Here's one of the more unusual examples of how story-tellers are having an increasing role in more and more aspects of society: tax preparation specialists H & R Block hired a feature film visual effects director to help them re-design their customers' online tax experience.
Rob Legato, whose credits include "The Departed" and "Apollo 13," told H & R Block they needed to construct a story with conflict. Not too hard when you're talking about the IRS--it's easy to think of them as the enemy (even though the company carefully avoided using any such terminology).
The H & R Block website gives the pitch: "Every week the IRS takes one-third of your paycheck. Now it's your turn to take it back!"
For people who wish to sell their writing services, it makes a great model of how story-telling can be useful and relevant in new contexts.
