He flew into Hong Kong as part of our team, presenting a regional brief to Juniper Networks. 

We’ve been working with David and his team ever since. 

Given his firm’s milestone, I thought it was high time to pepper Mr. Frost with questions on life, liberty and the pursuit of a good story. 

Here’s the exchange.

David: Fascinating and a little scary until the cash began flowing. Although I missed the days of ‘walk-in’ computers, people in the industry were still discussing them. Our first news conference announced that a big Aussie consultancy had taken on NCR’s ADDS computers, which ran the Pick operating, system; the hot debate in those days being open systems, Pick vs. Unix. 

Lou: Any leading-edge technology in your own operation starting off? 

David: I had one of the first fax machines which cost $3,500 at the time. I often couldn’t resist getting up at dead of night to check what fascinating info was appearing before my eyes from exotic places like California, London, Israel and elsewhere. 

Lou: You went from the prestigious Australian Financial Review into PR. Did your colleagues think you were crazy? 

David: Most of my colleagues were crazy too. Apart from a few star writers, most had their own agendas and used the Fin as a convenient cash cow while they pursued other dreams: writing books, doing PR on the side, and more. A benign 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. shift allowed me to look after our two school-age children while my wife worked negotiated hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. as deputy editor of Vogue Living. I was the Fin’s production editor as technology evolved from hot metal printing towards fully computerised pagination. 

Lou: Explain hot metal printing for our under-40 crowd. 

David: Essentially copy editors would do the type-setting as they edited reporters’ work: every change of typeface, font size, style or column width required them to punch in the codes. On the production floor, their work emerged as strips of sticky cardboard which were pasted together jigsaw-like to form a page. I found it sad: the traditional hot metal compositors with years of experience, who built up each page by fitting together slugs of metal type - some of whom were absolute artists who took a deep pride in their work - were losing their jobs to teenage girls. 

Lou: Why did you make the jump? 

David: First, a step back to the days when 28-year-old me was assistant night editor on the British national newspaper, the Daily Mail, and aiming high. Journalism was consuming me, so my wife and I sat on a Corfu beach and resolved to forget ambition and balance work with lifestyle. A youthful aim had been to become a schoolteacher - not to shape young minds but to enjoy 10 weeks of annual holidays! When I learned on the Fin that a PR outfit needed someone who could write, I negotiated all school holidays off as part of the deal. To look after the kids, of course. A couple of years later, I set up PRDeadlines. 

Lou: And now your son Luke joins your operation. Is that really you and Luke in the photo? You look like you’re threatening him? 

David: Luke lent that pic to his former publishing company for a promotion. Reactions were polarised: men saying “Hey, that’s cool;” women declaring “Oh, poor child.” In my defense, note Luke’s serene countenance and consider that his mum took the photograph. Luke was, and is, blessed with a serene nature - clearly takes after his mother. Pic was taken on a 10-acre New Zealand farmlet which cost us $22 a week - we were utterly pissed off when the rent was raised to $25! 

Lou: Have you ever had a client so bloody dull, securing interest from the media was hopeless? 

David: Not quite, we have been able to glean some media-worthy output from all of them although it has been touch-and-go in some cases. Over the years we have fired a couple of clients for refusing to accept our counsel, insisting on doing things their way then blaming us for poor outcomes. 

Lou: How have you seen storytelling techniques in the tech sector evolve through the years? 

David: We tell short stories for pitching complex IT information in a simple, easy-to-understand format, sometimes using shock pictures to grab media attention. We tell longer stories in thought leadership features and for case studies. Unlike some PR agencies, we resist the urge to tell tall stories. 

Lou: But do you think storytelling has changed? 

David: I believe all these storytelling techniques and categories have evolved in recent years because today’s media people have far less time to consider any PR approach. Copy-tasters for most Australian tier-one media have maybe 10-15 seconds in which to assess the news value of any pitch. So we make the headline and intro count, and the story compelling. Make them read it: subject, active verb, object - Man bites dog. 

Lou: Be both compelling and concise. 

David: Right. Remember, one of literature’s most compelling sentences was short: “Jesus wept.”

