This Is Why Your Brand's Storytelling Feels Hollow
A solitary figure walks through Hampstead during a brief pause between Covid lockdowns © Matt Mahmood-Ogston
You can spot it a mile away.
The overly polished video. The smiling stock photo. The words that sound perfect - but mean nothing.
When a brand's story feels hollow, it's because they're speaking AT people instead of TO them.
And in a world drowning in content, the emptiness is becoming more obvious by the day.
Why Hollow Storytelling Is Everywhere
It's not your imagination. Brand storytelling is getting worse, not better.
Every organisation knows they need "authenticity" now. They've read the articles, attended the seminars, hired the consultants.
But most confuse it with "looking polished" instead of "being real."
The signs are everywhere: Stock photos of diverse hands joining together. Safe slogans about changing the world. ESG reports full of buzzwords but no real human faces.
On the surface: perfect.
Underneath: empty.
When brands try to manufacture authenticity, they accidentally reveal how disconnected they really are.
It's like watching someone pretend to be in love - the performance itself becomes evidence of what's missing.
My work documenting social impact across the UK has shown me the stark difference between manufactured and real stories. The hollow ones might look better on paper, but they never move people to action.
The Root Problem
Nobody cares about your brand.
They care about what your brand does for them, with them, and for their community.
Most brand stories today are "hero stories" - but the brand is cast as the hero. The community is relegated to grateful recipient, passive backdrop, or worse - a prop to demonstrate impact.
Communities don't want a hero. They want a partner, an advocate, a mirror.
The story framework is fundamentally backward:
Instead of "look what we achieved,"
It should be "look what we built together."
UK-based charity Comic Relief demonstrated this shift when they transformed their approach to storytelling. Rather than positioning themselves as heroes, they revised their creative guidelines to focus on partnership and community leadership, stating they aim to show people as agents of change in their own lives rather than passive recipients of aid or support.
Why Most Storytelling Feels Fake
You can't photoshop purpose.
No amount of polished visuals can hide the emotional emptiness of a story told without listening. The human brain is remarkably good at detecting inauthenticity, even when we can't quite explain what feels off.
The warning signs are clear:
No voices from the community itself.
No conflict, no struggle, no imperfection.
Just slogans, not human moments.
I work with UK charities who initially request "success story" photographs showing beaming clients in perfect settings. The reality is that when organisations embrace more authentic documentation approaches, they connect more deeply with their audiences.
According to research from CharityComms, the UK charity communications network, organisations that evolve to more authentic storytelling approaches report higher audience engagement and stronger stakeholder relationships.
Real storytelling embraces imperfection.
It honours the real, messy, beautiful work happening on the ground.
What True Community-Led Storytelling Looks Like
If your community can't see themselves in your story, you're telling it wrong.
Stories that resonate aren't crafted in marketing departments. They emerge from genuine relationships and careful listening.
True community-led storytelling follows clear principles:
Representation: Real voices. Real faces. Real names (where safe and appropriate).
Co-creation: Involve the community in shaping the story, not just appearing in it.
Dignity over drama: Show resilience, not pity.
Transparency: Talk about challenges, not just wins.
UK homelessness charity Crisis demonstrates this perfectly. Their commitment to co-production means people with lived experience of homelessness actively participate in shaping the organisation's work and how stories are told.
Co-production is when members, staff, and volunteers work together, sharing power and responsibility across the entire project.
This approach ensures that storytelling emerges from genuine collaboration rather than being imposed by marketing teams.
How To Start Telling Stories That Actually Matter
You don't need a bigger media budget.
You need a bigger heart.
Transforming your storytelling approach isn't complicated, but it does require courage. Here's how to begin:
Listen first. Before you write anything, interview, ask questions, sit with the people you aim to serve. Create space for their perspectives to shape your understanding.
Capture real moments. Invest in professional photography and storytelling that shows real work, not staged perfection. Document processes, not just outcomes.
Hand over the mic. Where appropriate and safe, let community members tell their stories in their own words. Train and support them to become storytellers themselves.
Focus on shared impact. Frame your organisation's role as part of a bigger, ongoing story - one where many actors contribute to change.
Respect the dignity of the story. Always. This means obtaining meaningful consent, avoiding exploitation, and giving people agency in how they're represented.
When people recognise truth in your storytelling, they don't just support you - they become part of your movement. They see themselves in the work.
What Happens When You Get This Right
Real stories don't just win awards.
They win trust.
And trust is the scarcest resource in today's cynical landscape.
When an organisation shifts to authentic, community-led storytelling, several transformations happen almost immediately:
Community trust skyrockets. People feel seen, heard, and valued rather than used.
Funders and investors feel emotional connection, not just obligation. The work becomes visceral, not abstract.
Media outlets actively want to cover your work because it feels human, not staged.
Long-term loyalty deepens from partners, customers, and supporters who connect with the authenticity.
According to Charity Digital, charities that shift to more authentic digital storytelling see tangible benefits including stronger engagement, improved trust, and enhanced fundraising outcomes.
The Media Trust, a UK charity helping other charities improve their communications, emphasises that authentic storytelling "creates stronger emotional connections with audiences and brings your cause to life."
UK organisation Heard, which helps underrepresented groups take control of their media narrative, has documented how collaborative, dignity-focused storytelling creates measurable improvements in both media coverage and public attitudes.
The Stories We Tell Will Define Us
At the end of the day, your brand is only as strong as the stories it leaves behind.
Not the stories you tell about yourself, but the ones others tell about you.
When I'm documenting the work of my clients, I often ask community members one question:
"How would you describe this organisation to someone who's never heard of them?"
Their answers reveal the true impact of the work far better than any annual report ever could.
Because when a community tells your story as their own, you've won something bigger than marketing.
☑︎ You've earned trust.
☑︎ You've earned belonging.
☑︎ You've created something real in a world drowning in hollow stories.
And that doesn't just feel good - it does good. It creates the authentic connection that drives real, lasting change.
If you're ready to tell stories that don't just sound good but feel good, then it's time to stop polishing and start listening.
I help purpose-driven brands and charities tell stories that change lives.
If that's you, let's talk.
Matt Mahmood-Ogston is a social impact photographer, storytelling consultant and award-winning charity CEO based in London. His approach has helped brands and community organisations across the UK create compelling visual stories that build trust and drive meaningful change.
