Messaging

Timing is a funny thing.  But Pepsi's newest creative running (well, since pulled) in Germany is not. Driving home the other night I caught the tail end of a Don Henley song as I wondered how ungrateful I must be when hundreds of satellite stations all lacked appeal for me.  A partial lyric from the 90's song "...how can ...survive in such a graceless age..." stuck in my head before I moved on (I definitely didn't linger, not Don's best work). This idea of grace, of making informed decisions...

One definition of storytelling is as follows "storytelling...relating a tale to one or more listeners through voice and gestures." Sounds like content distribution, doesn't it?  In today's terms, that might include blogs, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, FriendFeed, the list goes on.  It's about sharing what you know and think.  About opening doors in the imagination and sparking creativity.  Or for that matter, sparking debate. The art of storytelling has a rich and complex history. ...

I really had no plans to make any mention about the time of year it is.  Or more specifically, the crescendoing campaign period.  On any level.  I figure there's enough of that going on, enough yelling and posturing, innuendo and poor humor.  And that's just from the supporters of each of the opposing political parties, not to mention the Main Men themselves. But as much as I've grown weary of the magazine covers, telemarketing calls, text ads, Facebook groups, and personal, hand-scrawled...

I've come to read a fair amount of material from marketing/customer service expert and author Pete Blackshaw.  I found a recent article in iMedia Connection titled "Marketers Love Conversation, Unless the Consumer Starts It" where he talks a bit about what I'll label as "perfunctory" customer (consumer) feedback solicitation as opposed to genuine interest for the purpose of process or product improvement solicited in a manner that speaks to overall concern for experience. As described by me above,...