There is a classic structure to advocacy storytelling: outline the problem, explain how you solved the problem (using the client’s unique solution), then describe the ways in which things are better. Events such as the Microsoft Excel World Championship rip-up this construct. They’re not interested in the fact you had a problem, they just want to celebrate you being brilliant. In this case, being brilliant with Microsoft Excel.

And being brilliant with Excel seems to be finding an audience. The 2023 event had 2.3 million views on YouTube, and was streamed live on ESPN. The New York Times did a huge piece on the 2024 event. The organisers say the event has been covered in Wired, The Guardian, Lad Bible and Le Monde, among others, hitting a diverse crowd. With perhaps one billion people having used Excel, there is kudos in being crowned the world’s best spreadsheeter. Plus, people like to watch skilled people do their thing.

The event has big ambitions. There are hopes competitive Excel can become a popular e-sport, with a series of global events where pros compete for million-dollar prizes and big-league glory.

The beauty of this: none of it is organised by Microsoft. The event’s founders come from a finance background. Their aim is to promote financial modelling as a tool for education, training and competition. That can only be a good thing for society. It doesn’t harm Microsoft, either.

It would be impossible to attempt something similar with a less established product. The Excel event works because the product is well established and widely used. It juxtaposes the ‘dullness’ of spreadsheets with the razzmatazz of Vegas. There are 400 cheering fans packed into the studio, booming walk-on music, lots of lights, and a couple of giddy commentators. One competitor is called ‘The Annihilator’.

New and unproven products can’t get away with this. They still need to convince an audience that they can be trusted. Stories, told by peers, remain one of the most effective ways of building trust. Challenge/Solution/Impact will continue.

But when the product is mature, when fewer people want to hear stories about the problems it solved? Empower your advocates to do their own thing. Help them find your Annihilator.