What is Story For?
“The storytelling monkeys”—that’s an expression my partner Jim has used for years to describe what distinguishes humans from other animals. I always thought it was
June 7, 2017
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Tag: Story Theory
Having an Enemy Is Not Enough
A friend who runs a very large brand asked me what I thought about the value of identifying an enemy, which seems to be a
December 14, 2014
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Politics, Story and the Sitcom Factor
So we’re having a little political intrigue in Portland, Oregon, home of Character LLC. It’s a sadly familiar drama. Apparently, our mayor, Sam Adams, had
November 18, 2009
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Brands That Outrun Their Own Story
We’ve been thinking recently about different kinds of brand stories, and particularly about whether there are some brands whose very success causes them to outrun
September 23, 2009
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Brand Characters Never Get Depressed
We’ve been fielding a lot of calls over the last few weeks from folks wanting to spruce up their brand characters. Since we started our
October 30, 2008
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The Story of Os
More than 60 years ago, Cheerios were introduced to a cereal aisle far less abundant with choices than the one we know today. Cheerios …
February 19, 2006
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Problems Worth Solving
Most new products are originally designed to serve a functional need. Marketers are brought in—often after the fact—and charged with fashioning a veneer…
September 1, 2005
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