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What Really Happened Before the NRA’s Press Conference on December 21

It seems every PR person in America has weighed in on the NRA’s press conference last month. No need to rehash this ground with another “What the NRA should have done is …” Instead, I’ve extrapolated from information in the public domain and pieced together how I think the dialogue went down between the NRA’s …more

Best Storytelling Posts From Ishmael’s Corner in 2012 (Part I)

It’s been a good year for storytelling. One can argue storytelling has become the “new black.” If that’s true and you buy into the premise that a rising tide lifts all vessels including the humble canoe, then that explains our readership increasing by more than 50 percent. Many thanks for stopping by. In the spirit …more

Visual Storytelling Can Bring Out a Company’s Humanity

The largest semiconductor in the world runs a story depicting tattoos with “Intel” as part of the deisgn. Caterpillar produces a video about the role of their tractors in uniting the country of Madagascar. Visual storytelling can be an effective means to show a company’s humanity to the outside world. It’s tough for B2B companies …more

Ten Unfiltered Takes on “Tech Journalism is Broken”

In a world where anyone can conjure a digital pulpit for storytelling, the credibility that comes from third-party media coverage still counts. Communicators can benefit from studying journalism with sites such as Nieman Labs and Poynter offering open windows. It also doesn’t hurt to take a periodic look behind the curtain. For example, the post …more

The Opposite of Shouting, “Buy Me!”

A recent post by Chris Brogan focused on a simple question, “How do I get people to care?” We are bombarded with information 24 X 7, often self-induced (hello, smartphone). Trying to cut through the noise often feels like a trek through a jungle with a dull pocket knife. Chris’s answer to the challenge – …more

Social Networks in China Don’t Follow the U.S. Model

A few weeks ago I forwarded an article from a major U.S. newspaper to our China team that referred to the social network Renren as “China’s Facebook.” Their response that the story completely missed the mark planted the seed for this guest post. There’s something to be said for an on-the-ground view. Yin Mei, who …more

Startup Venture Applies Storytelling Techniques to “About Us” Section

There’s no question that startups enjoy an advantage in applying storytelling techniques to the “About Us” section on the company website. For Exhibit A, look no further than a new venture called SigFig. Its site gets the story off to a good start with with the subhead, “Our Story.” Now, check out the narrative: Before starting …more