storytelling
Creatives, rejoice. Based on the recent U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Business Survey, Uncle Sam has acknowledged your talents as paramount in the workplace. Tasked with completing these surveys, I am familiar with the typical “sections” of questions like company information, owner characteristics, research activities, goods, services, and business processes and technology. But wait, there it was, Section F (for finally). SECTION F: DESIGN AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY The following questions ask about the role that design plays in...
September 2022
Marketing Like a True Crime Podcaster
During my early morning walks, I often listen to true crime podcasts. I listen as much for the storytelling as the sleuthing, and I’ve come to see B2B content marketing similarly. Some true crime podcasters retell a solved crime to cast doubts or confirm a killer. Others attempt to open unsolved cases to bring new attention to an old case. In many ways, B2B content marketing does something similar: It lays out details of a...
August 2022
Wisdom Fed by Two Celebrity Chefs
One of my favorite bits of advice came from, of all places, a Food Network star. On a Comic-Con panel of celebrity chefs, Adam Gertler was asked about the creative process and said: “If you nail it the first time, where is the journey?” That quote stuck with me weeks after I attended the world’s largest pop culture convention in my hometown of San Diego. I was unaware of Gertler and therefore didn’t recognize the actor...
A visual creative’s job is to dazzle the reader using a well-executed convergence of concept + imagery + graphic design + words. This dynamic combination wins views … and peer-judged awards. Our team recently received national recognition in an industry awards program for a 2020 series on security awareness training featuring a fictitious company. We earned a National Silver Award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors. The series previously earned a Silver Award...
Today is better known in certain circles as May the 4th Be with You, a loose play on the most famous line in a long list of Star Wars movies. But we’re going to open with another sci-fi classic: Blade Runner. If you caught the last half hour of the Oscars the other weekend, then you likely laughed at Harrison Ford reading a list of feedback from producers to director Ridley Scott after a screening...
Anecdotes in articles, whether in print, broadcast or digital media, are one of the best ways to attract someone’s attention. People want real-life examples that underscore a point or illustrate a problem. But these same people will pick a bone if that example doesn’t deliver. That’s why it’s important that any brief story or scenario you incorporate align with the rest of the content. A tale of two Austin area residents Take the case of...
The other week a client asked me to craft a message to customers after the company made a major pivot. The change in direction meant unusual partnerships and new priorities. It also meant layoffs and inventory shortages in coming weeks. “Make sure it reflects sensitivity and compassion,” a key executive urged. A lot of companies continue to do something similar in their respective regions and industries. Their messaging is clear: We’re still open for business,...
February 2020
Creating Sponsored Content People Want to See
In early January, content posted on Teen Vogue’s website began trending on social media, which should have delighted the magazine’s editorial team. The article focused on how Facebook planned to tackle politically-driven misinformation campaigns on its platform. But the article itself was misleading. Though appearing as editorial content, it actually was a paid piece from Facebook. Teen Vogue initially added an editor’s note labeling it as sponsored content. When the controversy failed to die down,...
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