StoryTeller Media & Communications
StoryTeller is a public relations agency specializing in media relations, social media and video production and web video
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Brian Solis on Video StoryTelling
Most mornings, I wake up and have my coffee and scour through the myriad of social media articles to find out what new and relevant content that might benefit our clients. It also serves as my daily dose of social media inspiration. Tuesday night, I had the opportunity to hear some first hand inspiration when I attended Jennifer Kane’s ( Kane Consulting) “An Evening with Brian Solis” event. Brian is on the PR circuit of promoting his most recent book, “Engage,” which I can’t wait to read!
Brian spoke so eloquently on topics ranging from community, engagement and trust to understanding the importance of being curators of content with context. He went on to say that all companies are media companies because every company publishes to its customers, its staff, its neighbors, its communities and they need to know how to use all media technologies at its disposal, especially video.
With YouTube positioned as the second most popular Search Engine, second to Google, and over 24 hours of video uploaded every minute, brands have a unique opportunity to put video storytelling into work. Ideally, video is part of your overall content strategy and used when you want to build a connection that may not be made through other mediums.
Brian was gracious enough to share his insights on the importance of having a video strategy. Here is part one of our conversation with Brian Solis.
‘LeBronwatch 2010′ and ESPN
James will announce his decision tonight on ESPN
I am going to keep this short, as there are thousands of words floating out there on blogs and websites discussing free agent NBA forward LeBron James, and his decision as to which team he will bring his unique skillset this offseason. I do think that the entire ordeal is a gross example of excess and narcissism, but that is not what I find most confounding.
Tonight, in a 60-minute special to be aired on ESPN during prime time, James will announce his decision. My question is, why ESPN would want to put themselves in this position? How can they cover the story, as a news organization, while also broadcasting what amounts to an hourlong infomercial for the LeBron James brand?
For example, if they were to get word of what James’ decision was going to be, before the special hit the air, would they reveal it? By doing so, they would be spoiling the surprise, which could lead to fewer viewers. But, if they held the news until after the special, they wouldn’t be acting as true journalists. It becomes a ‘no-win’ situation. On top of that, if ESPN doesn’t report James’ decision early, it could be perceived that they were holding the story for their own benefit, even if that weren’t the case. The perception could be just as damning.
Add to all this the negative backlash surrounding the entire thing. As I mentioned, there are plenty of articles and blogs providing their two cents, much of it dissing James for turning this into a spectacle. (My two favorites so far can be found on Yahoo and, ironically, ESPN.com.) By providing the airtime, ESPN is just feeding the beast.
Obviously, the entire episode of ‘Lebronwatch 2010′ is completely overrun with celebrity gazing, Twitter rumors, giant egos, overpaid athletes, and misplaced values. His decision, however, is still news, and should be covered as such by news organizations, both local and national. What I can’t figure out, is why ESPN would willingly move themselves from spectator and watchdog, to participant.
The future of Newspapers
As I flipped through the newspaper over a bowl of Cheerios this morning, I came across two articles. The first described the demise of magazines, illustrated by the number of publications that have ceased or seen a precipitous drop in circulation in the last five years, and how easy it is to just read them online instead.
The same has been said of newspapers. Many point to the moment news organizations began offering their content online for free as the moment newspapers and magazines began their slow death march. As for myself, I can’t imagine not having a hard copy of the paper to read. I know it’s an ‘old school’ perspective, and that many young people get all of their news from the web, twitter, and to some extent, online television.
But I believe, as the second article may have illustrated, that there is still hope for the paper and ink newspaper. The article was announcing that a ‘2D Code’, or ‘tag’, would be appearing in one of that day’s comic strips. The code looks kind of like a UPC code, and if you scan the code with a reader application on your iPhone, you are linked to video, websites, or any web content. In this case, scanning the code would allow the consumer to watch an animated version of the comic on their iPhone.
If that is something that becomes more common in newspaper and magazine articles (and I believe it will), it opens up all sorts of new opportunities for delivering the news. Instead of just referencing a web page, or instructing the consumer to ‘check out our website for more video and audio on the story’, the tag could link directly to a video that could better flesh out the story, and lead to a richer news experience. And it would take less effort than even browsing the web, because after scanning, you would be taken directly to the content, right on your phone.
Obviously, I am a little biased. I still prefer reading the newspaper as I eat breakfast in the morning (reading my laptop that close to a bowl of milk just seems awkward). If I read the paper online, I click directly to the stories I am interested in, and then move on. When I am flipping through the paper, I may stop because of a fantastic photo, or an interesting headline, and read an article I would not have thought to read. So I hope that newspapers can find new ways to enrich their content, and stunt their declining readership, so a cup of coffee and the morning paper don’t become a thing of the past.
We’ve moved!
If you haven’t all ready heard, the StoryTeller team has moved into our new office space! And I must say, having the extra square footage has been wonderful. Not that I didn’t enjoy working elbow to elbow with my coworkers, listening in while they made dentist appointments and checking out what they brought for lunch everyday, but it has been nice to spread out a bit.
And while moving has presented some challenges (i.e. learning how to use the intercom function on the phone since we are not longer close enough to yell to each other), it has also presented some amazing opportunities – the most significant of those being the reevaluation of how we do business.
We’ve always had great relationships with our clients, but no matter how well you think you are doing, you can always, always do better. So while we were cleaning up and throwing things out, we also started cleaning up and throwing out some of our old habits.
Creating more streamlined and efficient methods of communication and account management has made a big difference. We have also gotten back to our roots and recommitted ourselves to coming up with new and innovative ways of developing stories and reaching out to the media. Not to mention the sexy new status reports.
