Here’s a follow-up to last week’s audio post about the power of telling personal stories to connect customers to products and services. We produced this film for Portland real estate broker and business owner Sue Coon. This story shows how engaging and memorable a business promotional piece can be when the human story takes center stage.
Asking someone you know for money is hard, even if it’s for a good cause. But our local Komen Affiliate figured out a novel way to create team fundraising success for its annual Race for the Cure: share personal stories and successes of top Race fundraisers. We produced a series of Race fundraiser profiles with Komen Oregon. Each profile focuses on a personal story, and helps to bring the meaning of the Race to life. Here is one of those stories.
Dr. Devon Webster
Wayne begins an audio series on the Power of Storytelling at the Wave One Group. This week’s segment: Don’t Just Tell Me…Show Me!
A colleague recently showed me a website of a respected national trade association.
The group had posted a promotional video about themselves on YouTube. The YouTube video screen was embedded in the organization’s home page. Once the video finished playing, a YouTube video gallery appeared. Some of the video selections included images of a rock star who had been beaten; another rock star-turned-tabloid-queen baring all; and videos that had NOTHING to do with the organization’s mission.
Credibility, anyone?
If you are serious about how your organization’s story is presented, think long and hard about whether using YouTube as your primary video delivery channel is really worth it. If you’re posting YouTube videos on your web site, YouTube’s advertising messages become yours, too.
And are you really in business to promote someone else’s business? Didn’t think so.
On a recent trip to the grocery store, I witnessed a surreal scene in the parking lot. The driver of Car A was backing out of a parking space. The driver of Car B was waiting behind Car A to move into the soon to be vacated space. There was also a female bystander, whose purpose I’ll explain in a moment.
As Car A (The Creeper) slowly backed out of the space, the driver of Car B (The Honker) blasted his horn, warning Car A not to run in to him. But Car A ignored the blasts and continued to back up. Then the female bystander (The Screamer) started screaming at the driver of Car A to stop. When Car A finally stopped, The Screamer kept screaming and The Honker kept honking.
A couple of shoppers and I watched this drama unfold, until one of them verbalized what the rest of us were thinking: why didn’t Car B simply back up so Car A could easily exit the space?
This story illustrates a disturbing, but not surprising, phenomenon. As the economy shifts, people allow fear to rule their thoughts and they become paralyzed by doomsday scenarios.
Clearly, paralysis is not a plan, not if you and your organization are focused on long-term growth and prosperity. But we continually run into potential clients who, like The Screamer and The Honker in our story, insist on using communication strategies that don’t work (and they know these strategies don’t work!), because the perceived anxiety of trying something new is too great. Or so they think.
This is not a money problem. It’s a fear problem. So the next time you feel paralysis knock, knock, knocking on your door, give yourself permission to take a deep breath. Maybe two. And then see whether a new idea comes to mind, an idea that may take you from where you are, to where you want to be.
It sure beats the alternative.
A couple of years ago, an acquaintance of Wayne and mine was diagnosed with ALS. As we struggled to make sense of Colin’s diagnosis, we asked him if he would help us create a short film for Wave One TV, a fledgling Internet site we were developing that would focus on positive community stories. Colin loved the idea so he, and we, created Colin’s Gift.
Colin died in 2007 but we believe his hopeful message of family, friends, and faith is a perfect prelude to the holidays. So we are sending this story to you, with our best wishes and gratitude for the season.
By the way, Wave One TV is now a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization. Our goal for 2009 is to tell wonderful stories about hope, inspiration and grace.
Today was my first day with Portland Fit, a running and walking training program.
As I looked around at the dozens of first time participants I couldn’t help but wonder how many were inspired to sign-up after viewing their online video.
http://www.portlandfit.com/site/video1.shtml
Holly and I produced this video for USA Fit five years ago in 2003. It is one of our finest examples of “evergreen” advertising. Stories that are packed with so much truth and authenticity that they survive for years, even generations. This is in stark contrast to what most advertising concentrates on. The seasonal or campaign based form of advertising. These “seasonal” stories are only good for a short period of time before they need to be replaced with a new campaign. Sadly, it is what most companies are addicted to…and ad agencies love it because of the continued treadmill of campaigns that keeps their coffers full! The next few years will reveal an exciting transformation in advertising with more and more companies moving away from the seasonal ad to the evergreen story. For a sneak peek at companies who have already discovered this form of advertising, please visit our website at:
http://www.waveonegroup.com/stories.html
2008 promises to be an exciting year for businesses that want to tell their story. Not just any story, but a story that reveals a company’s values. At the Wave One Group we call these ‘evergreen’ stories. These stories are so backed with truth and authenticity that they survive for generations. Our approach is ‘experiential’. In other words you feel as if you are there and ‘seeing’ a company’s values in action, ot just hearing about them. Please take a look at some of the stories we have told for both businesses and non-profits over the years:
http://www.waveonegroup.com/stories.html
Here’s to 2008 and telling your company’s evergreen story!