Is storytelling our ultimate survival tool?
The more work I do in helping sustainability practitioners communicate, the greater appreciation I have for the power of story to help us save ourselves from ourselves. This was underscored…
Survival of the fittest storyteller: How stories insure our sustainability
What is the primary function of our brain? Survival. The oldest portion of our noggin – the brain stem – is our “Reptilian Brain.” It triggers our most basal instincts of…
What social marketers can learn from a common man’s story on NPR’s StoryCorps
Once I learned about the Hero’s Journey from Joseph Campbell’s work, it started appearing everywhere. This universal pattern to story permeates all of our lives. It’s not only in the stories…
INFOGRAPHIC: Data tells, story sells
In his new book, Trying Not to Try: The Ancient Chinese Art and Modern Science of Spontaneity, Edward Slingerland writes: “Science traffics in facts, not values: it can tell us…
Why Your Customers Must be at the Center of Your Brand Storytelling
Great Brand Storytelling Focuses on Your Audience We tell each other stories to make sense out of the chaos of being alive. And we, of course, love to be at…
Future sustainability leaders to nurture their inner storyteller
(The following article originally ran in Sustainable Brands news) Park Howell, president of Phoenix-based brand strategy and marketing firm Park&Co, also heads the Communications thread of the Arizona State University School…
How I got myself unceremoniously fired on Basecamp by my self-publisher
I need some help with self-publishing. And apparently at communicating. I was working with a local group to publish my new book, Story Built. But they terminated me. That’s not…
High performance storytelling drives Audi “Prom” spot for Super Bowl XLVII
Smart brands on the world’s most super advertising stage know that powerful storytelling outperforms stupid spots every time. I have held storytelling workshops around the country showing people how to…
What crazy ass stories are your customers making up about your brand?
Our brains are suckers for story. They’ll take the most benign stimuli (like most powerpoints, car dealership commercials, and mission statements) and attempt to knit narratives from them in an…
What marketers can learn from the freaks, cheats and familiars at Burning Man
Have you ever been to Burning Man: this 55,000+ burner event in Black Rock City, Nevada? If not, have you ever wanted to go? Or do you think like some…
