Creating a brand that’s meaningful and memorable to your audience is no simple task. Not exactly brain surgery, I know. But with the rise of social media, storytelling has become not just an effective tool for achieving that, but a necessary one. Stories are such a great way to create depth and sympathy for your brand. And even more importantly, they’re a super powerful way to build trust from a modern audience that can smell BS a mile away.

Storytelling is something you can weave into most of the brand marketing you do already. It can be tied to your advertising as well as your social accounts, outreach and design. You can try to devote your efforts to adding to your own story, or focus on gathering a tapestry of them from others to reinforce your brand. Here are five ways you can use storytelling to kick your brand marketing into high gear.

1. Give people something they can support

Everyone wants to believe in something they can get behind. A good brand story is no different. It needs a hero. That’d be you, by the way. A hero needs a cause, or some sympathy. Are you devoted to seeing that your customers get the best service all the time? Sure, and so is everyone else. So even though you may very well be, that story really isn’t believable to most people.

Base the story in some human truth. Your customers want characters whose problems are rooted in the things that they have to experience. Good brand stories are about things you had to overcome to start your business, the things you do that no one else anywhere does and the little obsessions that drive you to want to do things differently. The bottom line: it needs to connect with them on a real, heartfelt level.

2. Learn to use the essentials of stories

A story isn’t just a string of events. If you want to create a special story, it needs a central ‘character’ that readers can grab onto. A conflict to be overcome. And obviously, a satisfying resolution. This stuff is so important whether you’re trying to build out a company story or present a customer’s experience with your product or service.

3. Share the stories that become part of yours

You can create a strong “story” for your brand on your own. But really, nothing is more powerful for a brand’s appeal than having the community get behind it. Make sure you focus on getting customers to share their experiences on social media as stories. Make them advocates of the brand. They have such great stories of their own about their purchases all the time. Watch your feed for these stories, and encourage your current customers to share their experiences. Everyone believes their stories because they have nothing vested in the outcome. In other words, their stories are real. And you can’t get anything better than that!

4. Capture experiences, not just facts

The quality of the details makes the difference between good and great stories. Sure, it can be good if it’s made up of an interesting sequence of events. But great stories are the ones that allow us to experience them as if they were happening to us. No matter what kind of stories you’re trying to tell, make sure the focus is always on a human truth or experience

5. Don’t underestimate the importance of authenticity

There’s nothing wrong with injecting a bit of drama. In the YouTube age, most folks are forgiving of a little mythology in your background and stories, particularly when it involves things you’re genuinely passionate about. Passion is the important part, though. Trying to build a brand story around something the company isn’t, and a lifestyle no one at the company lives, is not going to do a lick of good. The BS meter alienates readers and you can wave goodbye to them. So start every story with something that is true for you.

Use stories to take your brand to the next level

Do I have all the answers? Hardly. I’d like to think I do, but my wife keeps proving me wrong. With that said, these are just some of the ways I believe stories can help you better build and communicate the idea behind your brand. Give ‘em a whirl. Use them to start planning the stories you want to tell about your own company, products or services. And use them to create more powerful brand marketing than you’ve ever thought possible.

The post 5 Ways to Use Storytelling to Succeed with Brand Marketing originated on Plotlines.

The name of my one-way pen pal is Charles Schwab. And even though I don’t know him personally, I’ve entrusted a significant chunk of my retirement savings to him.

That’s because, even though I have no idea what the fellow looks like, sounds like, or whether he even exists, I believe that the company bearing his name is worth trusting.

The primary factor behind my decision was the fact that a previous employer hired Schwab to administer its 401K plan. Beyond conducting a bit of online research to confirm the choice, I relied on the implied endorsement of Charles from the company that formerly paid my salary…with a slight assist from an enthusiastic Schwab representative who called to ask for my business.

I could’ve just as easily chosen to do business with Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch or Goldman Sachs. Or to stow my nest egg securely under my mattress.

But I chose Chuck instead.

