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Storyteller or Marketer? It Pays to be Both.

by Park Howell on Nov 07, 2010

1,734 views

Have you honed your storytelling talents lately? If you're in the advertising business, you owe it to your career and your customers to become expert at "Story." Here's an example in this compelling pr...

Have you honed your storytelling talents lately? If you're in the advertising business, you owe it to your career and your customers to become expert at "Story." Here's an example in this compelling presentation made recently to Ad2 professionals in Phoenix.

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3M UK at 3M UK I love these slides! Did you know we’re running a competition on SlideShare to win a 3M PocketProjector MP180? To enter, simply tag your presentation with ‘3MInform’. Head over to our page for more details... and don’t forget to follow us to find out if you get shortlisted! 1 year ago Reply
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Good afternoon. Thank you for sharing your lunch with me today, and welcome to Phoenix. My name is Park Howell. Today, I’m interesting in learning more about what YOUR story is. Because I’m a big believer, as communicators, the better we understand and can tell our own personal stories, the better we can create and share our client stories.
So allow me to briefly share my story with you. I own an agency here in town, Park&Co, that is celebrating its 15th year in business. Our story is this: “We don’t just create award winning ad campaigns. We inspire movements to ignite the growth of people, product, companies and causes that dare to make the world a better place.”
Enough about me. I want to know about you. What are you interested in learning today? What’s your story? (Go to white board and write down three to five themes)

Now let me show you how your questions, these themes, work across any story you tell. Let’s start with this one...
Would you buy this model plane? This one-in-a-million toy, this trinket? Do you find it compelling in anyway? Does it remotely pique your interest? It’s an F-86 Sabre, in case you’re wondering. And one day, as an advertising professional, you maybe asked to sell such a plane: A seemingly insignificant product that you need to make matter to your customers.

And you do that with the power of story.
And it begins with this remarkable man, Captain James Reynolds, a fighter pilot in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. And if a war hero isn’t a strong enough protagonist for you, let me tell you about Jim Reynolds...
The All-American running back for Oklahoma State, who started for both the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburg Steelers. An athlete who was so gifted, the Yankees courted him to play shortstop during the 1950’s. Jim is pictured here standing on the right. He is with his famous brother, Yankee’s pitching phenom, Allie, “Super Chief,” Reynolds, who played with the likes of DiMaggio, Mantle and Berra, and who is one of only three major league pitchers to throw two no hitters in a single season. They called him “Super Chief,” because, like his brother Jim, they shared the Creek Indian bloodline.
Following his exploits on the field, Capt. James Reynolds distinguished himself as a fearless fighter pilot, and a flight instructor who was generous with his time and talent.
Following World War II and Korea, Capt. Reynolds, was an officer in the Statue of Liberty Wing in Europe, leading an aerobatic team called the Skyblazers, the predecessors to today’s Air Force Thunderbirds. While leading the Skyblazers, Captain Reynold’s primary mission was to work with the French Air Force training their fighter pilots.
In recognition of his selfless contribution to their country’s air defense, Captain Reynolds received the Medaillie L’Aeronautique, the first American to ever receive France’s highest flying honor.
Here is probably the most poignant photograph that captured his time in France.
What appeared to be a charmed life would become challenging. In the 1960’s, America found itself in Vietnam, the most politically charged war in our history. Captain Reynolds joined the fray in 1963 and flew 75 combat missions. One rainy night, he was driving a jeep into Saigon when it overturned. Crushed beneath it, Captain Reynolds lost the use of his legs forever, leaving him a paraplegic. This All-American athlete, highly decorated air force pilot, and father of four daughters and a son, was grounded in every tragic sense of the word, never to walk or fly again. But his mobility wasn’t the only thing Vietnam took from Jim and his family.
His only son, following in his father’s footsteps of military service, joined the Marines, and in 1969 arrived in Vietnam. It took only 20 short days before Private James Stephen Reynolds was killed in action. His younger sister, Michele, who dearly admired her brother, new in her heart that she would never see him again, the morning he came in to her room and kissed her goodbye before leaving for bootcamp.
His only son, following in his father’s footsteps of military service, joined the Marines, and in 1969 arrived in Vietnam. It took only 20 short days before Private James Stephen Reynolds was killed in action. His younger sister, Michele, who dearly admired her brother, new in her heart that she would never see him again, the morning he came in to her room and kissed her goodbye before leaving for bootcamp.
Now fast forward 32 years. It is the week following 9/11, when the most horrific terrorist attack ever on American soil is rocking our country to its very core. Capt. James Reynolds passed away 14 years earlier in a V.A. hospital right here in Phoenix due to complications from ulcer surgery.
His daughter, Michele, now has a daughter and two sons of her own. She feels that the world – not just the Twin Towers – is crumbling down around her and her family. She reaches out to her father in a moment of prayer. What happens next is unbelievable. Miraculous. I would try to tell her story in my own words, but I can’t capture it. So please allow me to read to you what she wrote; a true account about an experience that has changed her life forever.
...1985, my dad was enshrined into the Oklahoma Air Space Hall of Fame for his service to our country. He was a very special man, my dad, my patriot...now gone for 14 years this month, and one that I still have very personal conversations with...

