Beyond Multichannel

Stories at and of the heart

"The messaging always involves storytelling," MacIntyre notes, largely because personal stories are the best way to connect with potential supporters, all of whom have faced, or might face, end-of-life dilemmas.

For example, in the successful Montana campaign, C&C integrated personal end-of-life stories into all of its direct-mail appeals, advertisements and all other actions. The first element of the campaign, "Join Steve," reiterated the story of Steve Johnson, a Marine veteran suffering from terminal brain cancer whose plight prompted the Supreme Court ruling, in all of its channels — from print ads and direct mail to Web pages and social media.