Depending on how his enterprise treats my money and me, I may come to believe he is completely trustworthy, wholly irresponsible, or somewhere in between.

And, depending on how strongly I feel about those convictions, I may choose to share them with family, friends and anyone within earshot of my tweets.

That puts a lot of pressure on Charles. I do hope his shoulders are broad.

In the world of professional service firms, of course, it’s fairly common for businesses to bear the names of their founders, partners or family dynasties.

These handles come to represent the essence of a company, despite the fact that its mission may have evolved into an entity that bears little resemblance to its original venture.

No matter. The name still speaks volumes.

Some of these companies spend boatloads of money to assess, reinforce or redirect what those brands represent to clients and the general public. They may choose to emphasize the longstanding trustworthiness of the brand, or seek to freshen it up for a new generation.

While these enterprises may encompass hundreds of locations and thousands of professionals who bust their tails to earn the satisfaction of their clients, everything reflects on the man (or woman) whose name is on the door.

In other words, the buck stops with Chuck.

I just wish he would send a family photo every now and then.

The post Me and My Buddy Charles Schwab originated on Plotlines.

You know the drill…Congested aisles. Cranky shoppers. Frazzled clerks.

While neither experience was particularly enjoyable (for me, shopping rarely is), what struck me was the contrasting treatment I received by each of these competing discount stores.

One made me feel like a valued customer; the other, a nuisance.

First up: Walmart

I should probably disclose that I’ve never been a fan of Sam Walton’s house of bargains. Saving a few pennies on laundry detergent has never been enough of an incentive to convince me to frequent the world’s largest retailer.

I do, however, endure Walmart madness every couple of months to pick up a prescription refill (for my cat, no less). And I’m rarely disappointed by the chaos I encounter when I walk through those sliding glass doors.

Despite limiting my exposure to the small – seemingly simple – pharmacy department, a less organized scenario would be difficult to find. I don’t understand how a retailer praised for its efficiency could be so inefficient in dealing with customers.

On this occasion, I encountered two long lines of customers awaiting service. I had no choice but to choose a line and patiently wait my turn.

Just as I was on the verge of forking over $8 for 60 tablets, an older lady stepped in front of me to inform the cashier she couldn’t find a product in the store. Instead of directing the woman to another associate – or to the back of the line – the cashier left her post (and me) to tend to the woman’s “urgent” need.

A few minutes later, the cashier returned – not to help me, but to ask the other cashier how to look something up on her handheld device. Cashier #2 began helping cashier #1, while the rest of us saps waited in earnest for them to figure it all out.

After they finally cracked the code, cashier #1 made herself available to help me. She didn’t apologize for my wait. Didn’t express embarrassment over the comedy of errors. Didn’t even make eye contact.

Just another day at the office, I guess.

Next up: Target

A couple of days later, I chose to visit Target to pick up some groceries.

Located less than a mile from Walmart, my shopping experience at Target is almost always more positive.

As luck would have it, however, I finished my shopping about the same time that several others converged on the same few open checkout lanes.

Trying to determine which lane would be quickest, I mistakenly stepped behind two women arguing with the cashier over the discount percentage of the dozens of items they had placed on the conveyor.

The cashier was doing her best to maintain her composure while these ladies instructed her to remove all items that weren’t 75 percent off.

As my blood pressure continued its rapid ascent, another cashier stepped up and invited me to enter one of the two checkout lanes just opening. She apologized for my wait, looked me in the eye and quickly checked me out. Exiting the store, I passed the two women, still haggling over their items.

I felt especially grateful to be on my way before my two pints of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream had a chance to become dangerously soft.

Above all, I felt like a valued customer.  I realize that Target is far from perfect, and I’ve certainly encountered cranky, inefficient cashiers there.

Unlike Walmart, however, they seem to be the exception.  

The post Walmart and Target: Contrasting Experiences originated on Plotlines.

According to Google CEO Eric Schmidt, we now create as much information every two days as we did from the dawn of civilization up until 2003.

That’s a lot of web content, blog posts, white papers and tweets.

