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Storytelling

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Building a Tribe – Building a Digital Strategy

Here are some notes that I use when working with groups to create a new media strategy, most of the ideas come from Seth Godin‘s “Tribes.”
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“A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea. For millions of years, human beings have been part of one tribe or another. A group needs only two things to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way to communicate.” ~ Seth Godin – “Tribes”

Creating a Micro-movement

  1. Publish a manifesto
  2. Make it easy for your followers to connect with you.
  3. Make it easy for your followers to connect with one another.
  4. Realize that money is not the point of a movement.
  5. Track your progress.

Identify the Brand (The Context)

  1. Audience
  2. Purpose
  3. Delivery

What is your Mission Statement?

What is your communication strategy?

Who are you trying to reach?

How to create reach? How to build the Tribe:
Build the Digital Media Presence:

  • Web has become more than one-direction
  • Create rich media for all audiences to engage
  • Create portals of conversations
  • User created content
  • Content Management System (CMS), Twitter, Facebook, Picasa, Flickr

Build the Events

  • Create events that engage students, industry, and academy in one conversation.
  • Create events for each group to engage internally & empower conversation.

Build a Community

  • Build the digital platform where students, faculty, staff, industry can engage, connect, and build relationships.
  • Use this digital community provide regular information about the community.
  • Use this digital community to create profiles for all to connect.
  • Build regular events around the intellectual engine.
  • Have thought leaders, entrepreneurs share innovation.
  • Provide a platform where students and industry can engage on common ground.

“A movement is thrilling. It’s the work of many people, all connected, all seeking something better. The new highly leveraged tools of the Net make it easier than ever to create a movement, to make things happen, to get things done. All that’s missing is leadership.” ~ Seth Godin – “Tribes”

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There is something special about true customer service!

A few weeks ago, I was in Spartanburg, SC and decided to have lunch with a good friend! Jim O’Donnell (some people know him as @JimSharp because he is the scissor sharpening business) of Wolff Industries took me out to lunch, the original Fatz Cafe was our destination. If you have not gone to the Fatz Cafe in Spartanburg, SC, you are missing out on something special. They have the best fried chicken strips around.

As we walk into Fatz Cafe, it was noticeably busy but we were immediately seated in a special section. I do not mean special because of some big event going on, but it was because Jim is a regular at Fatz and has grown to know almost all of the staff.

As we sat and began chatting, he was telling me of this waitress that just retired and had worked at this particular Fatz for close to 23 years. Who works at a restaurant as a server for 23 years (I thought in my mind as we ordered two Dr. Peppers). I also learned that Jim loved Dr. Pepper as much as I did…good guy I tell ya! Back to the story; Jim continues to tell me how this one lady, this one server could work magic in this restaurant.  He explained one time he wanted a particular soft drink that Fatz did not serve. Instead of telling him that they did not serve this soft drink, she took his order and brought him what he requested. What he later found out is that as soon as she walked away with the drink order, she walked across the street to purchase the soft drink, put in on ice like any other drink, and serve it to him without he even knowing it was an issue. Now that is customer service.

This lady loved her job and she loved her customers. She loved the people that walk through the door, this was shown by  the way she made them feel special. After about five minutes into his explanation, I felt like I knew this lady and no longer viewed her as a “waitress.” She was the face of this establishment for close to 23 years.

As Jim and I sat and continued chatting about this lady, our waitress for that day told Jim that Shryl was here and Jim’s eyes lit up immediately. You see, Shryl Dover was that waitress of 23 years…the one that walked across the street to get that special soft drink. Our waitress walked back to find Shryl to send her our way. As she peered around the corner, it was like old friends picking up where they left off…Jim and Shryl just chatted without missing a beat.

jim-and-shrylYou see, it was that day the young owner of this Fatz Cafe had talked Shryl into coming back part time. That owner knew that Shryl had a tribe, a group of people that enjoyed seeing her smiling face….that special touch when it comes to true customer service. I made a new friend that day and I will never see Fatz Cafe as just the building that serves great fried chicken strips,  I will see it as the place where I can come talk to a friend and the fried chicken strips are the bonus.

