Category Archives: social media

In 2015, Let’s Create Stories That Live Up To Our Screens

Posted on December 29, 2014 by

MY DAUGHTER RECENTLY UPGRADED from the I can’t-believe-you-carry-that-embarrassing-relic iPhone 4 to the new, shiny, I-am-a-respectable-member-of-modern-society iPhone 6. She touched the device and the heavens opened: Streaks of sunlight embraced her from the sky, fireworks erupted in a brilliant ballet and … Continue reading →

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Memories, Social Media and the Secret to Transforming Time

Posted on March 9, 2014 by

TIME IS A THIEF. My first memory was not my first memory, it was simply all that was left after time erased the first eight years of my life. Time took away my dad so it took any memory of … Continue reading →

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Engagement vs. Enragement: Michael Sam, Richie Incognito, and the Two Sides of Social Media

Posted on February 15, 2014 by

WHEN MISSOURI FOOTBALL PLAYER Michael Sam revealed he was gay, it was a landmark moment not just for professional sports but also for the power of social media. Within seconds of Sam’s New York Times story and interview on ESPN, … Continue reading →

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“Emotional Hero” — Step Two of the Brand Storytelling Hero’s Journey

Posted on January 19, 2014 by

EACH STEP OF THE Brand Storytelling Hero’s Journey is essential, but perhaps none more so than step two, the Emotional Hero. You might argue that emotion isn’t just a step; it’s a core ingredient in the overall narrative. Emotion – … Continue reading →

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We are the Monsters On Maple Street: A Final Word on Justine Sacco

Posted on December 23, 2013 by

“The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs and explosions and fallout. There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes and prejudices to be found only in the minds of men. For the record, prejudices can kill. And … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Affairs, social media | Tagged , | 1 Comment

A Social Media Prayer (Updated for 2013)

Posted on June 3, 2013 by

Our user profiles, who art online, hallowed be our names. Thy check-ins done, thy badges won, on Earth as they are on FourSquare. Give us this day our smartphone apps. And forgive us our overuse of emoticons and Instagram filters, … Continue reading →

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Moving On from Social Media

Posted on November 4, 2012 by

LET THIS BE THE YEAR. Let 2013 be the time it ends. I’m sick of social media and I’m sure most of you are, too. It’s done, it’s old and it’s out of touch with modern life. Giving clients a … Continue reading →

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If Technology is the Heart of Social Media, Then People are the Soul

Posted on August 16, 2012 by

I’M CONSISTENTLY AMAZED BY how many companies engage in social media and forget that the word “social” is right there. But I don’t entirely blame them – I blame us. By “us” I mean the so-called professional communicators who are … Continue reading →

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Kill the Click: Digital is All About the Clock

Posted on July 24, 2012 by

IT’S TIME TO KILL the click. This isn’t something the traditional digital advertising industry wants to hear (and yes, there is such a thing as “traditional” digital advertising.) Clicks equal cash goes the maxim, though those selling clicks are the … Continue reading →

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Journalists to Brands: Don’t Give Us “Content,” Tell Us Stories

Posted on July 6, 2012 by

ALTHOUGH I CAN’T TRACE THE ORIGIN with any certainty, I’m nevertheless pretty sure that the word “content” was first used by a marketer, not a by a journalist. Journalists are in the business of stories. Always have been – and … Continue reading →

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