Numerous easy-to-use online platforms have brought the world of publishing to every desktop, laptop and mobile device on the planet.

And many of us are taking advantage of the opportunity to share ideas, insights and random thoughts with anyone willing to pay attention. In total, more than 27 million pieces of content are shared daily, according to research conducted by AOL and Nielsen.

Which means, of course, that it’s increasingly challenging to break through the online content clutter.

The social web has opened up seemingly limitless options for strengthening an organization’s connections with current and future  customers/supporters.

As many firms have discovered, however, just because a platform is “free” to use doesn’t mean it is free to use effectively. Content has to be conceived, created and leveraged, which requires a thoughtful strategy and adequate resources to implement and measure the efforts.

It’s hardly as simple as choosing a platform and figuring out how to fit off-the-shelf content within it. Instead, the process should begin by honing in on the individuals and organizations you wish to engage, and connecting with them in the online and offline venues where they typically congregate.

Often that requires researching and hanging out in those places for a while – either as a lurker or an active participant – to experience first-hand the conversations that are taking place. The goal is to identify content synergies – or ideally, a noticeable gap – where the expertise and perspectives of your business might logically fit.

The more effort you take to identify the online platforms and communities that best align with your organization (and vice versa), the more likely your content will connect with its optimal online audience.

The post Breaking Through the Content Clutter originated on Plotlines.

Those are just a few of the exclamations you were likely to witness if you tuned in to the ‘60s TV series Batman.

They appeared during the multiple fight scenes that punctuated most episodes of this campy iteration of the enduring superhero. As each major punch or kick was being delivered, an over-the-top exclamation would dramatically fill the screen (in a tacky starburst, to add emphasis).

This was an early-era TV attempt to replicate the mood of the original comic book series (thankfully, subsequent Hollywood variations haven’t chosen a similarly cheesy, literal interpretation).

Perhaps the exclamations also were intended to shield unsuspecting viewers from needless violence deemed unsuitable for daytime television in the ‘60s. Maybe they even saved on the cost of stunt doubles for wimpy actors Adam West (Batman) and Burt Ward (Robin).

Regardless, the visual outbursts quickly turned into the highlight of the show for me (far more entertaining than Robin’s endless string of annoying ‘holy’ sayings…)

It wasn’t long before I tuned in to Batman primarily for its ridiculous exclamations.

Which meant the story was merely the filler that connected the exclamation-laced fight scenes, instead of the other way around.

A similar phenomenon continues to happen all the time, as businesses jockey to get noticed in a jam-packed online world.

Rather than making an emotional connection through a compelling, well-crafted story, it’s much easier to clobber someone over the head with hyperbole.

Sometimes, it works – at least temporarily. But inevitably, folks grow irritated or bored from the lazy, over-the-top approach.

It’s the online equivalent of an obnoxious kid throwing a temper tantrum in the middle of a grocery store. It usually elicits attention. May even cause his embarrassed mom to cave in to his immediate demands. But the little hellion definitely doesn’t endear himself to the surrounding shoppers.

Holy Backfire, Batman!

The post Holy Exclamations, Batman! originated on Plotlines.

A co-worker poked his head in the door of my office the other day.

“There’s a woman on the phone for you from the Pick-Your-Favorite-Charity and she sounds kind of mad.”

I recognized the organization’s name – it’s a big one – and I knew they weren’t a client. What could she be mad about? Had I missed an email or voicemail?

I took a deep breath, put a smile on my face and picked up the phone.

“Hello! This is Margot. How can I help you?”

Turns out this was a phone solicitation. She was asking me to support her charity with a financial donation. And, as my co-worker noted, she did sound pissed. You can imagine the feeling this gave me about the organization she was representing.

I politely explained that we support the same cause she does by donating to our local comprehensive cancer center, UNC Lineberger. I thanked her for doing good work for a great cause and wished her a good day. Still sounding pissed, she said goodbye.

Even if you’re not running a fund-raising campaign, there’s a lesson here for anyone who ever gets on the phone.

