Category: Advanced Storytelling

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Q&A on Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Storytelling

I respect people who can keep the scent of the trail. Fellow storytelling evangelist Brad Marley approached me back in April 2019 to answer a handful of questions on my second-favorite topic. The plot took some twists and turns (naturally), but I answered Brad’s questions a couple of months ago. For those who don’t subscribe …more

TikTok Turns to Owned Media to Control the Narrative

Going back to the Trump administration, TikTok has been in the government’s cross hairs for data privacy issues. The government views user data saved outside the U.S. as a security risk. Rather than distribute a news release or talk to journalists on recent actions to address the issue, TikTok has controlled the narrative by issuing …more

Constructing an Innovative Message … with Another Company’s Technology

I’ve always viewed Intel as the gold standard when it comes to communications in the electronics sector. They know how to translate technology into narratives that land. They know how to leverage owned media to fling warning shots to the chosen few. And they’re always striving to put a face on the company, whether that’s …more

Storytelling Determines the Winners and Losers in the Semiconductor Sector?

Before jumping into the question at hand, let’s acknowledge that the semiconductor shortage has impacted everyone. Even my mom asked me over Thanksgiving dinner if the lack of chips has hurt our business. Naturally, I reciprocated and questioned my Mom’s technique in making her home-made apple sauce. But I digress … How are the actual …more

Our Book on Business Storytelling Concludes with a Few Words on Courage

We’ve been evangelizing the wonders of storytelling for some time. For the most part, our profession has come a long way when it comes to creating content, though you can still find those “pithy” quotes in news releases “We are delighted to announce that …” What hasn’t changed is the challenge of getting those with …more

Airing Dirty Laundry Reveals Storytelling Wisdom

Is there a task more mundane than doing laundry? It is the ultimate in dullsville. Yet, a podcast by Malcolm Gladwell called “Laundry Done Right” shows that indeed . I first wrote about Gladwell in 2009 when he told a David vs. Goliath type story that used a 12-year-old girls basketball team as the frame. …more

PR Undervalues Interviewing Skills to Dig Out Storytelling Gold

Public relations as an industry undervalues interviewing skills. You can find training session after training session on how to pitch a journalist and to not follow up with a “did you get my email?” Same goes for writing. Show, don’t tell. Stay away from chest-thumping adjectives like “revolutionary” and “breakthrough.” Yet, most mass communications curricula …more

How the Hell Does This Trader Joe’s Story Land in The Wall Street Journal?

The Journal published a feature story about people using Twitter to deliver updates on the lines of shoppers waiting to get into Trader Joe’s. As the first step in reverse-engineering the “why” behind the Journal devoting significant real estate to the topic, we ask the macro questions: Does the story reveal something new about the …more