CORPORATE STORYTELLING:
Discovering Fire for the Second Time
Vol. 9, No. 4, 2009

Publisher: Evelyn Clark
evelyn@corpstory.com http://www.corpstory.com

(c) Clark & Company 2009

***********************************************************************************

"Leaders don’t create followers; they create more leaders."
--Tom Peters, Author

====================================================

IN THIS ISSUE

1. Focus on your Brand

2. Famous Store Leverages the Power of Story

3. Going Viral in a Way that Sticks

4. Social Media: Stunning Results on a Small Budget

5. Self-guided Corporate Storytelling Coming Soon!

1. Focus on your Brand

Brand clarity is essential in a ubiquitous information world, says Ford Motor Company’s CEO, Alan Mulally. Responding to a question posed by Fast Company.com about the meaning of leadership in a highly networked global world, Mulally points out that customers know everything and want clarity of information. He emphasizes that strengthening and maintaining a core brand is the way to remain top-of-mind with consumers.

To view Alan Mulally’s 30 second MBA clip on Fast Company go to: http://tinyurl.com/m8n2cq

2. Famous Store Leverages the Power of Story

Demonstrating how to touch customers’ hearts, owners of The Vermont Country Store recently shared the joy of the newest to the family in a masterful way. A popular bricks and mortar operation well known for its mail-order catalogue, the store regularly shares its heritage.

The latest story incorporated a three-generation photo, complete with the newborn infant posed on an antique cheese scale.

3. Going Viral in a Way that Sticks

What do urban legends and viral marketing have in common? Three traits, says Dan and Chip Heath, authors of Made to Stick, a “must-read” book for anyone who ever needs to persuade someone to a point a view. (In other words, everyone!)

Expanding on three aspects of “sticky” ideas, the Heath brothers say there are three rules for making your marketing messages go viral:

1. Make the story emotional (scary works; so does heartwarming, as The Vermont Country Store example shows).
2. Realize that people love to repeat a story with an emotional tug; it makes them feel like they’re doing their friends a favor.
3. Environmental reminders of the story, or “triggers,” give you opportunities to revive the story again and again.

To learn more about making stories go viral, go to: http://tinyurl.com/m4qswf

4. Social Media: Stunning Results on a Small Budget

Despite the generally held belief that big budgets are necessary to achieve big results, a small tourism board made history this past summer at the International Cannes Advertising Festival. The board took home three prestigious Grand Prix awards--the first time this feat had ever been achieved in the Festival’s 50-year history.

How did the board capture three astounding wins on a small budget? By “going viral” through social media, of course! You may recall the promotion for a small Australian island on the Great Barrier Reef. The campaign was called the “Best Job in the World.”

Key lessons learned from the board’s coup, as outlined in Fast Company:

1. Make the message believable.
2. It’s not about how much you spend.
3. Focus on content, not traffic.
4. Create an inherent reason for people to share.
5. Don’t underestimate the power of content creators.
6. Give your promotion shelf life.

To learn more about marketing through social media, visit: http://tinyurl.com/lvyuwm

5. Self-guided Corporate Storytelling Coming Soon!

In response to growing demand, Evelyn is developing a set of “workshop in a box” materials that will soon be available. As our loyal e-zine subscribers and Corporate Storytelling clients know, stories help everyone stay on the same page. Just like the in-person, one-to-two-day workshop, the new course will guide individuals and/or teams through the process of identifying, shaping and sharing values-based stories that can be applied in a variety of ways to achieve their specific goals.

E-zine subscribers will be given advance notice when the course is available and will be offered a limited-time, exclusive pre-publication price. Look for an announcement and special offer coming soon in your Inbox. And get ready to sharpen your communication skills through the new self-guided Corporate Storytelling Course!

If you want to spark excitement at a management, career-building, or leadership conference you’re planning, call The Corporate Storyteller. She’ll design a program that gets everyone fired up.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bring the power of story to your company, or to your organization's next conference or retreat. Book The Corporate Storyteller now. Call 1-866-818-8079.

To subscribe to this e-zine, either complete the short form on any page of the website - http://www.corpstory.com or send a blank email to mailto:subscribe@corpstory.com

Build your web traffic by trading permanent links with us. Send your web address in an e-mail to evelyn@corpstory.com and we will contact you re arrangements.