Lou: When you reflect on PRDeadlines’ track record, have you crafted one client story that you’re particularly proud of? 

David: The best return on investment we ever achieved helped enterprise content management vendor FileNet to win three $1 million-plus contracts. Again, storytelling did the trick. We crafted a series of hard-hitting snail mail shots. Examples: “Do you really want to go to jail!” (FileNet automates compliance); and “1,000 Government customers in 74 countries… and only one is off the planet!” (NASA). We targeted C-level execs in a Top 200 Aussie organisations database, and scored a 4 percent response, which led ultimately to those big contracts. The country manager loved us. 

Lou: Any other thoughts in wrapping up? 

David: That philosophy of work/lifestyle balance is still working well, though business and lifestyle tend to merge at times since I love playing with technology. It’s all so enjoyable. In the ‘good’ old days I could not have held down global clients. Now it’s simple. So here I sit, in a tiny village just north of the greater Sydney metropolitan area, surrounded on three sides by national parkland and on the fourth by a pond of sorts called the South Pacific which we call the Tasman Sea hereabout. I too make waves, whose ripples span the globe. It’s a good life. 

Lou: I think this is when I say g’day 

David: Right.

We apply this thinking in cultivating our own brand.

For example, we distributed a news release on our new U.S. general manager last week that generated syndicated pickup in a number of media properties including Reuters.

The three backlinks that appeared in the Reuters piece - one going to www.hoffman.com and two earmarked for this storytelling forum - are extremely valuable.

Search engine algorithms don’t distinguish between syndicated content like our news release and actual stories crafted by journalists. The algorithm simply sees content hanging off of www.reuters.com.

This is significant because not all backlinks are created equal. A backlink from Reuters, a global media property with mass readership and a zillion backlinks itself, carries considerable clout. For the cost of news release distribution (cheap), we generated three golden links.

Also by using keywords in our anchor text, “storytelling techniques” and “storytelling workshops,” we accentuate these terms.

In retrospect, we should have handled the hyperlink to www.hoffman.com like this:

“The Hoffman Agency, a PR agency focused on technology, has appointed …”

Not like this:

“The Hoffman Agency has appointed …

Why?

We want that “link juice” going to terms that will help bring more qualified traffic to our website. Anyone looking for The Hoffman Agency and plugging these words into Google is going to find us - no problem. Instead, it’s the people searching on the category where there’s upside that increases our organic search traffic.

Now, you might be asking why didn’t we generate more “gold” and add more hyperlinks to the news release. If you add too many hyperlinks, this can trigger a “bad reaction” similar to keyword stuffing.

Note: If you enjoyed this post, you might check out There’s Enough Room in this Town For Both Storytelling and Keywords and Insights From BusinessWire’s Top 20 News Releases of 2011.

Three quick vignettes:

Corporate Blogging: Not a Field of Dreams

Between our corporate blogging workshops and consulting on the topic, we find this visual makes a good springboard into discussions.

USA Today recently addressed corporate blogging. While we didn’t agree with the premise - Facebook is replacing corporate blogging - we did appreciate the shout out.

Fast Company Takes on Storytelling

Good piece in Fast Company by Jonathan Gottschall, “Why Storytelling Is the Ultimate Weapon.”

I thought this passage in particular captures the “why:”

“… there is an important lesson about the molding power of story. When we read dry, factual arguments, we read with our dukes up. We are critical and skeptical. But when we are absorbed in a story we drop our intellectual guard. We are moved emotionally and this seems to leave us defenseless.”

Also enjoyed the turn of a phrase that described storytelling as “persuasive jujitsu.”

Gottschall, who teaches English at Washington & Jefferson College, has a book out, “The Storytelling Animal,” which probably deserves to make the nightstand.

The Classic “Once Upon a Belly Fat” Works Every Time

There are several services that help communicators identify the stories in motion by journalists, which in turn allow communicators to match client resources with the topic at hand.

One such service, HARO (Help A Reporter Out), recently proffered this opportunity:

ABC DAYTIME TALK SHOW SEEKS WOMEN WITH BELLY FAT

As a general rule of thumb, clients value TV and its reach to the masses.

Still, we decided to take a pass on this one.

Not a good risk-reward ratio.

