Journalists, particularly journalists at business and mainstream publications, show the way when it comes to applying storytelling techniques to business communications. Pick out a story in media properties such as The Atlantic or The New Yorker. Reverse-engineering the content and studying the construction of the story will surface lessons that can be applied in business. …more
The wonders of social media periodically dust off commentary long relegated to the archives. So it was with David Ogilvy’s advice on writing that made the rounds on LinkedIn this week. Ogilvy penned these words on Sept. 7, 1982 in a memo to his employees. His point of view has relevance for all business communicators, …more
There’s no question that 2016 delivered plenty of fodder for storytelling. Thursday’s post included half of the list capturing the top posts from this year. Here’s the rest of the list. 6. Five Storytelling Techniques to Give Business Communications Storytelling is the new “black” when it comes to business communications. But here’s the pachyderm in the …more
I suppose there’s a reason that “time flies” became a cliché. It does. I think 2015 saw a better product from Ishmael’s Corner. It certainly looks better, finally bulldozing the original design and bringing the “look and feel’ into the 21st century. And with Ron Howard resurrecting the “Moby Dick” narrative, a new audience learns …more
Thanks to the wonders of the Internet, writing is back in vogue. Yet, fresh challenges stand between today’s business writing and grabbing the reader by the scruff of the neck. As we scrutinize our own writing and the associated internal training, we view seven issues that guide us: 1. Education of stakeholders: This has nothing to …more
Given the blog’s quest to serve as an industry resource, it’s rare that a post focus on Agency work. Today is an exception. I asked Idran Junadi, an account director in our Singapore office before taking a PR role with Oracle, to write about a campaign because it shows the power of storytelling techniques in …more
Every company website features an “About Us” section. Sometimes, it goes by a different name. Our Story. Corporate Overview. Company Info. Etc. Nomenclature aside, all strive to give the visitor a look inside the company, explaining its business, its values and what makes it tick. Naturally, it hopes to make a positive impression. Better yet, …more
With a decent stack of potential fodder for a grab bag post, it’s decision time. Here are the three vignettes that made the cut. That’s One Ugly Website If Warren Buffett was willing to take a pay cut, he could slide into the PR world as an account director with virtually no learning curve. His …more
Think about the attention that rains down on moms every “Mother’s Day.” Or the amount of money shelled out for chocolate, flowers and other sundry items for Valentine’s Day. Now imagine establishing a national day as a means to elevate a brand, product or issue. Before writing this off as PR once again going off …more
