Telling Stories

When I sit with a potential client for the first time, I do my best to help them understand what it is I do. I help them understand that designing is secondary and so is their logo, their website and all the print collateral they will likely want to create. I help them understand the art of storytelling. What is their brand’s story? What will woo the masses to fall in love with them? It’s always an interesting conversation. I told one client, you pay me to give you permission to be yourself and to tell your story the way it was meant to be shared. They agreed.

Here is a great little article from Prashant Pinge from Media Panther about storytelling…enjoy.

Stories take people away from the vagaries of life, from the harsh reality that they find themselves trapped in. Stories allow a person to suspend disbelief, to believe in fantasies, to visit different worlds. Stories give people the opportunity to live those few moments vicariously, to experience what they otherwise never would. Stories inspire people to pursue lofty goals, to hope that there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Stories do all this, provided they are told well.

Branding is also about storytelling. But brands are very real. However, it is through their stories that people can really connect with them. A plain product remains functional. It performs its duties and is relegated back to anonymity. A brand on the other hand performs the function of the product. It also provides an escape of sorts to the consumer, creating an emotional connect to form a long-lasting relationship. And if its story is a truly gripping one, it also allows the consumer to express themselves through its use. That is the hallmark of a story truly well told. For instance, Apple’s story provides all three benefits.

When telling a story, it is important to keep in mind the audience. The story is not about the storyteller, it is about what pulls the audience in. A great brand does exactly that. It intrigues the mind, it appeals to the heart, and it engages the senses until the experience is a truly unique and memorable one, one that the consumer can keep going back to again and again. A stellar example is the Harley Davidson story. The consumer becomes willing to suspend any doubt, to step into the fantasy, to truly enjoy the experience, to be inspired and ultimately, to become one with the brand.

WHEN YOU SELL UNLIMITED HOPE…

I was reading Seth Godin’s blog this morning and this stood out to me:

then all news is bad news. That’s because news is fact, what happened, not hope, and the truth can’t possibly be as good as the hope was.

The problem with marketing promises that spin out of control, that pile expectations on top of dreams, is that when reality appears, when the quarterly numbers or the new policies or the final product arrives, it will inevitably disappoint.

This is the challenge of the Kickstarter artist, the growth stock CEO and the well-published author. Dreams are irresistible, but they will never match reality when it finally appears.

The desire to promise the world is nearly uncontrollable sometimes. If you do this then everything will be alright. If you follow me, then life will be better. If you buy my new CD, it will change you forever.

Chances are, even if they are beneficial, they will not meet the expectations put on them. The old proverb says, “For though a righteous man falls seven times, he will get up again.” We get better though the journey, through mistakes and through failures.

Next time you’re selling something, consider whether your product is promising the world or supporting the journey. And consider which one will benefit your customer for the long haul. Which one will bring them back over the years?

Favorite Worst Feedback

Frustrated by stupid client criticism, Irish graphic designers Mark Shanley and Paddy Treacy decided to turn their “favorite worst feedback” into posters. The guys worked together on so-called “Sharp Suits” series with a team of other ad creatives, designers, animators, directors, illustrators and more, who must’ve all appreciated a chance to let out some of their exasperation in a creative way.

The series was exhibited at The Little Green Café, Bar and Gallery in November, giving a chance to purchase an A3 poster of your choice. The guys, however, received so many orders during a 5 day exhibition, that they’ve already stopped accepting them. All the thousands of euros they claim to have raised were donated to the Temple Street Children Hospital.

To see the rest, visit SharpSuits.net

 

4 Common Misunderstandings About Content Marketing

Sure, you know about content marketing—but do you really know about content marketing? I found this great list at Zemanta this morning. Clients always think creating content is a no-brainer, but you need to be strategic and consider a few things.

Do you think content marketing is the same as blogging, for example? (It’s not.) Does launching a content marketing strategy seem either too easy or too hard? (It shouldn’t.) The truth is, most companies today are still a little fuzzy on what exactly content marketing means.

So to help you clarify your understanding, here’s a look at four of the most common content marketing misunderstandings!

1. Content Marketing = Blogging

2. Creating Content Is Easy—We’ll Just Throw Something Together

3. Creating Content Is Hard—We Have Nothing to Say

4. Content Marketing Means Losing Money

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE…YOU WON’T REGRET IT!