Thanks Shryl Dover and thanks Jim O’Donnell for sharing this story! Everybody has a story to tell, even in a Fatz Cafe!

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Finding stories within an organization, peeling back layers.

It is all about connecting to your audiences…your constituency bases. Stories create identity between and organization and those who have the greatest potential to engage.

Stories are finite, clear, concise messages that uncover the layers of information that give the audience the true perspective of an organization. These stories are not one-dimensional, there are two streams of consciousness within one story: the facts (subject) and the supplementary position that brings color to the facts.

    It is easy to pick broad general ideas to write about; but the stories that people connect with are the ones that people will share (repeat). So how do organizations find and create stories that are repeatable? They must first understand their brand and the umbrella message. This is the rhetorical position that shapes the messages and how the layers of information are organized.

    So what are the stories within organizations where people will connect? Hmm…people. People connect with stories about people. People are the faces of an organization. Each person has specific stories how they help shape, support, and build the foundation of an organization. People tell their stories best. People have layers of stories, ones that are connected by the “red-string” that represents the brand of the organization.

    stuffed-artichokes2Use frequency when telling these stories. Find the people that have stories that change a view-point, raise someone’s’ awareness, or reveal a new idea…and tell those stories. Tell them on a regular basis. Identify the layers of the stories and use those layers as the frequency. Each time you tell a story, peel away one more layer…one more piece of the bigger story. As one more piece is revealed and each micro story is told…the audience gains a bigger insight into the “red-string”.

    Think of it this way…if you use Twitter or Facebook, you are making regular posts or status updates. Those are the micro-stories about you; and ‘your personality’ is the red-string.  The more you post, the more you connect, the more your audience gains insight to who you are and your personality. People begin to peel back the layers into you and your daily context. Use the same approach when telling and delivering stories. Give people little stories frequently, ones that peel back the layers and allow the audience to see the bigger idea. Do it frequently and efficiently.

    The more stories you tell, your more layers you reveal, the more the red-string is reveal…which is the heart (or the core) of the bigger story.

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    Creating a path for those to find your story

    I have been thinking lately about how we get our stories to people…distribution points. The one thing that I consistently preach to my students and my clients:

    1. Audience – Who are the audience(s) you are trying to reach..list them ALL!
    2. Purpose – What is the sole reason you have something to say or tell.
    3. Delivery – What are you going to use to get that message to those audience(s).

    These points create context…context for the message. As you notice…they are intertwined. Well, you may have a great story, but if you do not know how the audience can access the message…then you might be creating the best Super Bowl message for an audience who does not have a television. You might be creating the most unbelievable email marketing campaign, and your target audience does not open emails.

    We have to think about distribution…yes, it comes down to delivering the message. Here is a list of distribution methods:

    1. Web
    2. Blogs
    3. Television
    4. Home Phone
    5. Mobile Phones
    6. PDA’s
    7. Text Messaging
    8. Twitter
    9. Facebook
    10. Fax
    11. Mail
    12. Brochures
    13. Business Cards
    14. White Papers
    15. Annual Reports
    16. Online Video
    17. Mobile Video
    18. Newspaper
    19. Radio
    20. Satellite Radio

    Now let’s look at major “Anchor” tools where stories can be told, the beginning of the food chain:

    1. Web
    2. Blogs
    3. Newspapers
    4. Brochures
    5. White Papers
    6. Annual Reports
    7. Television
    8. Radio
    9. Satellite Radio

    These places are where the stories are produced and created for audiences to eventually find themselves enjoying content. But, we have different distribution points to bring these audience back to the original source…teasing them with a hint of what’s to come:

    1. Twitter
    2. Facebook
    3. Mail
    4. Fax
    5. Business Cards
    6. Radio
    7. Text Messaging
    8. Mobile Video
    9. Home Phones
    10. Mobile Phones

    The point here is when we create stories, we can use these “Anchor” tools to place our stories and use the distribution points to bring audiences back to this place…to learn more, read more, or hear more. The new face of our organizations is our “Web Property”… our main website.
    the-story-process
    Organizations are learning that they must invest just as much time, effort, energy, resources, and money into shaping their main web property as the major distribution point of information. The organization internally must support this new media and begin using the distribution tools necessary to funnel audiences back to this portal.