Before you pick up the phone – whether you’re making a call or taking one – stop, breathe and put a smile on your face. And that’s true whether you’re making a bank of calls or just a handful. It really does affect the way you sound.

I was reminded of this lesson earlier in the week, when I was in the middle of a brain-draining project and decided to take a call from a friend. Helen is one of the nicest, most upbeat people I know and I wanted to get a lift from hearing her voice. But right after I said, “Hello,” the jig was up. “Oh, Margot. Are you having a bad day?”

Since I’d forgotten my own advice, she could tell by the tone of my voice that I wasn’t my usual upbeat self. And I felt bad about that. On top of sounding a little snarkly with a friend, I wasted precious minutes of our time explaining what was going on. Sigh.

While I feel crappy enough about doing this to a friend, think about if it’d been a client or prospect. It would be the charity call all over again. So I’m going back to the trick that helped me originally learn this lesson:

That’s right. A sticky note on the handset. Hey, whatever works.

So this week as you take and make calls, remember that the way you sound sets a tone for the entire conversation – and informs how the person on the other end perceives you and your organization.
________

Margot Carmichael Lester is a start-up coach, business consultant  and freelance content operations and creation expert. She consults with entrepreneurs and enterprises around the country from her office in Carrboro, N.C.

The post A Cautionary Tale: Don’t Forget to Smile originated on Plotlines.

Now, the world’s coolest chair is making its public debut on Kickstarter, the world’s largest crowdfunding platform for creative projects. The 45-day fundraising campaign seeks to raise at least $25,000 to help fund the production of the first shipment of chairs.

I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing the reactions of folks as they experience the Traveling Breeze chair for the first time. Reactions range from relief to delight to amazement.

I also tagged along as my buddies displayed the product at the International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago, receiving universally positive feedback from all sorts of retailers, catalogers and online shopping networks.

How it Works

Powered by a rechargeable battery, the patent-pending technology integrates four efficient fans within a stylish lightweight housing unit. The highly portable system delivers up to four hours of refreshing air to chair occupants.

Taller and wider than a standard outdoor folding chair, the chair features a special weave that allows airflow to envelop users at critical points of comfort.

The durable fan housing unit protects four water-resistant fans that have a life span of more than 10,000 hours.

Beyond helping people to stay cool and refreshed, moving air has been shown to serve as an effective natural mosquito repellent.

Supporting the Kickstarter Campaign

Traveling Breezers include (from left) Steve, Anita, Angie, Dave, Mike and Greg (seated)

Those who contribute at least $100 to the Kickstarter campaign will be the first group to own a Traveling Breeze chair when the product is available in late summer.

To learn more about Traveling Breeze and donate to the Kickstarter campaign, please click here . The campaign, which will expire on August 24, will only receive funds if it successfully reaches or exceeds its $25,000 funding goal.

Imagine how cool and comfortable you will feel as you enjoy all sorts of outdoor activities – from lounging around the pool, to watching a ball game, to just kicking back on the patio.

The neighbors will be SO JEALOUS.

Like Traveling Breeze on Facebook.

The post World’s Coolest Chair Debuts on Kickstarter originated on Plotlines.

You’re reticent to tell a story – on your blog, in some piece of free content, in a presentation – because you don’t consider yourself a storyteller. You understand that the craft of storytelling can have a huge impact on your business. But you’re not a writer (so you tell yourself). You don’t think in terms of flowery language, characterization, description, the deeply felt and meaningful. You think of yourself as a strategist. You’re good at finding ways to move the ball down the field toward a goal.

Newsflash: If want to try your hand at storytelling for your business, begin by forgetting all about flowery language, characterization, description, and the deeply felt and meaningful. Forget about everything you would tend to think of as necessary to storytelling and simply focus in on a character wanting something.

We don’t need the backstory of your hero. We don’t need to know how he felt as a little boy when his puppy got run over by a car. All we need to know is what he wants here and now; all you need to do is put him in motion toward his goal.

