ABSTRACT
The storylines are the clues to understanding positioning in an analytical sense and they inform the development of key messages in the context of communication program design. At the storyline development stage, positioning work is strategic work, and the Framework for Intentional Positioning in Public Relations provides a systematic approach to such work. In public relations, storylines are used to link a series of actions. A campaign that aimed to increase public awareness and to influence government policy about issues surrounding genetic engineering could also be seen to have invoked a regressive storyline. Taking a positioning approach to storyline development and promulgation recognizes that the environment into which messages are sent and in which meanings are constructed is dynamic in nature. In a positioning theory, the 'first thing' could be conceptualized as the positioning triangle of position, speech acts/action and storyline, with the second focusing on the narratives that can be told as a result of invoking a specific storyline.
