At HP, we believe in the power of storytelling. Not just because we love a great story, but because its power has been scientifically proven. Brain studies show that stories are processed in the same part of the brain as actual physical experiences, making the two indistinguishable in our minds. Similar studies indicate that the audience’s brain activity mirrors that of the storyteller, literally placing them on the same brain wave. Even more compelling, research shows that listening, reading, or watching a great story causes our brains to release chemicals that make us remember better, be more collaborative, and feel more empathetic.
The HP Master Narrative is our great story. The one we tell to connect with each other, forge unbreakable bonds between our customers and our brand, and deepen our understanding of important HP strategies and innovations. Most importantly, it’s the one we tell to inspire your own storytelling.
Understand Our 10-Year-Plan
Chief Executive Officer Enrique Lores encapsulates our 10-year-plan this way, “It’s built on ambition. To create the company we want to work for and the world we want to live in.” Such a mission deserves equally ambitious storytelling.
The 2021 Master Narrative helps us achieve that by summarizing the main tenets of the plan —culture, talent, sustainable impact, portfolio, and financials—in easily digestible highlights. It also details the vehicles by which we’ll accomplish those: Advance, Disrupt, and Transform, in equally approachable ways. On page 23, you’ll even find a summary graphic of the plan for easy reference and printability.
Purpose is the Point of Our Story
In addition to the 10-year-plan, the Master Narrative addresses sustainable impact: the heart of our company. As a purpose-driven brand, it’s important to understand the commitments we’ve made to Climate Action, Human Rights, and Digital Equity. As the Master Narrative states, “Employees are asked to rally around our objective: To become the most sustainable and just technology company in the world.”
Part of achieving this depends on telling stories that bring those commitments to life in the most humble and humane ways possible. Partnering with World Wildlife Fund to regenerate forests and contribute to ecosystem resilience, doubling our number of black executives by 2025, and enabling better learning outcomes for 100 million learners in the same timeframe, are just a few of the storytelling proof points you’ll find.
How to Become an Ambitious Storyteller
Utilizing the distinct voice and tone of the HP brand, the Master Narrative not only tells some of the best HP stories, it models how best to tell them. (For a deeper dive into voice and tone, you can access HP’s Voice and Tone guideline on Brand Central). Once you internalize the brand’s rhythm and cadence, the building blocks of all great stories are the same: A hero, a problem, a purpose, and the truth. Authenticity is the crux of all great storytelling.
Inspiration is Everywhere
Great storytellers, and even greater stories, abound at HP. In addition to the Master Narrative, you can find inspiration on the Garage, HP’s brand journalism site, as well as in Innovation, a publication created in partnership with HP Labs and Corporate Affairs. All are flush with stories of HP innovation, humanity, and purpose.
The point is to find your inspiration, whether it’s an existing story or something new and fresh you’ve uncovered and share it.