| Course | D375 Marketing Communications and Storytelling |
|---|---|
| Task | Task 2 |
| Paper type | Brand story and video script |
| Length | About 1,100 words, 3 pages |
| Format | APA 7 |
| School | Western Governors University (WGU) |
| Program | MS Marketing |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for D375 Task 2
One Bag, Four Thousand Miles: A Brand Story and Ninety-Second Video Script That Follows a Composite Roaster's Coffee From a Colombian Cooperative to a Portland Kitchen
Student Name
School of Business, Western Governors University
D375: Marketing Communications and Storytelling, Task 2
Course Instructor
Month Day, Year
One Bag, Four Thousand Miles: A Brand Story and Ninety-Second Video Script That Follows a Composite Roaster's Coffee From a Colombian Cooperative to a Portland Kitchen
The Story's Job
Ridgeline Roasters, a composite direct-trade roaster in Portland, Oregon, is repositioning its grocery packaging around proof of its relationships with farmers. Its creative brief identified the key consumer insight: specialty coffee buyers want their coffee to reflect their values but distrust vague sustainability claims. The brand story must therefore do what a green label cannot: make the relationship between Ridgeline and its farmers concrete, personal and believable, and invite the viewer into it.
Why a Story
Stories persuade differently from arguments. Research on narrative persuasion finds that when people become absorbed, or transported, into a story, their beliefs can shift toward those the story implies, and they are less likely to counterargue (Green & Brock, 2000). Research on brand narratives finds that when consumers process brand information as a story, they can link the brand to their own experiences and sense of self, strengthening their connection to it (Escalas, 2004). For skeptical shoppers who discount claims, a true, specific story about real people is more persuasive than any statement the company could make about itself.
The Brand Story
Character: Ana Lucía Restrepo, a third-generation coffee farmer and member of a cooperative of 42 families in the mountains of Huila, Colombia. For years, her family sold coffee to intermediaries at whatever price the commodity market set, sometimes below what it cost to grow.
Challenge: In 2019, prices fell so low that several families in the cooperative considered abandoning coffee. Ana Lucía's son was planning to leave for the city.
Turning point: Ridgeline's head roaster visited the cooperative after tasting a sample and offered a five-year agreement at a fixed price well above the market, with a bonus for quality. The cooperative used the stable income to build a shared drying facility that improved quality further.
Resolution: Today Ana Lucía's son manages the cooperative's quality program, and her coffee is Ridgeline's best-selling single origin. Every bag names her cooperative and the price Ridgeline paid.
Meaning: The story shows the brand's positioning in action. Ridgeline does not just say it sources ethically; it shows a real relationship that changed a family's future and produced better coffee. The customer's role is clear too: buying the coffee continues the story.
Video Script: Ninety Seconds
Scene 1, 0:00 to 0:10. Visual: early morning mist over green mountain slopes; a woman's hands picking red coffee cherries. Sound: birds, a radio playing quietly. Narration, in Spanish with English subtitles: Ana Lucía: My grandmother planted these trees. I learned to pick before I learned to read.
Scene 2, 0:10 to 0:25. Visual: a small house; Ana Lucía and her son looking at a notebook of prices. Narration: For years, we sold to whoever came, for whatever they paid. Some years, it wasn't enough to keep going. My son was going to leave.
Scene 3, 0:25 to 0:40. Visual: Ridgeline's head roaster, Marcus, sipping coffee with the cooperative members around a table; handshake. On-screen text: 2019: a five-year agreement. Narration, Marcus: We tasted her coffee in Portland and knew we had to meet the people who grew it.
Scene 4, 0:40 to 0:55. Visual: the cooperative's new drying beds; Ana Lucía's son checking beans. On-screen text: $4.10 per pound. More than twice the market price. Narration, Ana Lucía: With a fair price we could plan. We built this together. My son stayed.
Scene 5, 0:55 to 1:10. Visual: a bag of Ridgeline Huila coffee on a Portland kitchen counter; a parent pouring coffee as children eat breakfast. Narration, Marcus: When you open this bag, you're tasting Ana Lucía's work, and you're part of why her family is still farming.
Scene 6, 1:10 to 1:30. Visual: close-up of the bag showing Ana Lucía's photograph, the cooperative name and price; a phone scanning the code, opening her story. On-screen text: Know the farmer. Taste the difference. Narration, Ana Lucía, smiling: Thank you for drinking our coffee. Logo and call to action: Meet the farmers at ridgelineroasters.com/farms.
Creative Choices
Real people, not actors: authenticity is the whole point of the story, and the audience is skeptical of polished advertising. Ana Lucía's own voice: letting the farmer tell her story, with subtitles, avoids the brand speaking for her. Specific proof: the price per pound appears on screen, the same proof printed on the bag, connecting the video to the shelf. The customer in the story: the kitchen scene places the viewer in the narrative, which supports the self-connection that narrative research describes. A clear call to action: scanning the bag or visiting the farm page continues the relationship beyond the video.