That’s why Intel, a semiconductor company, posted on tattoos.

Even Dick Costolo, the CEO of Twitter, has espoused on the topic:

It’s fun to be the customer of a company with a personality. This seems totally obvious, and yet you too rarely see companies with distinct personalities really grab your attention in the marketplace. Why is this? It’s actually hard to remove personality and character from communications. So, instead of saying that companies don’t take the time to have personalities, it’s probably more accurate to state that companies don’t allow themselves to show their personalities.

The path to a distinctive company personality starts by showing its humanity.

Here are three simple ways to do this.

1) Call Out Social Platforms Used by Executives

This is low-hanging fruit.

If an executive participates in social media, why not include it with his or her bio?

You can see how Wyse handles this.

You might be thinking, “Why doesn’t Wyse include a LinkedIn button with their executive bios?”

Good question.

I don’t know.

2) Apply Storytelling Techniques to “About Us” Section

Most companies have an “About Us” section on their website.

Unfortunately, the copy typically reads like a DMV training manual.

Not to pick on Alcoa - O.K., I guess I am picking on them - but here’s a perfect example of dull.

Before you say it’s hard to make aluminum exciting, Aloca has shown its storytelling prowess with a campaign around smog-eating buildings.

3) Real Companies Do Scrapbooking

No, I don’t mean putting together actual scrapbooks that sit in your lobby and gather dust.

This is more of a mentality of identifying and sharing “photo stories” about your people.

It does take time and talent to craft full-blown narratives. The beauty of “photo stories” is anyone can write a decent caption (allowing the photo to do the talking).

Facebook is a natural for this type of communication, but any digital real estate is a potential platform.

For example, our contact page highlights our new office in Hong Kong.

Clicking on the “new digs” takes you to:

It took a few minutes to put our HK team (and two pigs) in front of the camera.

When you read about a great brand or a company showing its personality, it’s inevitably a consumer play.

The beauty of these three approaches is they work equally well in the B2B sphere.

It’s all about helping the outside world get to know you.

The news release shares the facts.

This Q&A with Steve probes the intangibles.

Nicely deflecting the tough questions, Steve manages to tell stories and still stay on message.

A.   Thanks. I am very excited to be joining the team. To me, it’s like coming home. While I was a consultant with Hoffman, I immediately felt at ease with the people, with the culture, with the agency’s mission. I was struck by the willingness to embrace fresh ideas - even my sometimes seemingly off-the-wall ideas. I am proud to call The Hoffman Agency home.

Q. When you started consulting to the agency back in November, I was immediately impressed with your hands-on passion for communications. What fuels that passion?

A.   I love being creative. I think that is a big part of what fuels my passion for communications. I love coming up with solutions that perhaps no one else could have seen. Just writing a headline that makes people think can be a source for passion.

I also love the people component of communications. In my career, I have been fortunate to work with some of the great minds in PR.

Q. How would you describe your style?

A.   I would describe my style as one that fosters a sense of teamwork. For me it’s never about individual glory, but always about the success as a team. My style is to listen, to teach, to challenge … to engender a culture of teamwork so there is loyalty, care and concern for clients, for the agency and for one another. When esprit-de-corps finds a soul mate with talent, greatness happens.

Q. As you know, we’re huge believers in applying storytelling techniques to our client programs. Did you ever have a light-bulb moment when it comes to storytelling in PR campaigns?

A.   Well, very early on in my career, I noticed that many PR people tended to do things the same way: Regurgitate corporate speak, revert to jargon and forget that audiences were really breathing, thinking, emotional human beings, not just end users or potential revenue. I also didn’t like what I saw as deadly boring bylines, press releases, speeches that sounded like badly written brochure-ware.

The light-bulb moment for me was when I first started to pitch the media. At first, I tried my own version of corporate-speak with journalists, and they kept telling me to take out an ad. I knew I had to change my ways, and soon. That’s when it occurred to me that I must draw on my own experience as a journalist to write powerful stories, grabby headlines and powerful leads that the media’s audiences would want to read. When I made this change to storytelling, I found my success rate improved dramatically.

