What is your company (or client) doing that deviates from the status quo? I ask this question after being reminded by a 2009 New Yorker article “Hanging Tough,” that difficult economic times can produce rich fodder for storytelling. Let’s talk cereal. The New Yorker piece points out that when the Great Depression hit, cold cereal had yet to put a dent in …more
I’ve been considering this question since August 22, 2011. That’s when The Financial Times column, “Chief Googler’s ‘amazing’ clichés are dull and void” appeared. Lucy Kellaway took Larry Page to task for his poor communications on the Motorola acquisition. Channeling high school biology, she dissected the following statement from Page phrase by bloody phrase: “Together, …more
The Korean newspaper Electronic Times asked me to write a series of columns that looked at business issues through the lens of Silicon Valley. One column emphasized that a successful product launch starts by doing your homework: Foreign tech companies often don’t take the time to do their homework and figure out how their product …more
Thanks to media coverage worthy of a royal wedding, everyone now knows that Apple’s balance sheet looks better than the U.S. government. Not exactly an earth-shattering revelation – and Steve Jobs didn’t get married – so why all the fuss. Reverse engineering the hoopla illustrates the storytelling that can come out of a single dot-connecting moment. First, look …more
I’ve pointed out that advertising gets narrative. That’s why when an ad badly misses the market – like the country of Georgia touting its corruption ranking – I tend to notice. So it is with this ad from Oklahoma City that appeared in The Wall Street Journal. Out of all of Oklahoma City’s assets that might appeal …more
I took the “story” on the road during the month of May. As a closet introvert, I make a conscious effort to push myself beyond cubicleland. Here’s a snapshot of how May played out. UnGeeked Elite in Chicago (May 12) Cd Vann has created the “uncola” of gathering. The speakers are charged with leading a discussion, not pontificating via a slide …more
Bloggers can face what appears to be conflicting objectives. They want to tell fresh stories. At the same time, they can feel like a slave to the SEO master in the quest to bring in more readers through search engines. My three cents – Keep it simple. No one expects you to be an SEO guru. Who wants to …more
There’s an enduring dimension to the David-against-Goliath story that resonates with people. It brings out a fundamental of good storytelling, the unexpected. No one expects a David to beat the proverbial Goliath. The same technique makes for a compelling read in the business world. That’s why when an accomplished mathematician surfaces to challenge Google, …more
The San Jose Mercury News ran the feel-good story “From Strawberries to Startup” on the front page above the fold. No doubt, the Merc’s editorial decision-makers – and for that matter publication bosses from around the country – figure the onslaught of negative news starts to numb the readership. Check out the Merc‘s front-page headlines …more
