The typical product review has a happy ending. By that, I mean the end of a review usually calls out one product as the best choice. In spite of the “happily every after” – at least for one company – you don’t associate the product review genre with storytelling. Instead, these articles strive to clinically attach a value to …more
Back in 2008 I wrote it’s not enough that Warren Buffet has become one of the richest men in the world. He’s also a world-class storyteller. (If it makes you feel any better, at least he’s not handsome.) Nowhere does this gift go on public display more than in his annual letter to shareholders. It’s …more
An essay in Saturday’s Wall Street Journal makes an argument that U.S. students need to spend more time in the classroom. We learn that kids in China attend school 41 days a year more than their American brethren. The author, Chester E. Finn Jr., goes on to roll out stat after stat – the typical …more
I’m tired of reading how American students lag behind their international counterparts on the academic front. Johnny can’t write. Johnny can’t add. Johnny can’t spell. Even The Wall Street Journal has piled on with an article which highlights that only 23 percent of the 2009 high school graduates taking the ACT admissions test have the skills to succeed …more
It’s not enough that Warren Buffett has generated a net worth of around $62 billion, making him one of the richest men in the world. He’s also a world-class storyteller. (If it makes you feel any better, at least he’s not handsome.) With Warren Buffett in the spotlight for rescuing Goldman Sachs with a $5 billion infusion, lending …more
OK, it’s not exactly Shakespeare. But it does raise a question for communication professionals. Namely, should cleverness or search engine optimization be the guiding principle in writing a news release headline? I pondered this question after reading the interview conducted by Brian Pittman from the Bulldog Reporter with Meredith Artley, executive editor of LATimes.com. Specifically, Artley shared: “We have a graining …more
Certain storylines never go out of style. People love to see bullies get punched in the nose (like when Michael J. Fox’s Marty McFly clocked Biff in “Back to the Future”). Perseverance overcoming all obstacles is another can’t-miss theme. But there’s no story quite like coming back from the dead to spike the ratings. Such was the …more
You don’t think B2B trade publications have a sense of humor? Think again. SmallBusinessComputing recently covered a new storage device from Fabrik with the following photo and caption: Pass the Wasabi: What looks like an elegant way to serve sushi is, in fact, Fabrik’s eco-friendly, bamboo-encased external drive. The juxtaposition of the wasabi and a hard …more
Businesspeople tend to associate storytelling with fiction. Yet, the same elements that make a book such as “Moby Dick” a compelling read — good versus evil, care for the characters, humor, etc. — have a place in the business world. Whether it’s a potential customer evaluating your product or a journalist probing your latest news, communicating information …more
