Archive: June 2010

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Visual Storytelling via the InfoGraphic

I got the SlideShare religion because the platform simplifies the blending of words and visuals in storytelling. But there are a number of ways to bring visuals to the fore, such as the infographic. I was particularly impressed with the savvy displayed from a company called Infegy in creating an infographic on the vuvuzela, those pesky horns providing the “lovely background music” …more

BP Crisis Brings Exxon Along for the Ride

The BP oil rig explosion just hit the two-month milestone. At last count, I was one of 10,332 writers (my horseshoe-far number) who weighed in with a perspective or two on BP’s crisis communications. Make that 10,333, with the BBC highlighting BP boss Tony Hayward’s gaffes. A byproduct of BP’s PR nightmare involves the resurrection of the Exxon Valdez …more

Has Anyone Seen My Anecdote?

We’ve talked about the star power of the anecdote in storytelling. Here’s yet another example. Sarah Needleman at The Wall Street Journal sent out the following query on HARO: I’m seeking small-business owners who struggle or used to struggle with reprimanding employees for poor performance or bad behavior. But I need more than just someone …more

Aligning PR with Storytelling for the "Happily Ever After"

I noted earlier in the month that we got the SlideShare religion, using the social media site to tell our story through an unconventional credentials deck. After evangelizing SlideShare as an ideal platform for storytelling, it occurred to me that we should develop a deck on the power of storytelling in business. So that’s what we’ve done. Taking …more

Storytelling in the Age of Creative Destruction Conference: Krishna Bharat From Google News

The Innovation Journalism (InJo) Conference at Stanford kicked off yesterday. Gathering 100+ journalists, academics and the like to scrutinize the telling of the innovation story makes for a lively dialog. The opening session featured David Nordfors, founder of InJo, interviewing Krishna Bharat, the creator of Google News. Dubbed a “fireside chat,” I’m pleased to report both …more

My Take on Russian Train Story Veered Off Track

Back in October, I resurrected the “Iron Reporter” to compare how two different publications covered Siemens’ high-speed train in Russia. It was interesting to see the two reporters, Andrew E. Kramer from The New York Times and Paul Glader from The Wall Street Journal, take distinctly different paths in their storytelling. Both pieces reflected the …more

Storytelling via Slideshare

I’ve got the SlideShare religion. Ironically, the use of slides, so often associated with mind-numbing – if not sleep-inducing – oral presentations, makes for a terrific storytelling platform for reading. Earlier in the year, I posted on “Telling a Story Through Visual Means” that reverse-engineered a charticle in WIRED Magazine. In a sense, SlideShare encompasses the …more