    Organizations are also learning to re-shape marketing budgets, pr budgets, and IT budgets to allow resources necessary to create, provide, and drive traffic to a web portal and IT providers are learning to build robust systems to support this audience base.

    Organizations are also starting to learn that Social Media Technologies are just as efficient as other distribution tools to gain audiences attention with “Teasers” of content, finding new ways to tell stories in a distributive method. This distributive method is now the online community building technologies. Providing portals of conversation where people can engage and connect…and allowing the “Tribe” mentality to shape the community which becomes the online cheerleading section.

    So now that ealier way to analyze context of a story is starting to take new shape:

    1. Audience(s) – Name all the audiences
    2. Purposes(s) – What is the purpose of the over-arching message and for each distribution points
    3. Delivery – What is the main point of delivery and what are the sub-distribution points that will tease audiences back to the mother ship.

    To me…this is a game. How do we tell one story with multiple layers. Allow the audience to follow the “red-string” along the many paths of distribution points to ultimately get to the main story. What is your story, how are you telling that story, how are you reaching your audience(s), well…I am listening!

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    Efficient Storytelling Increases Connectivity

    One of the hardest things I think I have ever taught or created was the “Elevator Pitch”. Have you ever tried to sit down and write your elevator pitch for your business, your message, or your cause? You know what I am talking about, when you walk into a room of people (whether large or small) and you shake hands and they ask, “Hey there, how are you…tell me about yourself.” Can you recite that perfect message, that one piece that not only peeks someone’s interest but has one major characteristic: it is repeatable. Why repeatable? Well, you want that person to remember your pitch, and be able to have that person turn around and introduce you to someone else and be able to repeat that pitch for you…increasing connectivity.
    The same thing is true for creating an effective 30 second television spot. Think about it for a second, it is a company’s elevator pitch. You have only one shot to grab someone’s attention, relay and efficient and effective message that pulls someone off the couch or from across the room to pay attention, understand and comprehend, then be able to remember to repeat it. Why repeat, so they can go find your product/service/cause or tell someone that might need or want that product/service/cause.
    As I discussed in the my blog entry Building Communities Around Media | Stories of Connectivity, communities are not connected via relationships, yet stories are the connectivity between relationships that build communities. These stories have to be efficient so that the connectivity increases. If you can tell a story, deliver a pitch, create a effective/repeatable spot; people are much more willing and able to repeat that story…and their connectivity increases via those stories.
    Imagine walking in a room filled with 500 people. If you had a story to tell, a pitch to give, or an introduction to present; and this story can’t be told efficiently and effectively. The people that you are there to meet loose interest, change the subject, and less likely to connect you with other individuals (their friends in the room). The same is true with that television spot. If the message is not efficient and the story gets lost, then audience is more likely to TiVo past this spot or just not pay attention.
    What do I mean by an efficient story, it comes down to understanding purpose, brand, audience, and delivery. You have to recognize that core message for that story and deliver in a fashion that is repeatable. There is a litmus test I like to use; the power of this Social Media Tool called Twitter. Have you ever written a script for a spot or that elevator pitch, now see if you can write in 140 characters. Yes, so you can Tweet that message. But if you want to make it repeatable, then write it in 120 characters just incase someone wants to Re-Tweet the message which usually takes up 20 characters.
    The point of this discussion comes down to one example…Super Bowl Television Spots. These are crucial time slots where companies invest millions of dollars in placement, messaging, research, and production. Do you think they better create a message that is efficient enough, effective enough so that one time it runs during the Super Bowl, you will remember it and do exactly what they want you to do. Most of these companies have one shot to increase connectivity in the communities they are trying to attract…by creating a memorable, efficient, repeatable message. The more efficient, the more memorable, the more repeatable, the more it will reach more ears…thus increasing connectivity.