Q. Where does your inspiration for storytelling come from?

A.   Great poets such as Keats, Yeats, E.E. Cummings, Emily Dickinson, Shakespeare and Donne inspire me with their precision and power of language. Master novelists such as John Updike, Joyce Carol Oates, Tolstoy, Hemingway, Balzac and Virginia Woolf inspire me for the beauty and vividness of their storytelling. I also find that reading science fiction helps me think about stories in new and creative ways.

Q. You didn’t mention Elmore Leonard and classics like “Get Shorty.”

A.   No … although Travolta wasn’t bad in the film adaption of “Get Shorty.”

Q.  OK, moving on. I know you spearheaded a storytelling initiative at Microsoft. Tell us a little about this effort.

A.   Microsoft was very serious about connecting with its audiences on a more human level. To achieve this, the company sought a global storytelling framework that was more than theoretical - they wanted to make it actionable in the real world of business. They wanted every marketing, PR and senior executive to put storytelling to work in their everyday work lives, whether it was creating a pitch for the media, or writing a speech or talking to customers in person.

What I did was de-construct all of the great principles of storytelling and then built out a step-by-step process of how to create great stories that advance business objectives. I also created a storytelling worksheet, so even those who were not natural storytellers could pick up the principles and put storytelling to work in their business lives.

Q.  How did Microsoft measure the effort? Were there tangible signs that it worked?

A.   More than 600 PR staff and Microsoft marketing executives from India to the UK to Redmond participated in the storytelling workshops; then hundreds more studied the online version. Microsoft didn’t officially measure the outcome of the storytelling, but anecdotally, my Microsoft clients told me it improved the quality and quantity of news coverage and fundamentally improved how Microsoft engaged with audiences.

Q.  After heading operations for mega shops like Weber Shandwick and Edelman, how do you see our opportunity?

A.   I love the opportunity at The Hoffman Agency. The agency has been in Silicon Valley for 25 years and has earned a sterling reputation for doing great work not only in the U.S., but in Europe and Asia as well. When I mentioned to a Bay Area COO that I was going to work for The Hoffman Agency, he instantly recognized the name and said it was a firm with a great reputation.

I believe we’re at the right place at the right time to capitalize on the massive amount of innovation coming out of Silicon Valley and across the globe. Of course, there is intense competition for this business. But I think we have a clear advantage when you look at things such as the depth of thinking, tech experience and the ability to execute on great ideas.

Q.  I’ll take that as a positive sign that you believe we can continue to compete against the big guys.

A.   No question.

Q.  Anything we didn’t cover through these questions that you’d like to share?

A.   I am an avid bicyclist and have been for many years. I love riding for fresh air, scenery and relaxation - and for the sense of community I feel with other riders. I particularly like riding on the roads that lead into the mountains because that is where the most dramatic scenery can be found. But in reality, I love riding just about anywhere relatively free of cars. It is so rejuvenating for me, and there have been times when I have come up with great campaign ideas while riding a bike.

Q.  Let’s make it happen.

A.   I am ready to roll.

Last year two of our account folks in our Japan office penned a post that examined how Sony created two different videos for the same camera, one for the U.S. market and the other for the Japanese market.

Today, Jiyoung Moon in our Korean office tackles this broad topic.

By Jiyoung Moon,
The Hoffman Agency Korea

Many Westerners have the impression that Asian cultures are serious and formal.

Not true.

For instance, it’s interesting to compare a Korean blog post and a UK blog post featuring the same product, a remote control for a TV, from LG Electronics.

The headlines set the tone.

The Korean touches the heart, “Let’s Unveil the Secrets of Magic Remote … It Will Do Whatever You Say” in contrast to the UK’s intellectual approach, “LG’s Magic Remote Recognised by Universal Design For Ease of Use and Convenience.”

Keeping with this theme, the Korean post opens with Korean heartthrob, Won Bin, who consistently appears in TV commercials, as the hook.

Yes, the Korean version covers the main features/functions of the product, which are Magic Wheel, Magic Pattern Gesture and Voice Recognition as covered in the UK version.

But the tone and manner are much friendlier aided with more explanatory images.

Meanwhile, this UK post illustrates the major features and functions of the Magic Remote with minimalist images and no clutter.