With a new office and a new outlook, I’m excited about what future holds. If you feel you’re stuck in a rut personally or professionally, you could also try moving, but perhaps it would be better just to do some cleaning – get rid of the things that are holding you back and surround yourself with fresh, new ideas!
Catalogers Getting Social
I recently had the opportunity to step back in time to my “old life” for a brief moment while connecting with a group of Direct Marketers. The group was interested in our perspective of social media and how it can benefit the traditional cataloger.
What seems apparent after our meeting, is this is an industry that I would categorize as somewhat “late adopters” in the social media frontier. Understandably, they have spent years refining the art of direct mail and have it down to a pretty concise science but they are having a difficult time connecting the dots to know how social media can really impact their business.
Father’s Day Gift
As the proud father of three wonderful children, the meaning of Father’s Day for me hasn’t changed, it’s just broadened. A tradition in our house is the handmade Father’s/Mother’s Day cards. Aside from being sweet gestures of love and appreciation, they will be tender keepsakes as our kids continue to grow. My wife spoils me and turns on the green light for me to make of the day what I choose. Even with all that, my thoughts on Father’s Day are not only my own thanks giving, but on the gifts that my father gave to me.
How Does Social Media Effect Traditional Media?
Michigan State head basketball coach Tom Izzo recently proclaimed his “lifer” status with the Spartans after considering a job opportunity with the Cleveland Cavaliers. As Izzo deliberated this life changing decision, the rumor mill was cranking away with reporters tapping sources, staking out near the basketball complex in East Lansing and outside Izzo’s offices. There were even some reporters contacting Izzo’s mother to see if she had any insight into what was going on inside her son’s mind.
Facebook’s “Photos of You”
The best thing about Facebook are the pictures that users don’t necessarily choose, but are often the first photographic representations of a person on their profile. You know, that first round of pics titled “Photos of You” when you’re looking at your own profile?
Every other album is what the user chooses. Of course, a user can untag themselves and remove a photo from their “Photos of You” album, but that’s being a little disingenuous with your friends, don’t you think? “Photos of You” is sort of the “this is who I really am, without a filter” album. If you find yourself constantly removing images from this album, what does that say about your comfort level with yourself?
Since this is turning into a preachy post, I’ll put my money where my mouth is and show you that, despite the potential embarrassment,
Kent Brockman does Karaoke
I’m happy to allow some of my less photogenic moments to stay tagged. Is this a flattering picture I would choose to post on my own? Probably not. Was it a good rendition of “Born to Run”? Absolutely not. Is the arms-raised image of Robert Plant in the background awesome enough to save the photo? Without a doubt. In the end, I’m clearly having a great time, dressed up in yellow face as Simpsons character Kent Brockman during a good friend’s 30th birthday party. If that doesn’t give you a free pass to do a terrible karaoke rendition of a Springsteen song, then I don’t know what does. I’m more than cool with people seeing this side of me. If I’m not, then I shouldn’t engage in behavior that leads to such a picture being taken.
If you like the person you see through another person’s lens (literally) then you’re probably in decent shape overall. If you often feel the urge to “untag” yourself, perhaps you should take a closer look at the actions depicted in the photo instead of untagging and hoping the unflattering image goes quietly back into the Internet ether from which it came. Just sayin’…
Why Social Media?
As a technologically capable high school senior, I have been in contact with social media for years, and I lived through the social media revolution firsthand. I created my first Facebook account and watched my first YouTube video almost five years ago, and since then, both of these have been integral parts of my life. Because of this experience and my naivety, I thought that during my week with StoryTeller I would have little to learn. What was I thinking?!
For many of the younger generation, businesses are intruding into their domain by joining these networks, but with membership on Facebook exceeding 400 million and YouTube being home to a greater viewership than that of network television, it is no surprise that more and more businesses are striving to join and increase their presence in social media.
In my daily use of these networks I have come across business-related pages, but I, like many of my contemporaries, overlooked the effect that social media plays in marketing. Before starting my work with StoryTeller, I saw social media as simply another means of communication, where people who are already plugged-in at every hour of the day can share tidbits of information about what comes to mind or what is on their personal agenda for the day. With this opinion, I was surprised to hear my dad tell me that social media is one of the industries experiencing the most rapid growth in the world!
After the initial discussions of StoryTeller’s role in marketing, I must admit I was skeptical about the actual effect their strategies could have on a business. After all, I incorrectly saw it as simply a means of personal expression. Within minutes of seeing their ideas and strategies applied to real clients and the active participation they receive from followers my opinion changed and every ounce of doubt was cast aside.
The business application is much more formally constructed than that of the daily user. I was fascinated by the time it took to plan the strategies for each client, because in my experience every post was simply created off of a passing fancy. The large question that permeates every aspect of the business applications, and that I failed to realize before, is, “How can we create discussion with our followers, and eventually sell products without force-feeding our customers contrived ad campaigns?” By incorporating this question behind every post, StoryTeller has successfully developed followings for each of their clients.
Social media is all about what you want to get out of it. The average social media user can connect to friends, but so many of its applications are ignored. Although it is still a blossoming industry, it has already attracted the attention of many large companies who are spending millions of dollars with ad campaigns. While many people seek to update their friends on their daily activities, companies are trying to lead discussions, inspire thought, and most importantly sell their product. With time, strategy, and creativity, the social media resources that exist and those that are in production will only increase social media’s grip on the entire population, and its effects will undoubtedly be studied for years to come.
Are You a Thought Leader?
For the record, I’ve always disliked the phrase “thought leader,” mostly because about a year and a half ago, it was another business buzz phrase (ie. 24/7, gitter done, step it up, etc.) that was overused, abused and misused. That said, it always made me wonder, “what IS a ‘thought leader?’”