    One of the hardest things I think I have ever taught or created was the “Elevator Pitch”. Have you ever tried to sit down and write your elevator pitch for your business, your message, or your cause? You know what I am talking about, when you walk into a room of people (whether large or small) and you shake hands and they ask, “Hey there, how are you…tell me about yourself.” Can you recite that perfect message, that one piece that not only peeks someone’s interest but has one major characteristic: it is repeatable. Why repeatable? Well, you want that person to remember your pitch, and be able to have that person turn around and introduce you to someone else. Be able to repeat that pitch for you…increasing connectivity.

    The same thing is true for creating an effective 30 second television spot. Think about it for a second, it is a company’s elevator pitch. You have only one shot to grab someone’s attention, relay an efficient and effective message that pulls someone off the couch or from across the room to pay attention, understand and comprehend, then be able to remember to repeat it. Why repeat, so they can go find your product/service/cause or tell someone that might need or want that product/service/cause.

    As I discussed in the my blog entry Building Communities Around Media | Stories of Connectivity, communities are not connected via relationships, yet stories are the connectivity between relationships that build communities. These stories have to be efficient so that the connectivity increases. If you can tell a story, deliver a pitch, create a effective/repeatable spot; people are much more willing and able to repeat that story…and their connectivity increases via those stories.

    Imagine walking in a room filled with 500 people. If you had a story to tell, a pitch to give, or an introduction to present; and this story can’t be told efficiently and effectively…then the people that you are there to meet loose interest, change the subject, and less likely to connect you with other individuals (their friends in the room). The same is true with that television spot. If the message is not efficient and the story gets lost, then audience is more likely to TiVo past this spot or just not pay attention.

    What do I mean by an efficient story, it comes down to understanding purpose, brand, audience, and delivery. You have to recognize that core message for that story and deliver in a fashion that is repeatable. There is a litmus test I like to use; the power of this Social Media Tool called Twitter. Have you ever written a script for a spot or that elevator pitch, now see if you can write it in 140 characters…tell that same story in only 140 characters. Yes, so you can Tweet that message. But if you want to make it repeatable, then write it in 120 characters just incase someone wants to Re-Tweet the message which usually takes up 20 characters. The point here is to drill it down to the core message and make it so it is replicatable.

    The point of this discussion comes down to one example…Super Bowl Television Spots. These are crucial time slots where companies invest millions of dollars in placement, messaging, research, and production. Do you think they better create a message that is efficient enough, effective enough so that one time, ONE TIME it runs during the Super Bowl, you will remember it and do exactly what they want you to do. Most of these companies have one shot to increase connectivity in the communities they are trying to attract…by creating a memorable, efficient, repeatable message. The more efficient, the more memorable, the more repeatable, the more ears it will reach…thus increasing connectivity.

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    Building Communities Around Media | Stories of Connectivity

