Data, Storytelling and Breaking Through the Noise, SxSW 2013 recap

With information overload, how does your brand break through the noise? How do you earn trust in a fragmented 24/7 media world? Storytelling can reset legacy brands, launch unknown brands and reach consumers in ways that go beyond the noise. Unfortunately, most brands will suck at storytelling because they won't do what good storytelling requires. Stories have conflict and villains, winners and losers. They have personality and flaws, great highs and severe lows. And today, stories are supported and in some cases driven by data. Whether your brand is B2C or B2B, data can help shape the story you want to tell.

In this session, the panel explored how data driven stories can have significant impact for connecting with the audiences you want to reach.

This was one of my favorite sessions at the 2013 SxSW. You can read more about it at Storify.

Hashtags: #BrandStory

Examples

• Coca-Cola is using the site to turn visitors in super fans and ambassadors. The Coke rep claimed that "Journey" tells stories. It's not a shill for Coke. They run no advertising, not even Coke ads.  
• Target produces behind the scenes video, Bull's Eye View, to feed the "infolust." The Target rep stressed that you need support from the top because it is a commitment to continue producing and providing access. You don't want to lose audience and hurt the brand. 

Take Aways & Library Applications:

• Panelist introduced the idea of an "Expression Index." For example, EI= [Views x 1] + [Facebook Likes x 4] + [Comments x Y] + etc. Can we examine our expression index? What are we already doing in this vein? What else could we do?
• Use data to decide which stories to tell. Ask "will people share this?" That is your filter.
  At the Library, we have conversations about share-ability in our content development. We have some data we base this conversations on. How often do we need to be collecting?
• A visit is not a visit. What do they do there? How many stories do they view? How long are they on site? How much do they share?

Alcoholic Designs Organization, Shenanigans Ensue: SxSW 2013 recap

Much of how we “do work,” has changed in recent years, yet little has changed in how we design organizations. Our antiquated organizational and management models are ill-equipped to marshal the intangible assets so integral to how we create value today - things like diversity, creativity, identity and dissent.

Interestingly, Alcoholics Anonymous is not organized in any formal sense and is sometimes referred to as a benign anarchy, yet it has grown consistently since its beginning and has been incredibly successful. It has done this without a highly paid CEO, branding consultants or social media gurus. AA seems to have some valuable lessons for us as we work to architect organizations better able to thrive on today’s terrain.

Hashtags: #organize15

Take Aways/Library Applications:
AA has no CEO, no chief marketer, and no marketing budget. But you can always find an AA meeting; it's been running successfully since 1935.

It has:

• Clarity of purpose:
  It helps alcoholics stop drinking. Simple enough. In our organizations, what looks like resistance is often lack of clarity
• Choice-it's powerful.
  How do we put choice in the workplace? Our speaker suggested volunteer meetings. This tells you what is important to people and what is not. 
• Principles over personalities
  It's not able who you are or what your title is. What is important is why we are here. 
• Truth
  Do you have headquarters truth and ground truth? That is dangerous to the organization. 
• No management
  Can your organization reduce the role of management?

Happy Valentine's Day from Edmon Low

It's been a while since I've shared one of the Library's videos here, but our latest offering is getting a lot of attention. Our spring featurette is a spoof on "The Bachelor," and it's hilarious. The feedback we're getting is that this is one of our best efforts so far.

I'm particularly proud of the consistently great acting our intern team provides. They really put themselves out there and get silly for us.

Enjoy!