The Corporate Storyteller

Doubt and weariness are increasingly cropping up in discussions about social media. While a host of businesses report impressive results from their social media investments, many commentators are questioning the effectiveness and bottom-line value of participating in more than one or two key sites.

One surprising prediction comes from JWTintelligence.com, an information site operated by a New York-headquartered, global marketing communications leader with more than 200 offices in over 90 countries. JWT employs nearly 10,000 marketing professionals and issues an annual "100 Things to Watch" list. A prediction of "slow communication" is #81 on the list for 2010.

JWT predicts a backlash to "speedy and thoughtless Tweets, status updates and e-mails..." that have inundated technology users worldwide. What to expect instead? Increased use of sites such as http://www.woofertime.com, a parody of http://www.twitter.com/ that requires at least 1,400 characters per post instead of twitter's limit of 140. Do you agree that people are growing weary of all the instant messaging?

The entire list of "100 THings to Watch in 2010" can be found at http://tinyurl.com/ybjwmun

My friend and colleague Jan Dwyer Bang posted an insightful blog this week on the value of storytelling to help a leader build authenticity. Hooking her comments to the Oscar ceremony, Jan offers a number of tips that are spot on!

There are so many ways to apply the power of story, it can be hard for people to grasp how they can find, shape, and begin using relevant stories. Jan's recommendations will be helpful to anyone who's new to the concept of story as a leadership communication tool. Read Jan's posting at www.boundlessresults.com

A recent column in Investment News makes a clear case for the effectiveness of stories for consulting firms. I was delighted to see it because it provides the type of unsolicited testimonial to one's profession that we speakers and other consultants love to see!

Written by Libby Dubick, president of a marketing consultancy for advisers and financial services firms, the column lists several ways in which stories strengthen brand identity and solidy client relationships. Representing the core of my message as a speaker and workshop/retreat facilitator, these points are dear to my heart and I'm always thrilled to discover another advocate for the power of story as a communication tool.
Dubick's column is at http://tinyurl.com/yzs3ynj