Cut description, characterization, flowery language, the deeply felt and meaningful. In other words, cut out all forms of narration by which you take your reader or listeners by the hand and explain to them what is happening in your story, or by which you try to make your story “interesting.”

What remains after all this cutting? A hero on the move toward something he wants.

Playwright, screenwriter, director David Mamet writes, in his little book, On Directing Film, from which all these ideas are blithely stolen:

“A good writer gets better only by learning to cut, to remove the ornamental, the descriptive, the narrative, and especially the deeply felt and meaningful. What remains? The story remains. What is the story? The story is the essential progression of incidents that occur to the hero in pursuit of his one goal.

“The point, as Aristotle told us, is what happens to the hero…not what happens to the writer.”

The other night my wife and daughter and I watched the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Among the DVD extras were 10 or so scraps that remained on the cutting-room floor when the editing of the film was completed. What’s interesting is that nine out of these 10 scraps were scenes or bits of scenes in which the characters are narrating what is happening in the story – in effect, holding the hands of the audience in order to make sure they “get it.” On reflection, the director David Yates wisely decided to leave these out. These bits may have seemed like a good idea on the days they were shot, but when it came time to cut the film it became clear that they were unnecessary. All an audience really wants from a story is a hero on the move toward his goal. They can pretty much figure out what is happening for themselves.

The goal that your hero is moving toward, moreover, is going to be interesting insofar as you have an interesting answer to the question: “What happens if he doesn’t get it?” The stakes involved with his goal, in other words, should be pretty high.

And the stakes become clarified as conflict is encountered. There’s no way your hero is going to achieve his goal without interruption. So next you’ll need to ask: What are the forces of conflict keeping my hero from his goal? How is he going to get around them?

I hope you’re noticing that the way we’ve been talking about creating a story is very much like that of creating a strategy. After all, storytelling is strategizing. It’s a way of moving a ball down the field. The image of the author in the café dissecting his emotions is unhelpful. Most of the time, writers are in the grip of questions such as: “Now that my hero has the money he needs to pay off the kidnappers of his child, how do I get him to the drop point on time?”

And that’s a strategy question. Which is exactly what you’re good at.

My point being: you can do this. Begin by finding your hero. It could be yourself, the founders of your enterprise, a star client, or someone your business hopes to serve. Next, identify your hero’s goal. Then ask, what would happen if he doesn’t get it? What are the obstacles standing in the way?

Now, tell us that story.

________

Daniel McInerny is the CEO of The Comic Muse, a brand storytelling consultancy, where he writes The Daily Muse blog. He is also the author of the humorous Kingdom of Patria series for middle grade readers, as well as the comic thriller for adults, High Concepts: A Hollywood Nightmare, available at Amazon. You can contact him at daniel@thecomicmuse.com.

The post Storytelling as Strategizing originated on Plotlines.

In the latest incident, a photo depicts a guy kneeling in front of a Frosty machine to enjoy the frozen dairy dessert “straight from the tap.”

Yuck.

He joins the Taco Bell shell licker, Burger King lettuce stomper, McDonald’s iced-tea spitter, and Domino’s mucous blower as a distinguished member of the fast food hall of shame.

Quadruple yuck.

You’d have to be pretty naive to believe that these sophomoric shenanigans haven’t been happening for decades. It’s only recently, however, that the social web has propelled them to public prominence in short order.

Our online connections can quickly escalate an isolated HR incident to a full-blown PR crisis (while elevating some minimum-wage-earning putz to the status of Internet sensation).

The events typically follow a common pattern:

1. Conduct childish (often unsanitary) prank.

2. Capture said moment on closest mobile device(s).

3. Share image and/or video on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Reddit or any number of other free social platforms.

4. Await viral magic, which may lead to mainstream news coverage and a barrage of chatter about the incident.

The corporate responses follow a somewhat predictable pattern as well, although the level of urgency can vary.

Some brands immediately spring to action to publicly denounce the incident and actively confront the potential fallout.

Others try a low-key approach, hoping the hoopla passes quickly and quietly.

