My editorial calendar originally slotted a post today for the best tweets at the Super Bowl. The fact that there wasn’t an Oreo moment didn’t surprise me. But I was surprised that culling hundreds of tweets from varied organizations produced little in the way of business storytelling gold. Before going further, it’s important to acknowledge …more
Today finds hundreds of brands huddled in their war rooms, rehearsing how they will respond to what-if scenarios at the Super Bowl. I loved the line uttered by David Matahia, director of marketing communications for Hyundai, at the Holmes Innovation Summit last week: “Oreo screwed us all with their Super Bowl moment.” Because Oreo generated …more
Have you ever noticed that the more famous a person becomes, the less accessible he or she becomes? Marsha Collier is an exception to this theorem (and I thought I would never use my high school algebra). As a leading expert on customer service, small-biz guru and best-selling author, she still lends a helping hand …more
I’ve been told that documenting New Year’s Resolutions increases the likelihood that they will happen. Consider this a test for business storytelling that we’ll revisit in December. Here’s what I’m hoping to change and improve upon in the coming year: Bulldoze the “Look and Feel” of the Blog: Friends, family members and complete strangers have …more
I shared the first half of my best 2013 posts on Monday. Again, “best” doesn’t mean most viewed. The algorithm that determines “best” puts a premium on personal amusement. With that as the backdrop, here’s the rest of the list: You Don’t Need New Hampshire to Find Your Voice Voice is tricky. It’s always there. …more
I have ransacked my 2013 storytelling archive in putting together the top posts for 2013. When I say “top,” I don’t necessarily mean the most popular posts. Instead, I’m looking for takes that blend a distinctive point of view with a language twist (or two). Here comes the first half of the list – Dear …more
Notice I said “levity,” not “funny” which is a much higher bar. Still, it often takes guts as much as creativity to bring levity to a brand’s storytelling. And if you can tap into a recent happenstance, you’ve got the makings for a story to reach the masses. I’ve come to call this “improv marketing” …more
Some of the best storytellers on the planet are novelists. Past posts have borrowed from novelists. This one comes at the genre from a different angle. I asked five communicators from varied worlds to share their favorite novel for advancing storytelling acuity from a business context. The end result is a mix of reading deserving …more
Dear “Who Moved My Story,” I’ve been there. You’re there now. Every human being who writes for a company as part of communicating to the outside world has experienced the frustration of seeing his or her copy pruned again and again … and again. Forget trying to humanize the narrative. You’d be happy if the …more