    Telling stories has to have a purpose…there is a reason why you want to tell that story! You want to reach an audience, you want someone to listen to your story. We have been telling stories as long as we can remember. Whether it is around the kitchen table, in the car, wherever there is someone to listen.
    We need a medium to deliver the story; whether it is our voice, the written word, or some piece of technology. These stories are told to create a group of listeners, ones who are attracted to these stories, and sometimes in a way so that they can repeat them. Whether it is the printing press, a website, video, pen & paper, radio,  or even the cave walls…technology takes these stories and creates a community around the distribution method.
    From one perspective, communities are built around people and relationships. The communities grow as the relationships grow, and as more and more people cross paths, the level of connectivity increases. But for those people to connect, there must be a “red string” that connects these relationships, so a piece of communication that connects is the common place. That common place, that “red string” are stories. The stories are the ties that bind communities.
    Think about LinkedIn, which has the different degrees of connectivity between relationships. But how is that relationship formed? What story was told to connect those people together, or that layer of connectivity, that “red string” that ties those people together? The lines that connect the dots represent that story of connectivity.
    Those who have larger layers of connectivity have the ability to use some distribution method (voice, technology, etc.) as a shared place to continually transmit those stories.
    So this brings me to the thesis of this discussion, stories of purpose that have found the right method to deliver and so create the connectivity in the communities in which we exist. So how are we really telling our stories, how are we really relaying our passion? Are we sharing to a mass audience or a small group of people?
    Think for a second…remember when you are trying to remember a conversation you had or how you arrived at a particular thought. You start back-tracking though the stories you heard, the stories that were told. You identify the conversations you had…those conversations take place between people. Can you remember the stories that have had the greatest impacts on the people you told? Think…what story have you told that created a reaction then was repeated to another?
    We want to know how stories are reaching people right now. We want to measure it through tracking mechanisms, whether it be Google Analytics, Neilsen Meters, number of magazines sold, or even the number of people that sign up to hear us speak. Is it tracking the connectivity via technology? What it’s really tracking is the effectiveness of the story. We all want our story to be told, we want someone to repeat that story in its complete authenticity. We want to connect with those who identify with our stories. Are we more focused on the reach or the story itself?
    Technology is a commodity, the distribution point is a commodity, but the story has an equitable value beyond the value associated. There is value in the means to reach the audience, but the true value lies in the heart of the story. The stories are those that connect us to others, not the technology, not other people, but the “red string” of connectivity that lies inside our stories.

    Telling stories has to have a purpose…there is a reason why you want to tell that story! You want to reach an audience, you want someone to listen to your story. We have been telling stories as long as we can remember. Whether it is around the kitchen table, in the car, wherever there is someone to listen.

    We need a medium to deliver the story; whether it is our voice, the written word, or some piece of technology. These stories are told to create a group of listeners, ones who are attracted to these stories, and sometimes in a way so that they can repeat them. Whether it is the printing press, a website, video, pen & paper, radio,  or even the cave walls…technology takes these stories and creates a community around the distribution method.

    From one perspective, communities are built around people and relationships. The communities grow as the relationships grow, and as more and more people cross paths, the level of connectivity increases. But for those people to connect, there must be a “red string” that connects these relationships, so a piece of communication that connects is the common place. That common place, that “red string” are stories. The stories are the ties that bind communities.

    Think about LinkedIn, which has the different degrees of connectivity between relationships. But how is that relationship formed? What story was told to connect those people together, or that layer of connectivity, that “red string” that ties those people together? The lines that connect the dots represent that story of connectivity.

    Those who have larger layers of connectivity have the ability to use some distribution method (voice, technology, etc.) as a shared place to continually transmit those stories.

    So this brings me to the thesis of this discussion, stories of purpose that have found the right method to deliver and so create the connectivity in the communities in which we exist. So how are we really telling our stories, how are we really relaying our passion? Are we sharing to a mass audience or a small group of people?

    Think for a second…remember when you are trying to remember a conversation you had or how you arrived at a particular thought. You start back-tracking though the stories you heard, the stories that were told. You identify the conversations you had…those conversations take place between people. Can you remember the stories that have had the greatest impacts on the people you told? Think…what story have you told that created a reaction then was repeated to another?

    We want to know how stories are reaching people right now. We want to measure it through tracking mechanisms, whether it be Google Analytics, Neilsen Meters, number of magazines sold, or even the number of people that sign up to hear us speak. Is it tracking the connectivity via technology? What it’s really tracking is the effectiveness of the story. We all want our story to be told, we want someone to repeat that story in its complete authenticity. We want to connect with those who identify with our stories. Are we more focused on the reach or the story itself?

    Technology is a commodity, the distribution point is a commodity, but the story has an equitable value beyond the value associated. There is value in the means to reach the audience, but the true value lies in the heart of the story. The stories are those that connect us to others, not the technology, not other people, but the “red string” of connectivity that lies inside our stories.

