Archive: December 2010

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Top Storytelling Techniques Posts From 2010 (Part II)

Yesterday’s post highlighted half of my list of favorite posts from 2010. Here’s the second half of the list. 7) Aligning PR with Storytelling for the Happily Ever After We got the SlideShare religion this year. Using the medium, we walk the viewer through the power of storytelling techniques in building content for public relations. …more

Top Storytelling Techniques Posts From 2010 (Part I)

It’s been a good year for Ishmael’s Corner. Readership is up and WordPress still doesn’t charge. No question, Steve Farnsworth’s invitation to participate in the #444PR forum (answer four questions over a four-week period) along with Paul Roberts and Todd Defren proved to be the biggest boost to bringing more folks to the site. Reflecting on the …more

The Bursting of the Cupcake Bubble, Take Two

My predictions for Silicon Valley in 2011 highlighted the bursting of the cupcake bubble. Yesterday, Kara’s Cupcakes showed up on our door step with a box of cupcakes and a note that read: Here is a little piece of the bubble before it bursts. Enjoy! How can one not be impressed with their sense of humor …more

UPS Again Shows Storytelling Chops

I talked about the communications savvy from UPS earlier in the year. By applying storytelling techniques to a topic that typically falls under the dull category, UPS secured a feature in The Wall Street Journal entitled “UPS Thinks Outside the Box on Driving Training.” I am a sucker for puns. Lest you think this was a one-off success, check …more

Top Five Predictions For Silicon Valley In 2011

I write a column on Silicon Valley for a tech publication in Korea called The Electronics Times. The editor asked me to take a shot at predicting what will happen in Silicon Valley in 2011. Here’s what got edited out of the column (apparently storytelling techniques with a touch of levity don’t resonate overseas): The …more

Where Did Journalist Julian Assange Get His PR Degree?

Want the media to pay attention? Offer a compelling story. Want the media to really pay attention? Deliver a really compelling story. I get this concept. But to say Julian Assange dominates the headlines because WikiLeaks is a world-shaking story shortchanges Mr. Assange’s PR savvy. As Reuters pointed out, Assange “has masterfully manipulated elite media outfits.” Digging deeper, Assange …more

Forget The Brother, Intuit Can Spare A Dime (+ $99.90) Per Blog Post

Blogging shares a similarity with golf. A zillion people enjoy the activity, but only a chosen few make money at it. This point recently got hammered home when I stumbled across an ad on Craigslist recruiting bloggers for Intuit’s small-biz property. Intuit pays 100 bucks per post. I already knew it’s the rare blogger who can quit his or her …more

My "Aha! Moment" In Storytelling

Like most “older” PR professionals, I was raised in the command-and-control era of communications. I remember my first experience observing the senior guys conducting media training for a client. It was all about pummeling the spokesperson into submission to stay on message. While the trainers were having fun – the PR version of running a torture chamber …more

Storytelling Techniques Tie Tractors To Uniting A Country

Consider this quandary. Caterpillar makes heavy machine equipment like hydraulic excavators, tractors and the ever-popular backhoe loader. Pushing dirt from point A to point B doesn’t exactly conjure drama. Recognizing this point, Caterpillar developed a series of videos that do tell compelling stories by connecting the company’s equipment to a human element. My favorite involves Caterpillar’s role in uniting the country of …more