Business Storytelling For Altrincham Market

Business Storytelling case study for Altrincham Market.

The Curator is business storytelling at its best - the story of the man behind the story behind the man in the story. It’s a story no one had been able to reveal.

Every TV channel had already been turned down for putting this story into a film. They had asked and requested but flatly refused. The owner Nick felt they just didn’t get it. I did and he wanted me to make a film about him. He wanted someone that got the story and could tell that story.

Business Storytelling For Altrincham Market.

This is a story put into a film for an incredible business known as Alty Market, Altrincham Market and Market House. These guys are probably the most famous artisan market in Europe. They are also the most copied because of the success they accidentally created. Every and any modern marketing house you see in the U.K. was copied from this market.

The current story as seen by the public appeared to be slightly negative towards the owner.

I wanted to change the conversation. This meant revealing the real story behind the story. The perception of the owners by the local public is more like "rich guy opens a market." Yet that couldn't be further from the truth.

Business Storytelling That Sounds Nothing Like Business

As a storyteller, I aimed to change public perception and reveal the true human story behind the story that was being seen. This was a story that actually began way back in the late 70s during punk rock. This was where the mind of the curator was formed and shaped.

The real business storytelling process behind Altrincham Market carefully reveals the mind seeds that led to a mental process of the market that began way back in the late 70s. It also shows that the market wasn’t purely about selling stuff and making cash it was about the love of a town and the regeneration of a town by uncovering a fundamental human need. That need is people and connections.

So the storytelling about the Altrincham market is not about just the market. It is a masterpiece of storytelling a business story about the people and the regeneration of a whole town. It was important for me during the storytelling process to reveal an unknown story in this film. The owners told me they had turned away many TV companies and people including BBC who all wanted to make a film about the market. They turned them down because they didn’t get it. They wanted to tell a story about the market rather than the people and the process.

Storytelling With A Film About That Real Story.

Initially, when I spoke to the owners they had no real idea what they wanted from their new story. They knew exactly what they didn’t want in a story. So, I arranged for myself, my production crew and the rest of the gang to set up and being the process of making a film and discovering the real story.

At this stage, no story or script had been created. I had an idea and outline of what I wanted to do yet nothing was set in stone. After 3-days of filming, talking, interviewing and more we had enough material to go away with and start to start the storytelling for Altrincham Market.

During that process, the idea of THE CURATOR came from one line in the film. Nick the owner said, ‘You get to a point where you cannot do what you used to do when younger, but you can curate those that are younger.” This is where the core story to be told came from. I wove this idea through the theme of the regeneration of the town. This became a masterclass in business storytelling. Once you watch the film you quickly see there is no real mention if business but rather pure focus on the human side of the story.

The measurable result of the recreation of Altrincham Market in the town was the most underrated story ever to take place in Altrincham. This is the storytelling of the mass regeneration of a dying town.

Before Altrincham Market began the route to regeneration you have to understand Altrincham had become a ghost town. Now since the opening of the market, Altrincham is a busy, bustling town with the market acting like a wheel spindle. At the end of each wheel spoke is the growth of many, many new businesses and ideas. The town has even been voted one of the UK’S no.1 towns to live in. This was revealed during the storytelling process.

Once you know the story of the curator you understand why the story was about regeneration and not simply a business for money. That is what I wanted to tell in the story and the film. It worked.

And the styling of the film: I wanted a punk rock feel to the film. Informal, edgy, and compelling because that was where this story lay. I think I more than delivered. My team also wrote the period-driven soundtrack to give it a generational feel for each period we covered.

The storytelling eventually involved …

• A Vision

• The Idea

• The Storyteller

• The Production

• Post-production and edit

• Music, sound and composition

Why Storytelling in a Film?

Selling anything in business is about the storytelling of a very real story. The story has to be true, and relatable. interesting, compelling and driven by the energy the viewer can attach themselves to. The sense of true reality must show through at every level. The story should have that human touch to it. That isn’t easy to do in the film. We more than delivered in the curator.

Yet a story-driven business film allows you to offer a multi-dimensional angle to your audience.

01. Positioning: How many of your competitors have a business film? The power of having a film reveal your story and build your company is just huge.

02. Prestige: A slick storytelling business film will raise your profile dramatically in your industry. It will give you a position of total authority and dominance. Your customers will love it.

03. Impact: The impact of a film is huge. We can prove this through just two of our films, The Curator and The Mexican. It transformed the perception of how those businesses are seen in their areas.

04. PR Value: Just about one of the most powerful public relations you can create. Suddenly thousands of people will see your story from the comfort of their homes or on their phones. A beautiful story-driven business film is another level.

05. Viral Impact: The number one activity online apart from shopping is watching films. This is THE modern way to tell your story outside your regular advertising.

I’d Love To Storytell Your Business Story

Contact me (Alan) direct and let’s start a conversation.

We’ve made the most incredible story-driven films as you can see on our links.

Contact me here right now at +0044 (0)7793069486. Most messengers or text.

Yours

Alan Forrest Smith

Business Storytelling, Writer, Director, Filmmaker and Mentor