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 …
Inadequacy marketing and the magic solution
Marketers are letting us down by making us feel inadequate, says Jonah Sachs in Winning the Story Wars. Marketing has enormous power and reach. Each of us has received more …
Storytelling and the myth gap: the American dream
Here is where storytelling gets interesting. It’s not just about writing an engaging plot. The bigger picture is about using myths. Myths play a powerful role to explain what’s going …
The simple story test: a dad, a daughter and a basketball hoop
Here’s a quick test from “Winning the Story Wars” to see if you are using the power of stories in your marketing and communications. And here’s an example of one …
Gimmickry: The fifth deadly sin of storytelling
“I love to laugh,” sang Uncle Albert in “Mary Poppins.” Laughing made Albert lose his connection with solid ground and float up to ceiling height. Albert’s laughter was infectious. Eventually …
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 …