The power of storytelling to boost resale and reuse

Written By Joe Macleod

Circularity is often bogged down in data points, chemical compositions, and compliance certifications—important technical details that remain emotionally distant. By reframing product lifecycles through classic three-act narrative storytelling, brands can transform technical circularity into compelling customer experiences that build lasting brand equity.

Moving Beyond Dry Data: Why technical certifications and material metrics fail to inspire consumer behavior compared to human-centered storytelling.

The Three-Act Product Structure: Mapping product circularity across Act 1 (Beginning/Aspiration), Act 2 (Usage/Realism), and Act 3 (The End/Resolution).

Closing the Emotional Gap: How aligning the tone of Act 3 with Act 1 prevents product endings from feeling transactional or shaming, creating a unified human narrative that drives resale and reuse.

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Joe Macleod

Joe Macleod is founder of the worlds first customer ending business. A veteran of product development industry with decades of experience across service, digital and product sectors.

Head of Endineering at AndEnd. TEDx Speaker. Wired says “An energetic Englishman, Macleod advises companies on how to game out their endgames. Every product faces a cycle of endings. It's important to plan for each of them. Not all companies do." Fast Company says “Joe Macleod wants brands to focus on what happens to products at the end of their life cycle—not just for the environment but for the entire consumer experience.”

He is author of the Ends book, that iFixIt called “the best book about consumer e-waste”. And the new book –Endineering, that people are saying “defines and maps out a whole new sub-discipline of study”. The DoLectures consider the Endineering book one of the best business books of 2022.

https://www.andend.co
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