Tell me a story...

When was the last time you heard a good story? A great anecdote even? The type of story that you just couldn’t wait to tell your friends?

On my drive to work one morning last week, I heard a promo on CBC Radio from a woman with the Ottawa Storytellers. She was encouraging listeners to come to their upcoming storytellers' festival and she told a great, yet simple story about her experience as a child in a elementary school play.

I won't steal her thunder, but I will say it was captivating.

Likewise was the case at the Rideau Street Chapter’s bookstore in Ottawa last night. Author David Sedaris read from his book of wickedly funny short stories called Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk drawing a tremendous response from the crowd.

There is a considerable body of research in the social sciences done on narratives and stories and what they mean. It basically falls under the idea that the narratives we tell also say a lot about who we are. Such stories define our personalities, our character, our beliefs, and our values. A story about our past also tells where we intend to go in the future. The details included (or excluded) characterize what we deem to be important and can say a lot about the storyteller. After all, who doesn’t love someone that can tell a good story?

What does this mean for the Ottawa marketer? Narratives matter.

This is a concept not lost on politicians. The narrative portrayal of the party leader is constantly discussed amongst journalists and politicos. Here the primary question centres on how that individual is perceived.

At the same time, in business, a great narrative is basically a great brand. As a business owner, the story you tell about your past says a great deal about where you wish to go. It encompasses your values and your desires. Treat your customers following the values you wish to convey in your narrative and you have successfully defined your own reputation. A happy ending indeed.

Looking for a good movie this weekend?

It's getting to be that time of year again in Ottawa. Cold November rain creeps over the nation's capital mixed with wet snow. A bleak month before the Yuletide feeling begins to swell.

Nevertheless, it is an optimistic time for any film buff. Hollywood is eager to get its best material in the minds of Oscar judges and some quality flicks will soon hit theatres. What better excuse to get out of the Ottawa rain?

Ottawa certainly has a dearth of options for the moviegoer. There's the big name chains across the city for the latest blockbusters or specialty theatres such as the Mayfair and Bytowne for more artsy fare. But how do you decide what film to see?

Such a simple question keeps Hollywood producers up at night. That's why before a movie is released, we are bombarded with movie previews, stars chatting with our favourite late-night hosts, and various profiles of actors/actresses/directors. All of this is intended to create a "buzz" to get us excited about the "Upcoming Movie Event of the Decade!"

However, according to author Jonah Lehrer in an article in the Wall Stree Journal, it is difficult to gage how effective all of this supposed "pre-release buzz" actually is. He cites work by Brian Uzzi, a sociologist from Northwestern University, who specializes in buzz:

The question, of course, is what generates buzz in the first place. Mr. Uzzi's answer should strike fear into studio executives' hearts: He found virtually no relationship between levels of pre-release buzz and the ad budget of the movie or the presence of highly paid actors, even if millions of dollars were spent. The data suggest that pre-release buzz is mostly unpredictable, driven by intangible factors like the originality of the premise, the title of the film, or even a throwaway line in the trailer.

In other words, effective movie marketing - like other marketing - requires getting people talking. Our movie decisions are based on word of mouth and we trust the advice of our friend's judgement over what makes a good movie. Social media networks such as Twitter and Facebook expand this discussion to a larger audience in real-time and we learn quickly what could be a good movie versus what is a very, very bad movie.

Like any other product, finding out how to start a positive conversation about a movie is key to effective marketing. Get enough people talking and you surpass the tipping point, making a good movie a box-office smash hit.

______________

Addendum

Jonah Lehrer spoke with Terry O'Reilly from CBC Radio's advertising/marketing program The Age of Persuasion who was sitting in as guest host on Q with Jian Ghomeshi. To find the interview, click here and scroll down to the episode on October 26, 2010.

A priceless wedding experiment

So you splurged on the diamond, got down on one knee, and now let the wedding planning begin!

For many couples, gearing up for the big day can be a costly endeavour: renting a venue, arranging a caterer, flowers, music, limo, The Dress, tuxes… it all can send one’s head for a spin. Indeed, having just planned such an event myself, this author writes from experience.

However, one Ottawa couple is looking to take a different route to prepare for the big day. Their goal: to plan a wedding that is entirely free of charge.

Brian Bass and Jordan Kent of Westboro have launched what they call Project: Priceless, an online experiment where they ask for donations towards their wedding using their blog and social media tools like Facebook and Twitter. States the couple on their blog,

“This is an experiment in social media, in community kindness, and in product placement.

“…Ideally, everything from dress to wedding favours will be begged, borrowed, or donated. We are also allowed to utilize trade, whether we trade something we have for something you have, or if we can offer a good or service of our own to trade with yours.”

In return, the couple says they will provide donors with a shout out on their blog, a listing in their wedding program, and promotion “via word-of-mouth” and social media. More importantly, they say they offer donors the satisfaction of giving to such “an adorable couple”.

Only a few weeks since their engagement in mid-October, Brian and Jordan have garnered media attention in local community papers, the Ottawa Sun, and the Ottawa Citizen, along with more than 1,000 visits to their blog.

To follow their progress, you can visit their website at http://projectpriceless.blogspot.com/

Social media lessons from “shellacking” in U.S. election

A week after U.S. voters gave Barack Obama a “shellacking” at the polls, the post-game analysis is in full swing.

From discussions of strategy, the president’s vulnerability, and the popularity of tea, the political brain trust to the south is easily filling column inches and airtime on the cable news networks.

Certainly there are lessons to be learned for Republicans and Democrats alike, but what about communicators in Canada?

One article that caught my eye was a piece in the Globe and Mail that looked at the Republicans’ successful use of social media in the campaign. In comparing the two sides, the article noted that the Grand Ole Party had a huge advantage in its presence on Facebook and Twitter. The GOP had an average of 38,718 Facebook fans per candidate, while the Democrats were only able to garner 8,260. A similar pattern emerged on Twitter, with the Republicans having an average of 14,009 followers per candidate versus 2,591 for the Democrats.

Is this becoming “a deciding factor in politics” as the article claims? Hard to say. But it is safe to assume that candidates who are able to attract more followers will be able to get their message out to a larger audience, especially when said followers summon the power of the “re-tweet”. Whether this is enough to drive people to the polls is yet to be determined.

With that said, you better believe that in Ottawa political marketers are studying these numbers right now to understand how or if they actually translated into votes. As our minority government teeters on the verge of an election, prospective candidates will be increasingly revving up their Facebook engines and driving out tweets.

At the same time, commercial marketers would be wise to develop a little research in this as well. As more businesses head to social media to reach new customers, it is important to understand what successful strategies turns a “follower” or “friend” into a customer, or in political-speak, what transforms a follower into an actual voter.