By Chris Owen, Director, UK . It’s time to explore the second of our seven basic plots: tragedy, where the protagonist is a hero with a major character flaw or a great mistake that is ultimately their undoing. The age of Blockbuster Ah. The good old days. Walking into the local video rental store …more
We live in a world that correlates speed with business success. Often, it’s not about inventing the best solution. It’s about getting there first and then fending off competitors parallel to trying to get the product right. But building a brand is not a transaction or a campaign. It requires time. Those same fast-twitch muscles …more
The plan from Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan to “tinker” with the American healthcare system caused quite an uproar. It’s not every day that Warren Buffett and Jeff Bezos join forces to figure out a way to eliminate those pesky clipboards holding the forms that you fill out every time you make a pit stop …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
Cloaked with a veneer of secrecy that leaves readers to wonder “Who the hell wrote that article?” The Economist takes pride in baffling the garden-variety PR person. Its editorial decisions can at times seem quirky for the sake of being quirky. I mean, do we really need 499 words devoted to ornithology and a bio-acoustic monitor that can distinguish …more
Oprah is a good storyteller who’s even better at facilitating a story. More than any single element, Oprah has turned tapping into the emotional reservoir of her viewing audience into an art form. That’s why when Oprah came forward on Friday and proclaimed Amazon’s Kindle (e-reader) as life-changing people paid attention. In fact, Oprah’s revelation created more noise in the blogosphere …more
