The Narrative Patterns in a Pitch: the Art of Persuasion
Uiliia Chertkova
Докладчик
магистрант 1 курса
Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет
Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет
Alisa Vyacheslavovna Malneva
Докладчик
магистрант 1 курса
Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет
Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет
Ключевые слова, аннотация
The study touches
upon the realisation of persuasion in pitch texts through narrative
patterns. Transcripts of pitches presented in Shark Tank, an
American reality TV series, are analyzed through the lens of narrative
analysis. The narration often involves three groups of actors: responsible
actors, wrongdoers and victims. The analysis reveals the
particular means used in narration that help a pitcher (a sender) in achieving
persuasion. Among such means are irony, a colloquial register, wordplay, and an appeal
to popular phenomena.
Тезисы
Keywords: pitch; narrative patterns; persuasion
The aim of the study is to demonstrate how narrative patterns in a pitch text create a persuasive effect. The research data was collected from Shark Tank, an American TV series.
The pitch is designed to persuade investors to support the product. This text is organised with the use of narration. Narrative patterns help to convey a comprehensible identity of an entrepreneur and build trust with a potential resource provider [Martens, 2007: 1110].
The analysis of the pitch structure is performed within the following interpretive frame: pitch-presenters function as actors who bring the common good to the public. Thus, pitch-presenters assume that listeners evaluate their ideas positively, within our analytical model their role is defined as responsible actors. For a better understanding of the responsible actors’ stance it is relevant to identify the theme. In this study we understand the theme as a statement of the undeniable truth that responsible actors treat as a given [Lukianova et al., 2019]. Rebel Cheese’s pitch has the following theme: high quality vegan products serve as the source of positive emotions. Investors in pitch texts also represent responsible actors since they support the stance of pitch-presenters. The opposing party (wrongdoers) deters the development of responsible actors’ ideas. The clash represents a problem situation which revolves around the lack of high-quality vegan products: no truly premium cheeses on the market [Shark Tank].
Narration begins with wordplay that is possible due to the figurative potential of the word cheese: a cheesy love story [Ibid.]. The pitch-presenter attempts at creating a situation in which the product is irreplaceable. The persuasive effect is enhanced through irony: the foundation of our relationship relied on one very important thing. Cheese [Ibid.]. Another reason why the product should appear on the market is the popularity of veganism: the girl goes vegan, the boy goes vegan [Ibid.]. The existence of such groups as responsible actors and wrongdoers prescribes the existence of victims. In this pitch text the role of victims is played by vegans because the market deprives them of positive experiences. Efforts that developers put into the creation of the brand are tied to the idea of love: just like with love there is no shortcuts [Ibid.]. Cheese is seen as a way to a love story with a happy ending: who's ready to write their own cheesy love story [Ibid.].
Narrative analysis of pitch texts retrieved from Shark Tank allows to conclude that narrative patterns create a persuasive effect through irony, colloquial register, wordplay, and appeal to popular phenomena. It is achieved through the distribution of actors, a highly positive evaluation of the role of the investor, and the engagement of the listener.
Literature:
Lukianova E., Tolochin I., G. F. Johnson., K. R. Knobloch. Varieties and effects of emotional content in public deliberation // Journal of Language and Politics, 2019. P. 1—22.
Martens M. L., Jennings J. E., Jennings P. D. Do the Stories They Tell Get Them the Money They Need? The Role of Entrepreneurial Narratives in Resource Acquisition // The Academy of Management Journal 50 (5), 2007. P. 1107—1132.
Shark Tank. URL: https://rebelcheese.com/blogs/news/our-shark-tank-episode-is-now-available-on-youtube?srsltid=AfmBOoqVUr0j7NR_XSR29Q0W-ddmIc84blPXT5RvyuDA8B (accessed: 09.02.2025).
The aim of the study is to demonstrate how narrative patterns in a pitch text create a persuasive effect. The research data was collected from Shark Tank, an American TV series.
The pitch is designed to persuade investors to support the product. This text is organised with the use of narration. Narrative patterns help to convey a comprehensible identity of an entrepreneur and build trust with a potential resource provider [Martens, 2007: 1110].
The analysis of the pitch structure is performed within the following interpretive frame: pitch-presenters function as actors who bring the common good to the public. Thus, pitch-presenters assume that listeners evaluate their ideas positively, within our analytical model their role is defined as responsible actors. For a better understanding of the responsible actors’ stance it is relevant to identify the theme. In this study we understand the theme as a statement of the undeniable truth that responsible actors treat as a given [Lukianova et al., 2019]. Rebel Cheese’s pitch has the following theme: high quality vegan products serve as the source of positive emotions. Investors in pitch texts also represent responsible actors since they support the stance of pitch-presenters. The opposing party (wrongdoers) deters the development of responsible actors’ ideas. The clash represents a problem situation which revolves around the lack of high-quality vegan products: no truly premium cheeses on the market [Shark Tank].
Narration begins with wordplay that is possible due to the figurative potential of the word cheese: a cheesy love story [Ibid.]. The pitch-presenter attempts at creating a situation in which the product is irreplaceable. The persuasive effect is enhanced through irony: the foundation of our relationship relied on one very important thing. Cheese [Ibid.]. Another reason why the product should appear on the market is the popularity of veganism: the girl goes vegan, the boy goes vegan [Ibid.]. The existence of such groups as responsible actors and wrongdoers prescribes the existence of victims. In this pitch text the role of victims is played by vegans because the market deprives them of positive experiences. Efforts that developers put into the creation of the brand are tied to the idea of love: just like with love there is no shortcuts [Ibid.]. Cheese is seen as a way to a love story with a happy ending: who's ready to write their own cheesy love story [Ibid.].
Narrative analysis of pitch texts retrieved from Shark Tank allows to conclude that narrative patterns create a persuasive effect through irony, colloquial register, wordplay, and appeal to popular phenomena. It is achieved through the distribution of actors, a highly positive evaluation of the role of the investor, and the engagement of the listener.
Literature:
Lukianova E., Tolochin I., G. F. Johnson., K. R. Knobloch. Varieties and effects of emotional content in public deliberation // Journal of Language and Politics, 2019. P. 1—22.
Martens M. L., Jennings J. E., Jennings P. D. Do the Stories They Tell Get Them the Money They Need? The Role of Entrepreneurial Narratives in Resource Acquisition // The Academy of Management Journal 50 (5), 2007. P. 1107—1132.
Shark Tank. URL: https://rebelcheese.com/blogs/news/our-shark-tank-episode-is-now-available-on-youtube?srsltid=AfmBOoqVUr0j7NR_XSR29Q0W-ddmIc84blPXT5RvyuDA8B (accessed: 09.02.2025).