While it’s not fair to assume that the style of LG Electronics UK Blog represents all the English-language blogs, it is obvious that Koreans enjoy a certain style, which is very different from U.S. or UK blogs.

You can really get a sense of the style differences when you compare Google …

With Korea’s No. 1 search engine and portal called Naver.

I think it’s fair to say that white space with one or two images appeal to English-speaking audiences, but Korean audiences think such an approach is boring and not “kind enough.”

You may be surprised by the fact that Asians, including Koreans, have a high propensity for intuitive communication, aided by non-verbal elements. While the importance of intuitiveness in the product development field is highly recognized in the Western countries, they still have a tendency to rely on verbal factors in communications.

In this regard, Koreans often feel that English texts are too wordy.

On other hand, Westerners might look at Korean design and be turned off by what they perceive as clutter.

Again, it’s all about taking the time to tailor the communications to the local audience.

Apple Ads Didn’t Always Display a Certain Panache

Apple has done such a masterful job in creating its “look and feel,” one forgets the evolutionary process behind the brand.

Check out the print ad below signed off by Mr. Jobs in the late 1970s.

“A is for Apple?”

Not exactly a fresh headline (to be kind).

But there is something insanely great about the ad.

Call the 800-538-9696 number in the ad and guess what happens?

You’re greeted by the words, “Thank you for calling Apple.”

That’s right.

Apple still maintains this customer service number thirty plus years after the ad ran.

Talk about maniacal attention to details.

DRAM and Rice Balls

Elpida, one of the largest DRAM makers, filed for bankruptcy in February.

Came across a story in the New York Times that included a quote from Yukio Sakamoto, Elpida’s CEO:

“The price of one DRAM now hardly buys you one rice ball.”

I think this line captures the company’s plight better than any spreadsheet.

Pinterest CEO Shows Humanity

Pinterest certainly qualifies as the latest “shiny objective” in the world of social media.

Every week brings a slew of stories on the platform.

A recent piece in Business Insider used slides to tell the story of Pinterest’s founder and CEO Ben Silbermann.

What particularly struck me was Silbermann’s willingness to show his humanity.

I loved this slide, which shows Ben has felt ever since Pinterest started taking off.

Great example of how a visual can get across a point that’s tough to match with words.

After the damning New York Times report, “In China, Human Costs Are Built Into An iPad,” Apple wanted to specifically connect with what goes on behind the curtain in the making of its products.

I noticed that photos of Cook adorned in laboratory-like regalia appeared in many of the stories, but didn’t think much about it.

Then I saw Ma Jun from the Institute of Public and Environmental affairs in Beijing interviewed about Apple on Bloomberg West last week. The segment included the same photo used in many of the print and online stories

This prompted me to reverse-engineer how Apple handled the communications around Cook’s trip to China.

In short, Apple’s strategy reflected the cliché “a picture is worth a thousand words.”

The company hired a photographer to take photos of Cook interacting with Foxconn line workers and then distributed two shots to the media. Even if the words in the print/online stories were negative - and many were - Apple reasoned that a smiling CEO interacting with the common folks would serve as a positive counterbalance.

Of course, this assumes that the media would use PR photos with the story.

I chose a cross-section of publications which included several mainstream media properties and examined whether their stories on March 29/30 included Apple’s photos:

• All Things D
• Bloomberg
• Business Insider
• CBS News Online
• Engadget
• Fast Company
• Forbes
• GigaOm
• Gizmodo
• The Huffington Post (Reuters)
• The Los Angeles Times
• Mashable
• Reuters
• TechCrunch
• The New York Times
• The Next Web
• The Telegraph
• The Wall Street Journal
• VentureBeat
• Yahoo! News

The number surprised me.

Sixteen out of the 20 properties incorporated Apple’s storytelling candy.

Only Fast Company, TechCrunch, CBS News Online and All Things D took a pass.

I thought CBS News Online was particularly enterprising, pulling a candid shot from Weibo (Chinese micro-blogging service) of a Chinese consumer hanging with Mr. Cook.

Apple figured out whether they communicated or not, journalists would write the Cook-in-China story and these stories would need visuals. And if they prevented the media from taking their own shots, they would probably use the Apple-controlled photos.

