I am an unabashed fan of the anecdote. Not in the sense that when one shows up on the Ed Sullivan show I’m moved to shriek. There’s an intellectual argument for using anecdotes – namely journalists want them. Sam Whitmore – if you’re in the communications business and don’t subscribe to SWMS, you’re missing a …more
It’s hard to believe that it’s been over a year since Netflix’s storytelling went astray in rationalizing the separation of the DVD business from the streaming video business. The primary issue wasn’t the decision as much as how it was communicated. At the time I wrote: Just be honest and open with people. No …more
Here’s another “grab bag” with a smattering of observations, updates and snarky remarks. Psychoanalyzing The New York Times Twitter Description It seems logical to assume publications pay attention to the words in their own outbound communications. If that’s the case, does the NYT Twitter description reflect a greater emphasis on engaging readers than The Wall …more
You want storytelling? How about that Knicks/Mavs game last Sunday? After overcoming racism, Ivy League basketball, not being drafted by an NBA team, getting cut by two teams, relegation to the Reno Bighorns, and pestilence in third-world countries, Jeremy Lin is a legit star. As you would expect, his story has been chronicled down to …more
Visual storytelling demands a place in any organization’s business communications. Photos, graphics, charticles – apparently, when it comes to fish, what happens in Vegas does not stay in Vegas – etc. all provide storytelling fodder. Which brings me to the infographic. You could make an argument that the infographic is the new black. Beyond the visual appeal, …more
This topic initially stumped me. Specifically, what exactly is a “practice?” I finally settled on this definition: The act of repeatedly engaging in an activity for the purpose of improving or mastering it. So what are the five things that today’s communication practitioners should be doing again and again with an aim to master? 1) Know …more
After tackling the topics of ghost blogging and how PR can stay relevant, 4 Perspectives on 4 Communication Issues enters week three pondering what role a communications agency should play in a client’s social media effort? This question delves into one of the great debates of our time, right up there with the meaning of life and …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
I noted earlier in the month that we got the SlideShare religion, using the social media site to tell our story through an unconventional credentials deck. After evangelizing SlideShare as an ideal platform for storytelling, it occurred to me that we should develop a deck on the power of storytelling in business. So that’s what we’ve done. Taking …more
