Forget the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. The China Olympics will essentially offer up a Petri dish for stories that transcend sports. I was in Hong Kong back in 2001 when China was officially awarded the Olympics. I managed to snag a copy of the Beijing Youth Daily newspaper commemorating the milestone, which was …more
The typical news release offers less drama than watching Aunt Bee on a rerun of The Andy Griffith Show. For those under 50 not familiar with the sitcom just listening to the show’s theme song tells you all you need to know. Of course, I recognize that companies need to announce products and other types of …more
With the fervor surrounding the Beijing Olympics close to its apex, any story tied to China gains some extra juice. That’s why you see announcements like the one by IODA (the Independent Online Distribution Alliance) launching the largest digital music store in China timed to lead into the Olympics opening ceremonies on August 8. Timing aside, IODA paints the classic contrarian story with …more
My last post lamented the lack of quality video earmarked for a B2B audience. Which isn’t to say business videos are a complete wasteland. There’s an eclectic blog called Valley Zen – promotes itself as the intersection of Zen and technology; I thought that was Nolan Bushnell’s dream with Chuck E. Cheese’s – that showcases …more
When YouTube debuted, I remember thinking what’s all the fuss? You obviously don’t want me reading tarot cards at the local county fair. Universal McCann’s study on social media on video traction shows that more than 80 percent of Internet users watch video online: With that said, I don’t know if anyone predicted that video would …more
The concept of reader engagement championed in the blogosphere is now making the rounds in the traditional publishing world. BusinessWeek serves as a good exhibit A. MediaShift captured changes afoot at BW in a far-reaching post that included an interview with the big cheese himself, EIC John Byrne. On the topic of reader engagement Byrne shared: …more
Take a look at the following opening paragraph in a recent Economist article: “The porters at Trinity College, Cambridge, were puzzled by the faded, handwritten letter. They did not recognise the addressee’s name, and opened the envelope. Inside was a note which appeared to suggest a meeting; perhaps even a date. But that meeting probably …more
Businesspeople tend to associate storytelling with fiction. Yet, the same elements that make a book such as “Moby Dick” a compelling read — good versus evil, care for the characters, humor, etc. — have a place in the business world. Whether it’s a potential customer evaluating your product or a journalist probing your latest news, communicating information …more
