Whether we’re talking an IT director at a Fortune 500 company or an aluminum salesman in Des Moines, people consume visuals with greater ease than words. That’s why communicators of all shapes and sizes should embrace visual storytelling. And there’s more to visual communication than the grandiose infographic. Photos, illustrations and simple graphics can enhance …more
Sheri Baer, the Agency’s broadcast practice leader, regularly contributes to this forum, last taking readers behind the curtain of Bloomberg TV. In her latest take, she makes the point that leaders lead regardless of the market conditions. This is the wrong time of year to own tech … And if you didn’t believe me before, …more
Anyone can create a video and gain access to millions of viewers. The barriers to entry consist of nothing more than a video recorder and an Internet connection. But the rise of anyone-can-make-a-video has generated a fair amount of dreadful stuff. It’s especially challenging for a B2B company to create a video that stands apart …more
I’ve periodically addressed how to give your storytelling in a blog a fighting chance to find an audience through search engines. A colleague recently asked me to take a look at her blog and offer immediate thoughts on how she might improve traffic. Here’s the note with some minor “clean-up” which might have relevance for others. Dear Lost …more
Here’s a headline you don’t see every day: How A Startup Grew 600 Percent By Telling The Story Behind Products I’d call this an endorsement for the power of storytelling. The article captures the essence of AHALife and its founder Shauna Mei. Her team of curators travel the world looking for cool stuff that you won’t find stocked …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
As shared time and time again, I’m a fan of visual communications and particularly infographics. So it should come as no surprise that I like the infographic created by the Horn Group called “What CMOs Want in an Agency” which you can see below. One piece of data caught my attention. When asked what is the most important factor …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’ve established a new feature called “Friday Levity.” Humor enhances business storytelling. Jargon kills business storytelling. Kenn Durrence passed along today’s ditty which comes from a site that specializes in comic strips, Abstruce Goose. Enjoy.
