December 22, 2022
In this week's edition: the 'storification' of the Internet, in defence of gaffe-prone CEOs, the impact of bad weather on social posts, video ad best practices, the Dignity Index... and much more.
Well, I lied. It seems I had one more edition in me after all. So once again, thanks to each of you for reading and subscribing. And for real this time, I’ll see you in the new year.
Beware the ‘Storification’ of the Internet - According to the author of a new book on the use and abuse of narrative, "There is a growing trend in American culture of what the literary theorist Peter Brooks calls 'storification.'” He argues that "we’ve relied too heavily on storytelling conventions to understand the world around us, which has resulted in a 'narrative takeover of reality' that affects nearly every form of communication—including the way doctors interact with patients, how financial reports are written, and the branding that corporations use to present themselves to consumers." (The Atlantic)
The Ghosts of Groundhog Day - A great blog on crisis communications supported by a number of compelling case studies. Money quote: "When I speak to CEOs and boards I am often asked what they need to be doing in the pre-crisis or early hours of an ascending negative event. While there are dozens if not hundreds of tactical and strategic recommendations, the first job of a leader is emotional, not tactical." (Levick)
In defence of the gaffe-prone CEO - "When did we decide our leaders always had to toe the corporate line?" The author reminds us of some memorable case studies on an important topic, particularly as executive communications comes to the fore. (Management Today)
The biggest leadership fails of 2022 - including some classic communications blunders and 'what were they thinking?' moments. (Management Today)
Unpleasant weather brings out unpleasant emotions on social media, study shows - "Heatwaves and downpours sour attitudes on Twitter, it turns out. It’s a peek into how humans are adapting, or not adapting, to climate change." So perhaps hold that press release or blog post for when the sun is shining, but it's not too hot. (The Verge)
Make way for the metaverse - While Mckinsey's latest "Five Fifty" (5 min summary / 50 min deep dive) on the metaverse is interesting from a content perspective, more interesting in my view is how the data/content is presented to offer up useful and digestible insights for information skimmers and those seeking richer content. (McKinsey)
Video Advertising Essentials: Best Practices For Boosting ROI - “Meta recently partnered with Analytic Partners to analyze over 500 ads, across 70+ campaigns, in order to glean insight into key best practices, strategies and tips to help improve your video marketing approach.” (Social Media Today)
Global Q3 Data Dose - RepTrak’s latest Quarterly Data Dose offers up some useful insights on inflation, war and geopolitical instability, environmental concerns, and employee wellness. (RepTrak)
Digital consumers in the Middle East: Rising adoption and opportunity - Since I spend quite a bit of time there, this is timely data for planners and data junkies covering the digital habits of citizens in the UAE, Egypt and KSA (McKinsey Digital)
What I’ve learned about the new era of communication from my Gen Z kids - “We’ve heard it before, but Gen Z really is all about authenticity.” (Fast Company)
Three wise lessons on gifting from behavioural science - “The views of the giver, not just the recipient, strongly influence how people perceive Christmas gifts, as do the price and packaging. Brands should take note.” (Marketing Week)
The Dignity Index - This should be interesting to watch: “The Dignity Index scores distinct phrases along an eight-point scale from contempt to dignity. A group of coders trained and supported by the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute and the Hinckley Institute of Politics will score selections from candidate speeches, debates, fundraising outreach, social media posts, and campaign ads in Utah’s federal congressional races.” (Dignity Index)
And last week’s most popular link was - you guessed it - from Tippingpoint Labs: Twitter is Done. Tumblr is Next. Or, given Elon’s latest poll, is it?