Archive: July 2011

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Telling A Story Nobody Cares About

I’ve pointed out that advertising gets narrative. That’s why when an ad badly misses the market – like the country of Georgia touting its corruption ranking – I tend to notice. So it is with this ad from Oklahoma City that appeared in The Wall Street Journal. Out of all of Oklahoma City’s assets that might appeal …more

Friday Levity: "So Why Should We Invest in Your Startup?"

I’ve established a new feature called “Friday Levity.” Humor enhances business storytelling. Jargon kills business storytelling. Kenn Durrence passed along today’s ditty which comes from a site that specializes in comic strips, Abstruce Goose. Enjoy.  

Deeper Look At The Viral Video, “The Power Of Words”

Words matter. To be more specific, our choice of words goes a long way in determining the perception of others (just ask Netflix). This concept beautifully comes to life in the video, “The Power of Words.” Andrea Gardner, who heads the online marketing firm Purplefeather based in London, created the video. Her sense of storytelling …more

Seth Godin’s Take on Public Relations

How can you not like a guy who puts in his official bio: As an entrepreneur, he has founded dozens of companies, most of which failed. Seth Godin brings many dimensions to the marketing discipline not the least being levity. A believer in the art of storytelling, he penned the book “All Marketers Are Liars: The Power of …more

What’s The Story With Netflix?

Let’s start with the positive side. Netflix customers passionately care about the service. Every time Kellogg’s raises the price of Pop-Tarts, you don’t even hear a whimper. But the Netflix customer base responded with the emotional fervor of a South American futbol match. Why? Take a look at the blog post announcing the pricing change. After laying out …more

Have You Ever Read A Legal Brief That Not Only Told A Story But One With A Sense Of Humor?

I haven’t. Until now. Welcome to U.S. District Court of California with the Honorable John F. Walter presiding over the spat between the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and Zediva, which rents DVDs online. One quick housekeeping note – While we support Zediva on the PR front, we had no involvment with the brief. I’m guessing I’ve read through 100 or so …more

Top Storytelling Posts From First Half Of 2010 (Part II)

I shared five of my favorite posts from the past six months yesterday. Here’s the second half of the list. 6) Book Review: Entertainment Value Of “Tell To Win” Sugarcoats Lessons In Storytelling I liked the fact that Peter Guber’s book “Tell To Win” brought more attention to the business storytelling cause. In spite of the …more

Top Storytelling Posts From First Half Of 2010 (Part I)

Welcome to the midway point of 2011. Time flies when you’re telling stories. I’ve captured my top-10 list from the past six months. 1) Q&A With 12-year-old Creator Of “Good Morning Geek,” Max Swisher  This interview with Max shows that blogging wisdom comes from all quarters. Of course, I had to ply Max with hot cocoa to …more