We believe in the power of the business narrative. If you tell a compelling story, chances are you’ll pique people’s curiosity and eventually win their trust. That’s why so many brands and businesses rely on stories to grow their audiences, build loyalty, and, yes, sell something. But how do you craft a narrative for your…
Thought leadership and content marketing are both marketing niches. Thought leadership refers to the contribution of new and innovative ideas to a public and/or industry dialogue. Content marketing is the strategic framework for creating and distributing content. The former is conceptual; the latter is extremely tactical. Because of this distinction, the two niches should not…
Whether you’re a creaky-jointed boomer or a fresh-faced millennial, it’s safe to say that Saturday Night Live has probably made an impression on you. The long-running sketch comedy show has spawned countless careers, franchises, and water-cooler conversations. It runs the gamut of comedy styles, from topical and observational humor to musical satire and prop gags,…
The delicate relationship between subject-matter experts (SMEs) and writers is the stuff of legends. SMEs know the subject matter, which is often complex or highly technical, and writers know how to write. Or at least that’s the prevailing narrative. For copywriters and technical writers in corporate settings, SMEs are an important gatekeeper. They can often…
Nobody was more surprised than we were by the headline “Why the future of storytelling will be democratized.” The Fast Company article by Joe Berkowitz suggests that effective storytelling hinges on expensive high-tech whizbangs, and the “democratization” comes from Kickstarters and similar grassroots campaigns vs. big-name corporate sponsorship. Certainly, big-time brand and business storytelling does…
The 1970s gave us some of the most memorable films ever made, including The Godfather, Network, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. These films and many others inspired generations of creativity in fashion, music, and literature. They also offer numerous lessons for today’s brand and business storytellers. Let’s take a look at the characters…
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The future of storytelling is now
Brand storytelling that is vivid, compelling, well structured, and purposeful is timeless. The way that we share stories, however, constantly evolves. To complicate matters, old methods of sharing stories don’t disappear. Paperback books haven’t gone away; they’ve been supplemented with tablets and readers. Likewise, brand storytellers must embrace multiple platforms and channels, each with its…
Whether you’re an entry-level copywriter or a C-suite executive, the quest to improve your writing is never-ending (even if, at times, you’d like to pretend otherwise). Sometimes, when the bulk of your writing takes the form of email correspondence, taglines, or bullet points in a presentation, it’s tempting to stop at good enough – an…
Thought leaders are made through innovation. However, everyone has role models – people who influenced and inspired them as they cultivated new ideas and brought them to life. In honor of Presidents’ Day, we’re taking a look at US presidents’ communication styles and what we can learn from them. They use emerging media to reach…
As content strategists, we breathe, eat, and sleep content. It’s hard to escape our vocation as content creators and analysts when the world is saturated with content. However, sometimes we need to step outside the ring and look critically at the art and science of content strategy, gathering inspiration from a variety of sources (and…