Thoughts, ideas, and other ruminations on storytelling and the world of technology marketing
In my last two posts, I covered the idea of story in a company’s foundation and growth. I now want to write briefly about the end of a company, especially start-ups.
There are usually three ways a company ends its existence:
1) it gets purchased
2) it goes public
3) it folds
When one of these happens, it is critically important to tell the right story. Here’s why: (more…)
Years ago, Volvo ran an ad in which an elephant sat on the hood of a station wagon to prove how strong and safe the car was. Which brings me right to the point – in the case of brands, sitting beneath the butt-cheeks of a ponderous pachyderm is a good place to be.
Often, the middle is not a good thing. The middle seat in the back of a car is usually tight and always windowless. In politics, the middle is equated with an inability to take sides on an issue. To be nowhere. Finding yourself between an elephant and a car hood…well, you get the picture.
But in storytelling, the middle is where the action is. It’s where the plot thickens and builds on itself as it rolls inevitably to the climax.
So what, you ask, do elephants, car hoods and the middle of stories have in common? Here’s what: (more…)
Every story has a beginning, middle and an end. So, too, do companies and products. Today, I want to talk about the beginning.
In storytelling lingo, the beginning is often called the “catalyst” or the “inciting incident”. It is the big bang, the moment the protagonist loses his job, the death of the beloved king. It is the moment that brings about monumental change to which we as readers can often relate at a personal level.
In company and product parlance, the catalyst is that place where your brand first started talking shape. And, for consumers, it is often that place that explains why companies are doing what they are doing in the first place. In other words, it gives the rest of the “story” meaning and purpose.
Here are some great examples of company catalysts: (more…)
Recently I walked into a clothing store, and noticed a cool t-shirt hanging on the rack. The front of the shirt was emblazoned with a gopher with wings. As I bent in for a closer look, the salesman piped up: “Do you know the story about our brand?”
A great story is meant to be told
The salesperson explained enthusiastically that the t-shirt’s graphic is the logo of the brand, Topo Ranch, that was founded by folks whose ancestors were survivors of the Donner Party. And that their family did actually own land called ‘Topo Ranch’ from the 1800s until they lost it to the Great Depression. The store’s mission is to (more…)
Have you ever heard something that makes you stop?
Steve Kayser’s article “In These Tough Times Here’s a Way to Print Your Own Currency Legally … with Content” had that effect on me.
In the article are the words: “You got no story. You got no game. You got no game – you got no business.” In other words, companies need to use relevant, “educational, entertaining” stories to help sell their solutions.
Got it. Check. I’m with you Steve.
Or at least I was…until I saw this: “Story-selling content is the new advertising, marketing and PR currency“.
Huh? Stop! Did I miss something? (more…)
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