I know I said advertising gets narrative but this falls under the extreme category. Cruising through the May 1916 edition of Popular Mechanics, I came across the ad headline: One Hint From These Men May Be the Turning Point in your Life! Lest you feel a “carny” come-on, the copy strives to establish credibility from …more
Even though the flow of venture capital has slowed to a trickle, the act of securing money still typically rates nothing more than a yawn. The media just doesn’t care about funding news. So why would The New York Times devote 1,064 words to a startup banking $48 million to design chips for computer servers? The funding news was …more
Everyone left the news release for dead years ago. Then Enron imploded, Sarbanes-Oxley arrived and the need for public disclosure resurrected this humble servant. That’s why you saw Berkshire scooping up Business Wire some years ago. It was a form of “forget mining for gold, let’s sell the pans and sluice boxes.” But not even …more
The letter to the customer posted on one’s website offers the perfect forum for storytelling. Because you’re in control. While I chastised Toyota for its customer letter addressing the recall, I also recognize the attorney factor during a crisis warrants a handicap. Which brings me to Amazon and its CEO Jeff Bezos. No question, Mr. …more
This blog is geared to explore how storytelling techniques can be applied to brand building. But what about the story that a company doesn’t necessarily want to tell? Like when things go wrong. We’re about to enjoy a front-row seat to such a case study with the Justice Department calling out Oracle with the news …more
Newsweek’s cover story on “The Creativity Crisis” caused me to reflect on the forces that have shaped my own approach to creativity. Here’s my top-five list with a touch of psychoanalysis: Self esteem from Mom and Dad: Hate to start on a syrupy note, but my parents stayed on message until I moved out for college: “Anything is possible with hard work.” …more
I’ve decided to live on the edge. By eschewing a SEO-friendly headline, I run the risk of attracting readers researching salmonella in poultry. When this post actually reflects a rumble through the KFC website where I came across a section called “Picnic Planning.” At this point I’m thinking this could make a terrific mini case study on …more
I’ve noticed a spike of recent attention devoted to building relationships with bloggers. One of the better ones came from Gini Dietrich and her interview with Mickie Kennedy from eReleases. With this in mind, I’ve dusted off a previous post that addresses this very topic: Robert Scoble, the poster child for escaping corporate cubedom for the virtual pulpit, penned a post titled …more
Are we really at the midway point of 2010? In honor of the milestone, I’ve captured my personal eight – lucky in Chinese numerology – favorites from the first half of the year. 1) Communicating with Fresh and Compelling Language This was my first edition of “Moes Takes,” a vehicle to call out clever quotes in stories …more