This is My Art

Seth Godin, one of my favorite modern thinkers, released his newest book today. ”The Icarus Deception: How High Will You Fly?“ is nothing short of brilliant. Two things might hold someone back from sharing the art they’ve got inside: The fear of telling the truth or the lame strategy of hiding the truth behind a sales pitch. If you can find the voice, stand up and tell people what you care about.

Your art is vitally important, and what makes it art is that it is personal, important and fraught with the whiff of failure. This is precisely why it’s scarce and thus valuable—it’s difficult to stand up and own it and say, “here, I made this.” – Seth Godin

Watch this video…go ahead and do it. Now.

At some point, art must involve a human. A human with intent. Your hand can be your heart or your words or your effort or a hug, but, yes, the work of a human. If you de-industrialize the process and return it to humanity, to connection, then yes, it’s art and yes, it will connect to other humans more effectively.

---

This is my art:

I’m good at helping tell your story to people who don’t really know it, yet need to know it. I create pictures that don’t speak a thousand words, but instead speak a few strategic words that provoke an inevitable response. I’m gifted at the art of ignoring boxes and rethinking possibilities. In essence, my art is helping give your art wings.

CALL ME 626.467.5335

ALSO, check out our LOFT and how it may support you.

Why Storytelling is the Ultimate Weapon

I read a great article from Jonathan Gottschall, author of The Storytelling Animal, who says science backs up the long-held belief that story is the most powerful means of communicating a message. Here’s a snippet of the article.

In business, storytelling is all the rage. Without a compelling story, we are told, our product, idea, or personal brand, is dead on arrival. In his book,Tell to Win, Peter Guber joins writers like Annette Simmons and Stephen Denning in evangelizing for the power of story in human affairs generally, and business in particular. Guber argues that humans simply aren’t moved to action by “data dumps,” dense PowerPoint slides, or spreadsheets packed with figures. People are moved by emotion. The best way to emotionally connect other people to our agenda begins with “Once upon a time…”

Until recently we’ve only been able to speculate about the story’s persuasive effects. But over the last several decades psychology has begun a serious study of how the story affects the human mind. Results repeatedly show that our attitudes, fears, hopes, and values are strongly influenced by the story. In fact, fiction seems to be more effective in changing beliefs than writing that is specifically designed to persuade through argument and evidence.

Read the entire story: WHY STORYTELLING IS THE ULTIMATE WEAPON by Jonathan Gottschall

Social Media Isn’t Dead…It’s Boring

I just recently finished reading an advance copy of The Impact Equation by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith. This isn’t a book about social media. It’s about how to improve your goals, have better ideas, get those spread across a platform of value, and build a human network that matters. I highly recommend it.

In a recent blog post by Chris Brogan, he made the statement, social media isn’t dead, it’s just boring. I’ve said it before, but branding and marketing is storytelling. Part of the reason social media has got boring is because there is less storytelling and more yelling. The difference between yelling at your audience by saying “buy this now” and sharing a peice of your story by telling them how excited you are and how hard you’ve worked and how innovative and life-changing the same product can be is like night and day.

Here’s a snippet from Chris’ article:

The strategies around and behind The Impact Equation boil down to 5 Cs.

COMMUNICATION

If you can’t convey your ideas in a way that stands out (Contrast), that are simple (Articulation), and that resonate with an audience (Echo), the game is over before you begin. So, The Impact Equation is a book about communication.

CONTENT

If you don’t start building a platform of value around ideas that are easy to share (Reach), those ideas won’t get around and get a lot of attention (Exposure). The Impact Equation is a book that talks about how to tell bigger stories.

COMMUNITY

Where people have the most ground to make up is in nurturing a network of people who care about what you choose to share. Without relationship-minded effort (Trust and Echo), you won’t likely get beyond capturing people’s attention for a little while. Meaning, people won’t be inclined to share. The Impact Equation is definitely a book about community.

COMMERCE

We don’t write much about how to make money in this book. Both Julien and I have been successful in our businesses, and we’ve both helped other companies succeed with a lot of the tactics and strategies covered in this book. But this is a book about business and leadership and value-generation and extraction. Make no mistake, The Impact Equation is a book about commerce.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

I believe in the principle of Service Craftsmanship, that service begins before a prospect has even become a customer. We talk a lot about how to nurture relationships (Trust) and how that sets you apart from people who don’t treat every touchpoint as a chance for service excellence (Contrast). There’s also the realization that if we treat people the way we want to be treated (Echo), we will earn more of an opportunity to serve. The Impact Equation is most definitely a book about customer service.

 

Read the rest of the article HERE.