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Brand Stories

Brand storytelling: Inspiration, not emulation

In July 2020, Forbes published an insightful article on the power of brand storytelling in an innovation culture. “When people hear stories all their sense are engaged,” Forbes contributor Tendayi Viki writes. “Facts and data area easier to retain when presented in story form.” He makes a compelling case for stories as a tool to…

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Brand Stories

Words matter: Brand language imperatives

As we observe brands in action every day, it’s easy to think “Hey, I could do that” or “What a disaster!” and consider how we might do something differently. But in practice, building a brand and brand language that inspire trust and loyalty takes effort, insight, and patience. This work often collides with mitigating factors…

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Corporate storytelling Leadership

Who’s your chief executive storyteller?

Your chief executive storyteller should be the person who knows your brand best. He or she is someone who can inspire loyalty among consumers and employees, and can paint vivid portraits of what you do: what, where, why, and for whom. Your chief executive storyteller should be your CEO or founder. Not all company leaders…

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Content creation Effective communication Leadership

Jargon: The weapon that kills big ideas

The effort to communicate effectively is a double-edged sword. We want our peers and clients to share our enthusiasm for our ideas. But we often struggle to find the best way to convey them. Big words and complex concepts might make it seem as though we’re confident, capable, and important. But if people don’t understand…

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Content creation

Creating great content in the 21st century

The nuts and bolts of producing great content—brainstorming, writing, editing, proofreading, and formatting, to say nothing of review and approval—rarely get the attention they deserve. Arguably, these steps are too far in the weeds for many who would rather focus on big ideas and finished products. Why is this the case? For starters, corporate culture…

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Corporate storytelling

Your brand story, in real time

As we enter the third decade of the 21st century, it is clearer than ever that your brand story is the key to success amid a never-ending onslaught of information and ideas. Let’s be clear: Brand stories are not fairy tales. The handsome prince doesn’t always save the day, and the wicked witch doesn’t always…

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Introductions

Why Consummate Prose?

Any accomplished writer will agree that wordplay must be handled with care. Puns for the sake of puns elicit little more than a groan. Wordplay must work on more than one level. In fact, it must work on any level. It is in this spirit that we came up with “Consummate Prose.” Let’s start with…