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    back to basics – a well written allstate spot!

    1931
    Not exactly a great year to start a business
    but
    that is when allstate opened it’s doors
    and through the 12 recessions since
    they noticed after the fear subside
    a funny thing happens
    people start enjoying the small things in life
    a home cooked meal
    time with loved ones
    appreciating the things we do have
    the things we can count on
    it is back to basics
    and the basics are good
    protect them…
    put them in
    good hands

    1931

    not exactly a great year to start a business

    but

    that is when allstate opened it’s doors

    and through the 12 recessions since

    they noticed after the fear subside

    a funny thing happens

    people start enjoying the small things in life

    a home cooked meal

    time with loved ones

    appreciating the things we do have

    the things we can count on

    it is back to basics

    and the basics are good

    protect them…

    put them in

    good hands

    ~ I can identify with these words…one of the best written spots I have seen…wonderful soft sell!

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    How big is your $ilo?

    Organizations right now are having a real hard time telling there story…it is not because they do not have compelling stories to tell, it is because they are not properly equipped to craft and deliver the stories.

    Over the past few months, I have been finding large to medium size organizations who are in a new media, operational conundrum. They have for so many years been staffed to handle lots of the traditional means to deliver stories. Now their organizational structure does not support the staff or resources necessary to keep up with the drastically changing movement of audiences to more new media outlets.

    Let’s face it…a company/organizations ‘website’ or ‘web-portal’ is now the face of the organization. Now I say this just in the present tense…who knows where new media will take us, because as we know…everyday, new media is old media in this ever changing environment.

    Large to medium size organizations are typically staffed (or outsource) with graphic designers, copy writers, and other organizational marketing and public relations professionals. They are trying to rapidly convert these resources to not only meet the demands of the new, mainstream media…but they are also still trying to keep up with their current tasks. We are finding that much of these professionals are not embracing the evolution and not translating their skills to new media standards. For example, the websites and online newsletters look like print publications and print newsletters and press releases.

    Today’s audience wants engagement, a bi-direction path of communication.  Organizations can not longer just deliver information in a one way pattern, they must find ways to engage with the audiences and evolve with their needs. Traditional ad agencies are finding themselves caught up in this conundrum right along side with the organizations that they represent. FYI…I do find tremendous value in the combinations of use between traditional and new media(s). PRINT IS HERE TO STAY. Audiences still like to pick up a book or a magazine to read…but these publishers are learning to become lean and targeted with thier content.

    So how do organizations learn to not only embrace new media strategies but also maintain the equity they have the traditional sources of delivery. IT IS ALL ABOUT AUDIENCE! We have lots to learn from news organizations. There is a new boss in town and they are now the CCO…the Chief Communication Officer! All information must flow through this person. They must create a new media strategy that funnels all of their information through web portals and use them to promote and support traditional means of delivery.

    Organizations also need to re-evaluate their current personnel! They no longer can just be staffed with an IT professional, they need a communications group that supports new media designers & developers, content creators & distributors, community builders, and rich media creators (video/fluid media). Organizations also have to take control of their silos of information hoarders and create internal relationships of trust that allows them to control/regulate brand, and control/regulate release of content. Organizations also have to empower their members to become owners of a bigger plan, to take part in the tribe and be a part of the communication strategy.

    So where are these silos formed, how are they created? This has to be understood and examined in-order to create synergies between silos within the organizations. These silos can be found in universities, hospitals, and other large organizations with many verticals under one roof. These silos are created based on these verticals, these internal groups which represent revenue streams. These particular verticals have level of communication strength and represent brands that are well supported financially.

    So how do we begin to bridge these gaps of communication?  It is time to find new ways to realign, reposition, and repurpose experts within the organization. Leadership has to be cognizant that the bigger the silos, the more disjunct the umbrella brand becomes, and a smaller vertical becomes the focus of the organization. There is value of telling lots of little stories to reinforce the bigger brand as long as it meets the rhetorical position of the over-arching brand.