Which brings me to the present day, post terrorist attacks on our nation. The unspeakable horror which has fallen on American soil. The killing of thousands of innocent men, women and children does more than shatter the foundation on which humanity stands, it has affected the nation in ways formerly thought unimaginable. So last week I was having a heartfelt discussion with my father as he was flying free and fast up there in the endless heavens, talking about the horrible situation the United States is in. Missing him. Thinking about the strong patriotism being exhibited as Americans united behind the values of freedom and dignity. Wondering what is going to happen. Worrying about my own friends with children being deployed. Like we pray for being brave, wise and free...proudly displaying the outward signs of this...the many flags.

Wanting and needing a sign to have hope...
The following day after this conversation with my long dead father, I walked into a little store, with the unusual name of “Tuesday Morning.” (Unfortunately, now there’s a Tuesday morning in history that we will never forget, September 11, 2001.) I go into the toy aisle hoping to nab a potential bargain on Lego’s for my own sons’ Christmas. When out of the corner of my eye I spied a little metal airplane with familiar red, white and blue stars and stripes. I picked it up, not believing my own eyes.
This was the “Skyblazers” F-86 Sabre jet plane which my father flew in the 1950’s. It was a four-and-a-half inch, exact replica of the paint job that my dad had designed nearly a half-century ago, reproduced down to the tiniest detail, including my father’s name painted beneath the cockpit! The other amazing fact is that I have since called every Tuesday Morning store in Arizona looking for more planes to get for my family, but there were no more in the entire state. I had inadvertently come upon the only one available here.
What it represented, I believe, was that this was a truly amazing sign, an answer from God and my father, that they are with us as we try to understand and endure what is going on in America right now. It gave me hope that through the struggle we now face to regain and rebuild our country and our feelings of security and peace, we can and will prevail as the leaders in the world. We can come out of this knowing that we will do whatever it takes to maintain the covenants that we, as a Nation, hold dear. We must be brave and keep our faith strong.

Of course my own prayer is for world peace...to prevail with liberty and justice for all.
Now what is this model airplane worth? Wouldn’t you agree that this is an amazing story, and it’s hard to believe that it’s true. But I know it is, because Michele, the daughter of Capt. James Reynolds...
...is my wife.
“Story” is everything in advertising. Actually, it’s more than that. It’s the ONLY thing. And not only in advertising. That’s too small of thinking. What makes a great story also makes a great life.
You are lucky. Because you have chosen a profession that is mightier than the sword. You are a communicator, a storyteller. And you, single-handedly, can create more than just clever ad campaigns. You will ignite movements that are bigger than your agency. That are greater than your client. That will take you places you never dreamed of, because your work will marshal the masses to buy-in and make this world a better place for all. If you let it...
If you start with “Story.” And stay true to story. Because story is universal. It’s older than the Greeks. And it’s the most powerful form of persuasion that never ebbs. Don’t believe me? Let’s go back to the white board. What are the themes, and how can we apply them to the story of Capt. James Reynolds, to the story of advertising, and the story of your hopes, dreams, aspirations and career?
Do yourself a favor. Do me a favor. Do the world a favor. Become an expert storyteller.

Let’s start on page one. (Hand out single-page story platform). Write your story. Share it on my blog for all of the world to see in my comment section. Critique others. And see how the power of story will embolden your life and accelerate your career.

If you haven’t gone through something tough, you don’t have what it takes to be a hero.
Here are just a few sources that have helped me tell better stories:

Blake Snyder’s “Save the Cat” outlines the 10 story genres and the 15 beats to every great story, all starting with one concise “logline.”

David Mamet’s “three USes of the Knife” thesis on the nature and purpose of drama is look into what has driven great storytelling throughout the centuries.

Famed scriptwriter and professor, Robert McKee’s “Story,” is the most often referenced textbook on how to craft stories worth sharing.

And finally, the no-brainer of them all: Seth Godin’s, “All Marketers Tell Stories.”
I invite you to follow my story at ParkHowell.com. I write about best practices in sustainable storytelling, green marketing and overall branding. In fact, I would love for you to fill-out your storytelling worksheet, and then share your story in my comment section on Monday. I will have a posted a special blog about our time together today, and I would love to hear from you.
Thank you for allowing me to be part of your lunch, today.

Cheers!

3 Favorites

Futurescape at Futurescape Tags marketing stories 1 year ago
jungmann 1 year ago
Park Howell , Sustainable Marketing at Park&Co 1 year ago

Storyteller or Marketer? It Pays to be Both. — Presentation Transcript

ParkandCo.com An agency with a story.
“What makes a great story also makes a great life.”
ParkHowell.com
Thank you!