Using the Story Across Channels
The full ninety-second video will run on the website and YouTube; a thirty-second cut for social media will focus on scenes 3 through 6; still images and short quotes will appear on packaging and grocery shelf signage; and each cooperative will have its own version of the story as the program expands. Because sustainability claims are widely distrusted, the company will avoid adding any claims the story does not support, a discipline that research on greenwashing suggests protects credibility (Delmas & Burbano, 2011).
Ethics of Telling Someone Else's Story
A story built on a real farmer carries responsibilities. Ana Lucía and the cooperative will review and approve the script and footage, be paid for their participation and share in decisions about how their story is used. The story will not exaggerate hardship to create sympathy, and it will be updated if circumstances change, for example if prices or the agreement change. Treating the cooperative as a partner in the storytelling, not as material for it, is consistent with the brand's positioning and protects the credibility the whole campaign depends on.
Conclusion
Ridgeline's brand story turns a positioning statement into a true account of a family, a fair price and a shared result. Told in the farmer's own voice, with specific proof and a place for the viewer in the story, it gives skeptical coffee buyers a reason to believe and a reason to choose Ridgeline at the shelf.
References
Delmas, M. A., & Burbano, V. C. (2011). The drivers of greenwashing. California Management Review, 54(1), 64-87. https://doi.org/10.1525/cmr.2011.54.1.64
Escalas, J. E. (2004). Narrative processing: Building consumer connections to brands. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 14(1-2), 168-180. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327663jcp1401&2_19
Green, M. C., & Brock, T. C. (2000). The role of transportation in the persuasiveness of public narratives. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(5), 701-721. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.79.5.701
What the D375 Task 2 instructions ask
The second D375 task asks you to create a brand story and a piece of content that tells it. You will usually explain the story's purpose, the structure you chose, the story itself, a script or storyboard, creative choices and how the story will be used across channels. The brand should match Task 1. Evaluators look for a story with a character, conflict and resolution that expresses the positioning, a script with timing and visual detail, choices explained with reasons and a plan for adapting the story to different channels. A script that lists product features, or a story with no connection to the brief, will not meet the storytelling aspects. Addressing the ethics of using real people shows maturity.
How this D375 Task 2 example is built
The paper opens by restating the positioning and the story's job. A short section explains narrative persuasion with research. The brand story is written in prose with a character, a challenge and a resolution tied to the roaster's direct payments. The script is laid out by scene, with times, visuals, sound and words. A creative choices section explains decisions such as the farmer's own voice and minimal music. The channels section describes how the story will be cut for social media, packaging codes and store screens. The ethics section explains consent, approval and fair payment for the farmer's participation. Timings in the script add up to the stated length, and each scene notes the shot size.
Where the D375 Task 2 rubric puts the marks
D375 Task 2 aspects are scored competent, approaching competence or not evident. A purpose aspect asks what the story must achieve. A structure aspect rewards a story with character, conflict and resolution. A script aspect looks for scenes with timing and detail. A choices aspect wants creative decisions explained. A channels aspect asks how the story will be adapted. An alignment aspect looks for consistency with the brief. Evaluators notice when the story expresses the brand without selling features and they expect storytelling research to be cited. A script aspect earns competent when a producer could shoot from it without asking questions: scene numbers, running time, what the camera shows and what is heard. The channels aspect is judged on how each cut changes, not on a list of platforms.
D375 Task 2 help: what sends it back
D375 Task 2 papers lose marks when the story is a list of claims. Build it around a person and a change. Scripts often lack timing, so mark each scene's length and check the total. Creative choices can go unexplained; say why each serves the audience. Channel plans may repeat the same video everywhere, so describe how it is cut and adapted. Last, address ethics when the story uses real people, including consent and approval, since authenticity depends on trust. Another weak spot is a resolution that simply shows the product. In the sample the resolution is the farmer's changed situation, with the coffee present but not the hero. The alignment with Task 1 can also slip, so repeat the single message from your brief and check that the script says it once, clearly, near the end. Cite research on narrative transportation where you claim stories persuade.
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D375 Task 2 questions, answered
What structure fits a D375 brand story?
A character, a challenge and a resolution that shows the brand's value. The sample follows a farmer whose cooperative gains from direct payments. The resolution shows the brand's value through the farmer's changed situation rather than a product claim.
Is the D375 video real?
No. The farmer, cooperative and script were written for the sample. The research on narrative persuasion cited in the paper is real. Base your own story on your Task 1 brand and brief.
How long is the D375 script?
Follow your instructions. The sample runs ninety seconds, with shorter cuts planned for social media and in-store screens. Check that the scene timings add up to the total you state.
Why address ethics in D375 Task 2?
Because the story uses a real person's life. The sample describes consent, approval of the script and fair payment for participation. Graders see this as part of telling an authentic story.
Where can I find a free D375 Task 2 sample paper?
The Huila-to-Portland story and scene-by-scene script appear above with commentary. Share your Task 1 brief, and your first custom D375 story costs nothing. Both parts are marked with notes.