All characterize the incident as isolated and insist they are taking serious measures to ensure something similar never happens again. This inevitably involves the firing of the perpetrator(s).

And while the long-term negative impact of these embarrassments may be negligible, they certainly don’t help build goodwill or loyalty among customers.

Probably most frustrating for the corporate victims of these viral pranks is that they live in perpetuity (i.e. FOREVER), thanks to the proficiency of Google, Bing and the Library of Congress.

Moving Beyond Fast Food

While the fast-food industry is uniquely challenged by its largely transient, immature workforce, it is by no means alone in facing the risks of online embarrassment.

Whether or not a business chooses to actively engage on social media, its employees have all the raw materials they will ever need to inflict serious brand damage. So do its customers, vendors, partners, competitors and naysayers.

And no social media policy and protocols – however sophisticated or well-intentioned – are influential enough to stop the wrath (or naiveté or immaturity) of employees and others who interact with a business.

Which means that every business in every industry faces a potential online ‘gotcha’ at any time. This incident may come in the form of a blatant safety infraction on a jobsite, a spur-of-the-moment rant, or the shocking disrespect of a customer.

Although there’s no magic force field to prevent embarrassing incidents from attacking, there are some basic principles that serve an organization well in navigating the current online realities:

The KFC Mashed Potato Licker

– Hire well.

– Train well.

– Trust well.

– Plan well.

– Respond well.

– Learn and adapt as you go.

The post The Fast-Food Yuck Seen ‘Round the World originated on Plotlines.

The outside temperature hardly qualified as chili weather, but a hearty soup seemed like the perfect comfort food after the stressful day I had.

“How much would you like to pay for it”? the shy cashier asked.

Not sure I had heard her correctly, I asked her to repeat the question.

“The suggested price is $5.89, but you can pay whatever you want,” she replied. “It’s part of our Meal of Shared Responsibility program.

After several seconds of consideration, I opted to pay the $5.89 – in part because I didn’t want to dupe the system, but mostly because I wasn’t wild about having to make another decision.

But the scenario presented a real dilemma:

The capitalist in me wanted to be charged a fair market value for the item, providing a quality product to me while delivering a reasonable profit to the restaurant.

The humanitarian in me felt like it was my duty to pay more than the suggested price to compensate for those who didn’t have the means to afford what I could for a meal.

And the cheapskate in me was tempted to fork over a few measly coins.

Ultimately, I paid the suggested price (which was intentionally inflated to subsidize those customers who cannot pay the full amount). Which essentially branded me part capitalist and part bleeding-heart humanitarian.

In retrospect, the whole experience seemed a bit odd and confusing. Like everyone of a certain age, I’ve been conditioned to adhere to a rigid pay-what-the-pricetag-says model that’s governed American commerce for centuries. The only notable exception was when I accompanied my dad to a car dealership to witness some high-level haggling (a process that inspired me to purchase a Saturn just to avoid it).

The pay-what-you-want concept, however, is an intriguing and potentially powerful one for values-driven brands.

Here’s why:

– It broadens the notion of value to encompass all sorts of tangible and intangible factors related to the product/service and beyond.

– It empowers consumers by shifting more control and influence to them.

– It has the potential to inspire stronger brand preference and loyalty (even for commodity products and service providers, which are constantly struggling to differentiate themselves in the marketplace).

Time will tell whether Panera’s strategy will distinguish the company as a foodservice pioneer or foolish dreamer. I’m betting it’s the former.

For now, the program is still in the experimental stage as the publicly traded company evaluates the potential to roll it out system-wide (or not).

While the concept is never likely to extend broadly into all industries and enterprises, it’s a logical progression of Panera’s long-standing commitment to addressing hunger and other social issues in its communities. And the strategy carries so much more weight than simply writing a check to a charity.

Incidentally, the turkey chili was delicious.

Related: A Culinary Experiment is Underway in Miami: Can a Talented and Passionate Chef Survive on Donations?

The post Welcome to a Pay-What-You-Want World originated on Plotlines.