We’ve discussed how storytelling techniques can open doors in the business and mainstream media. HP provides a good Exhibit A. By packaging a story on how the University of Minnesota took proceeds from licensing the “code” from Honeycrisp apples to help pay for a supercomputer, they secured interest from Ashlee Vance at The New York …more
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
I enjoy a story that depends on a contrarian bent. If someone revealed that Steve Jobs prefers Bad Religion on vinyl or that Michael Arrington leads a Bible study group, I would read those stories. So naturally, I gravitated to the piece “A hammer — yes, that low-tech tool — helps mold noses of Japan’s …more
This headline in BusinessWeek was so good, I decided to borrow it. Writer Patrick Lencioni, head of management consultancy The Table Group, chronicles the Domino’s Pizza ad campaign that takes introspective to a new level. In short, Domino’s falls on its rolling pin, publicly sharing focus group opinions that call out the pizza maker for …more
The appeal of reality TV shows such as American Idol is undeniable. As the judges kibitz and trade barbs on who gets a pass to Hollywood, it’s the fact that we don’t know what will happen next that draws us in. And it’s what keeps so many people watching to the bitter end. You can …more
When the New York Times hired Ashlee Vance, many enterprise computing PR folks rejoiced. Tired of watching the Web 2.0 hotshots dominate business media stories on computing, they thought, “Finally. Here is a major daily bringing on Vance with the implied message that enterprise computing once again matters.” Not exactly. It was as if people …more
When contrast is so great that it challenges our assumptions, you’ve got the makings of a good story. So it is in The Huffington Post article, “McDonald’s Gets Modern European-Style Makeover in NYC.” Is there a restaurant interior more dreary than the classic McDonald’s? Clearly, the original objective for the seating area was to make …more
I stumbled across a compelling three-and-a-half-minute video with NPR’s Scott Simon sharing his perspective on how to tell a story (video below). It’s captivating, as reflected in the 43,000+ views. Before going further, let’s acknowledge that Scott Simon’s voice by itself is captivating. He could explain a recipe for nouveau meatloaf and I’d listen. Plus, anyone …more
There’s nothing like contrast to accentuate the telling of a story. In our “art of storytelling” training I like to discuss the difference between “what was” and “what is.” The greater the delta between these two points the greater the drama in the story. There’s a terrific example of contrast in Monday’s USA Today profile on Teresa …more