The data suggests they were right.

It’s also fascinating to see how the credit for the photos played out.

The wire services, Bloomberg, Reuters and AFP, identify the photos as coming from Apple.

But as media properties published their own stories and needed visuals, they pulled photos from the wire services, often dropping Apple as being the source. You can see an example of this in The L.A. Times story, which was kind enough to even include the Apple-crafted caption with the words “newly built Foxconn manufacturing facility.”

Like a poker player with most of the chips exerting his will on the table, Apple leverages its position of strength with the media.

While journalists don’t want to be “handled,” it appears they make an exception for Apple.

The legacy of Steve Jobs lives on in more ways than one.

Note: One of our account folks, Julie Sugishita, did much of the heavy lifting for this post. If anyone is interested in a look at the data (spreadsheet), post a POV comment with your request and I’ll send it along.

The journalist asked us for input.

One of our comments made the actual article.

So far, so good. It’s not every day a communications consultancy makes the USA Today Money section (albeit below the fold).

We’re doing more work in the area of corporate blogging - audits, workshops, writing, consulting - so this type of visibility is valuable.

Yet, the plot took a twist after the story appeared.

Five people were quoted in the story:

• Nora Ganim Barnes, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
• T.J. Crawford, a Bank of America spokesperson
• Pete Steege, director of marketing communications and web strategy for Rimage
• Milton Gray Draper, director of IR at Core-Mark Holding
• Lou Hoffman, a communications consultant

I couldn’t help but notice I was the only one not identified by organization.

It’s not a horrific miss in accuracy. Still, I’d like the company to come along for the ride, which prompted this letter:

Dear USA Today,

I’m writing you in regards to today’s story “More companies quit blogging, go with Facebook instead.”

Every person quoted in the story is identified by his or her company/organization except me.

I appreciate nothing can be done with the hard copy, but could the online version of the article be tweaked so I have company attribution as well?

I enjoyed interacting with the journalist on this story.

I’m also appreciative to simply be included in the story.

If USA Today has a policy or philosophy that prevents this change, no problem.

I appreciate the consideration.

Best,

Lou

Mission accomplished.

The story now carries the following identifier:

Lou Hoffman, CEO of The Hoffman Agency, a public relations firm

It serves as another proof point that it never hurts to ask (nicely).

Most follow a formula:

1. Here’s the problem
2. It was a horrible 
3. Fortunately, ACME Technology came to the rescue 
4. Snapshot of the product(s) from ACME 
5. It was easy to install 
6. Here’s how we did it 
7. Quantify the benefits 
8. We’re thrilled 

Not exactly scintillating storytelling because the formula jackhammers the intellectual side of the brain. 

That’s why this NetApp customer case study caught my attention. 

The video appeals to the right side of the brain while still maintaining an undercurrent of intelligence. 

Reverse-engineering the story, we can identify the components that collectively make this a good watch: 

• The story is about Suncorp’s transformation, not computer storage. Look at these words that appear at the start, “The IT department that became a launchpad.” There’s an emotional dimension to this kickoff as opposed to highlighting “IT driving change management.” 

• The spotlight stays on Suncorp. Netapp gets mentioned for five seconds in the early going - We look to Netapp to help materially change how we do work - and the sign-off. That’s it. 
• Fresh camera angles advance the story at an energetic pace. 
• The visual storytelling stands out, using the technique of overlaying simple illustrations on top of the real. 
• On the audio side, simply bringing two voices from Suncorp into the picture appeals to the viewer’s senses. 
• The close talks about creating an “enabling environment for people to get inspired to do things they hadn’t thought they could do.” You don’t associate IT professionals with flying kites. 

• Last, they recognize less is more with the video coming in at 101 seconds. 

Even in a B2B play, the buyers and decision-makers are still people with emotions. 

This video does a brilliant job of playing to this dynamic. 

I appreciate Mischa Hedges at TrimTab Media highlighting the video to me. It was done by his partner, Iliani Matisse at her previous agency, Eleven. 

Note: If this post resonated, you might check out “Storytelling Techniques Tie Tractors to Uniting a Country.”