Ben the Bear: Ann Wylie and online storytelling
“The bear, known only as Attraction #2, lived in a cage the size of a child’s room.” That is one possible lead for a story about Ben the Bear, said …
Empowerment marketing and the VW Beetle
In a previous post I talked about inadequacy marketing. This is marketing that reinforces our insecurity and tells us that if we just buy a certain product, we will feel …
My latest video: connecting people to CarbonWA
Here is my latest video, which I produced for the activist group Carbon Washington. CarbonWA is gathering signatures for an initiative. They would like the state to have a revenue-neutral …
Puffery: The fourth deadly sin of storytelling
“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” We all know this unforgettable line from “The Wizard of Oz.” Oz makes himself out to be godlike. But inevitably he …
Insincerity: The third deadly sin of storytelling
The wolf in sheep’s clothing: that’s the essence of the sin of insincerity. Don’t try to be something that you’re not, said Jonah Sachs in “Winning the Story Wars.” Don’t …
Authority: The second deadly sin of storytelling
We all know the story of the emperor’s new clothes. The emperor trusted experts who told him he had a fine new garment, even though he couldn’t quite see it …
Vanity: The first deadly sin of storytelling
We can’t tell great stories if we fall prey to the five deadly sins, said Jonah Sachs in “Winning the Story Wars.” This is the first of five posts about …
How telling better stories can change the world
I just finished reading an intriguing book about storytelling, “Winning the Story Wars: Why those who tell—and live—the best stories will rule the future,” by Jonah Sachs. Sachs takes a …
Translation is not your friend
“What does this mean?” asked Ha Na Park as she held up one finger in the air. Park was speaking last Monday at Social Marketing SPARKS 2014. If the question …
Why your brain loves good storytelling
Here’s a link to an interesting article in the Harvard Business Review. It says that character-driven stories turn on oxytocin, a brain chemical that enhances empathy. In order to activate …