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    Are you just a story deliverer, a pizza delivery guy?

    If you are such a “Social Media” expert…are you a real storyteller or just a story deliverer? Hmm….can you really craft a story or are you just damn good at putting the story in the right hands.

    sm-pizza-dudeWhat does a “Social Media” person really do? Do they craft a campaign or are they like the pizza delivery guy? They make money off of the refrequency and the effectiveness of the delivery but have nothing to do with the crafting of that pizza pie!

    So what is so damn special about us peeps that love using social media…is their a place for us in the market place? Well….if we know how to tell really good stories and then know how to deliver them to the right people at the right time.

    So in-order to move up from pizza delivery guy, you have to learn the craft of the delivery mechanism which helps you learn how these stories get in the right hands at the right time. You know that the pizza delivery guy understand when he/she walks up on that porch and can create a great customer experience. He hands over that well crafted pie…and the smell that emerges out of the insulated cover, from around the box reveals the aroma of perfection…one that places the delivery person front and center as the brand deliverer. Yep…they are the ones that get the tip!

    So are we satisfied with just the delivery, the craft of placement? Well, we are the new age media planners and buyers. We use our open-source platforms to take stories, and place them in the market place at the the right time…for perfection. Sometimes we are too frequent, placing them all over….in too many different media delivery mechanisms. We flood the market place with our mass media because we want our people to listen.

    If you order too much pizza, you get a freaking doubled over belly ache that leads a to a late night rush to the porcelain god!  Do we want this experience for our well crafted pizza pie?

    So we haft to craft our delivery strategy.  This is when we move up from pizza delivery guy to pizza maker. We have to value the craft of the pie, the craft of the campaign. We have to put our heart into the message, moving away from being ‘technician’ to ‘practitioner’. The craft is too important to flood the market place…you want some demand.

    It is ok to just be the deliverer of the message, if it is your craft…then master it oh swami of pizza delivery. But if you want to be a practitioner of the story, you have to create the story and understand the way that the pie is delivered each day!

    So what is your story and how will you deliver it to your target market?

    FYI…I know that I am talking about myself…I bet delivering pizzas is all I will do after publishing this post!

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    Don’t let ‘media’ tell the story!

    How do we tell stories using “media”? Hmm…well the latest trend is the idea of using “Social” Media(s)…
    The idea of telling stories is becoming an integral part of communication campaigns. People can identify with stories, especially if the audience can see themselves via the stories that are represented in the campaign.
    Take for instances the “Loads of Hope” campaign by Tide. Have you seen the television spots where this large bus with tons of washing machines built into the side drives around and allows those who have lost everything wash their clothes. They could have just shown images of the bus and some figure head describing the mission. NO! Instead they let the people directly impacted by this campaign tell the story…and it is repeatable as stated…”everything is better with clean clothes.” Their are so many of us that can in someway identify with that message. We have either lost our homes or have come near, damn close to being in that particular situation.
    So how do we tell the stories to effectively, convey the message of the organization or cause? You have to identify the audience that will receive the message then you have to figure out what will impact that audience in a way which will let them see your message through your eyes.
    It does not begin with the tool…OH, I have this cool thing that I want to send a message, let’s create something and we will be heard. IMHO, that is not targeted messaging and definitely not telling a rich story.
    Stories can be told using video, the written word, music, etc…but the manner at which the story is crafted is most crucial. I am one that is mostly a purest…I like to find the stories that are most palatable, ones that have rich ‘red strings’ that flow through them.
    Bob Dotson once told me that anyone can tell a story, but ones that are the most impactful are the ones that have multiple layers, many threads that need to be pulled back and uncovered. Each revealed in a way that brings a new awareness to the table, to help the audience experience a new way of thought, way to see something through a new lens.
    Stories also have the most impact if they not only have a richness to them, but are told in a way that are repeatable. Think of the many stories that have been passed down through the years in your family, between your friends, amongst your peers. They have a theme that is morally repeatable…that make such an impact it actually forces you to want to repeat. It comes so naturally when you pull up a chair at the next meeting and share with a new group of friends.
    Good stories must be told in  frequency, so that the underlying theme creates a rhythm of awareness. Remember that ‘red string’ concept I was describing with Bob Dotson…well, here you must identify the ‘red string’…the underlying rhetorical position. Use that as the frame work to build micro stories over time, releasing them to your target audience. People not only crave good stories, but they look forward to the next dependable time they can watch another one again…and again…and again.
    So…how does media play into this whole storytelling concept? Well, they are just the tools to deliver the stories. Build frequency in the delivery. We use them to generate interest and capitalize on their connectivity, delivering the audiences to the right place at the right time, to find that story.
    The story is not the media that delivers, it is the fashion by which the audience is delivered to that story and how ultimately that story is relayed.
    We all have the tools to tell a good story, but the great story tellers are ones that recognize the ‘red string’ and capitalize on the delivery mechanisms which insure their story will be heard again, and again, and again!

