I’ve discussed in previous posts the challenge of bringing the traditional storytelling arc into business communications. Companies don’t have two hours to set the stage, tease out the plot with the requisite twists and turns before the trumpets sound with the happy ending. Often, we’re lucky to get 90 seconds, and even that depends on …more
Public relations is more than news releases and pummeling journalists to write about clients. The PR profession has been chanting this mantra for years. It’s finally come true. The rise of digital communications has given way to a content gold rush. Replacing the picks and shovels, storytelling has moved to a core tool of today’s …more
Huawei’s PR quest to be perceived as “just another telecom equipment maker doing its part to connect the world” took another hit when ex-CIA chief Michael Hayden said Huawei spied for the Chinese government. In an interview with The Australian Financial Review (AFR) published last Friday, Hayden also mentioned that Huawei tried to recruit him …more
After raking through 75 or so posts, I’ve captured what I consider to be my best storytelling posts (top 10) from the first half of the year. While some got the nod from sheer popularity (number of views), others rated high on my personal amusement scale. Here goes – What Really Happened Before the NRA’s …more
I conducted a storytelling workshop last week. Yes, the objective for the session was to help this corporate PR team apply the concepts of storytelling in business communications. But I’m hoping for something bigger. I’m hoping for two interrelated actions: They question the status quo. They experiment in their day-to-day jobs. The Holmes Report has …more
Virtually every great story encompasses failure or at least a crisis. Apple flirted with bankruptcy. J.K. Rowling lived on welfare before Harry Potter came to the rescue. Everyone told Freddie Patek he was too short to play professional baseball (naturally a favorite). As Fortune Journalist Patricia Sellers noted in discussing storytelling in business, “If failure …more
I penned this tweet last week: Some background – To show people it’s a new day at J. C. Penney, the company posted a video called “It’s No Secret” on YouTube in early May. The 30-second spot acknowledged past mistakes and plans to change its ways. I took the position that if a company deploys …more
Seeking Alpha delivers one of the best bargains in the communications business. Complete the registration form, and hear Seeking Alpha’s equivalent of “open sesame” – free access to thousands of transcripts discussing the financial performance of public companies. In spite of scripting that would impress the World Wrestling Federation, weird “storytelling” can still surface in …more
One of the best parts of a 12-hour overseas flight is catching up on the stack of magazines that have accumulated on my night stand. The March 28 issue of Businessweek carried the story, “Li Huabo, Corrupt Chinese Bureaucrat or Fall Guy?” It’s the type of business storytelling that I suspect we’ll be reading more …more
