or revelation. Scheherazade used her last wish to ask for her sister by her side: her guide. The role of the guide is to show and support: Dunyazad was by her sister’s side every night as the clock struck midnight to initiate the start of the story. Without her sister’s request, there would have been no opportunity for Scheherazade to speak her truth and share her magic. Her words would have been silenced and her plan unsupported.
In your business, your client or customer is the hero of the story. They have a problem, need, or desire to fill. That’s not where you come in (as many marketing experts would have you believe). That’s where they come in.
Your role is to guide your client and customer on the path to finding a solution to their problem and living out their happy ending, whatever that may look or sound like for them. Your brand copy should, therefore, speak to them in a way that allows them to see themselves in a story of transformation without putting them in a place of belittlement and difficulty. It should express that you are there alongside them on this journey, but they call the shots.
You initiate the transformation and then sit back and support from the sidelines as they revel in their success.
And don’t worry, they will realize your importance in their story just like Scheherazade realized the essential role that her sister played in saving the female future of the kingdom.
You’re in the story but it doesn’t belong to you. It’s not the most sensational place to be but the most satisfying.
Are you wondering what this would look like for your particular line of business? Not sure how to put this into action with words? Give me a shout, and let’s work it out.