    How do we tell stories using “media”? Hmm…well the latest trend is the idea of using “Social” Media(s)…

    The idea of telling stories is becoming an integral part of communication campaigns. People can identify with stories, especially if the audience can see themselves via the stories that are represented in the campaign.

    Take for instances the “Loads of Hope” campaign by Tide. Have you seen the television spots where this large bus with tons of washing machines built into the side drives around and allows those who have lost everything wash their clothes. They could have just shown images of the bus and some figure head describing the mission. NO! Instead they let the people directly impacted by this campaign tell the story…and it is repeatable as stated…”everything is better with clean clothes.” Their are so many of us that can in someway identify with that message. We have either lost our homes or have come near, damn close to being in that particular situation.

    So how do we tell the stories to effectively, convey the message of the organization or cause? You have to identify the audience that will receive the message then you have to figure out what will impact that audience in a way which will let them see your message through your eyes.

    It does not begin with the tool…OH, I have this cool thing that I want to send a message, let’s create something and we will be heard. IMHO, that is not targeted messaging and definitely not telling a rich story.

    Stories can be told using video, the written word, music, etc…but the manner at which the story is crafted is most crucial. I am one that is mostly a purest…I like to find the stories that are most palatable, ones that have rich ‘red strings’ that flow through them.

    Bob Dotson once told me that anyone can tell a story, but ones that are the most impactful are the ones that have multiple layers, many threads that need to be pulled back and uncovered. Each revealed in a way that brings a new awareness to the table, to help the audience experience a new way of thought, way to see something through a new lens.

    Stories also have the most impact if they not only have a richness to them, but are told in a way that are repeatable. Think of the many stories that have been passed down through the years in your family, between your friends, amongst your peers. They have a theme that is morally repeatable…that make such an impact it actually forces you to want to repeat. It comes so naturally when you pull up a chair at the next meeting and share with a new group of friends.

    Good stories must be told in  frequency, so that the underlying theme creates a rhythm of awareness. Remember that ‘red string’ concept I was describing with Bob Dotson…well, here you must identify the ‘red string’…the underlying rhetorical position. Use that as the frame work to build micro stories over time, releasing them to your target audience. People not only crave good stories, but they look forward to the next dependable time they can watch another one again…and again…and again.

    So…how does media play into this whole storytelling concept? Well, they are just the tools to deliver the stories. Build frequency in the delivery. We use them to generate interest and capitalize on their connectivity, delivering the audiences to the right place at the right time, to find that story.

    The story is not the media that delivers, it is the fashion by which the audience is delivered to that story and how ultimately that story is relayed.

    We all have the tools to tell a good story, but the great story tellers are ones that recognize the ‘red string’ and capitalize on the delivery mechanisms which insure their story will be heard again, and again, and again!

    FYI….Bob Dotson is one of my all time favorite television storytellers, along with Carolyn Mungo!

    Follow Bob Dotson & Carolyn Mungo on Twitter!