Given the headline, you might be thinking that my binge watching of Dexter has gone too far. Relax. I’m not suggesting you literally interview the deceased. Instead, the idea is to go back in time to interview a famous person by “borrowing” from existing video footage. MLB.com shows the way in creating a video in …more
One of our young account professionals, Melissa Lewelling, will be headed to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival next month. Out of literally thousands of films, her creation called “More Than a Number” was one of 30 films selected by Campus Movie Fest to be shown in the Short Film Corner. Her film takes a raw look …more
An online media property in Hong Kong called House News called it quits last weekend. If you go to www.thehousenews.com, you’ll be greeted with a letter in Chinese from one of the publication’s founders, Tony Tsoi on the “why.” Before turning attention to the writing in the letter, I must say that it’s disturbing to …more
You can find a gazillion books, trainers and gurus all geared to make you a better public speaker. Don’t read your slides. Stop jingling those pesky coins in your pocket. Use visuals, not bullets. Practice in front of a mirror. Etc. For the right price point, there are even experts out there who can get …more
What a surprise! Derek Jeter is not only a hall-of-fame shortstop who makes the time to help the elderly cross Fifth Avenue, the guy also knows how to write. When I say “knows how to write,” I don’t mean in the literary sense or with storytelling techniques. If my high school English teacher Mr. Harper, …more
Many have correlated storytelling expertise with leadership. Even McKinsey, home to “let the data guide your decision making,” has articulated this point. Which brings me to the pure definition of leadership, Nelson Mandela While the front-page stories on Nelson Mandela’s death have recounted his life’s journey, I thought it would be interesting to dust off …more
It doesn’t matter whether you sell mobile phones or tractors, customers want to feel there’s a real human being on the other side of the transaction. 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 …more
We recently completed a brand audit for a company outside the tech sector. To borrow from the legal profession, I love the “discovery” that comes from this type of work. In talking to the executives about branding, Southwest Airlines kept surfacing. It’s impressive how Southwest has carved out a distinctive position in the mind of …more
I got hooked on European soccer when I lived in the UK for a couple years. Taking the train from Redding to Liverpool for a match at Anfield where I was hugged after a Michael Owen goal – Who says the Brits don’t have emotion? – was quite an experience. So when I stumbled across the following …more
