Narrative Intelligence
The ability to understand, track, and strategically influence how stories about your brand evolve in public discourse.
Definition
Narrative intelligence goes beyond media monitoring to understand how conversations about your brand, industry, and competitors are framed and how those frames evolve. It involves tracking not just mentions but the underlying narratives: Are you seen as the innovator or the incumbent? The challenger or the establishment?
This intelligence informs strategic communications decisions about which narratives to reinforce, which to counter, and which new frames to introduce into public discussion.
Why It Matters
Narratives shape perception more powerfully than individual messages. A company might win every product comparison but lose if the dominant narrative frames them as declining while competitors are rising.
PR strategy increasingly focuses on narrative shaping rather than just message delivery.
Examples in Practice
A company monitors that media increasingly frames them as "the expensive option" and develops a narrative initiative around their total cost of ownership advantage.
An agency tracks their client's shift from "disruptive startup" to "market leader" narrative and adjusts positioning accordingly.
A brand notices competitors successfully establishing a "legacy vs. modern" frame and proactively addresses this narrative before it becomes entrenched.