State of the Story 2019
I recently attended “The State of the Story Summit 2019” in New York City. The summit encompassed a day of panels and conversations featuring a notable cast of media and marketing personalities — all focused on the power of storytelling. Takeaways and quotes from key speakers are below!
Marvin Chow, VP Marketing, Google on Creative Storytelling
- Good storytelling blends a balance of client needs with creative — neither can be dominate.
- Storytelling is like cooking where everyone has the same ingredients. It’s all about the process and the recipe.
- On creative briefs: They feel too transnational, this is all about collaboration so it should feel like collaboration, can’t start with just ingredients, need to start with what are you in the mood for, etc.
Jennifer Justice, CEO, The Justice Dept (formerly Jay Z’s lawyer/business partner) on Creative in Business
- Don’t complicate tasks when a conversation is possible. Always talk it out in person if that’s an option.
- Too much of something can be a bad thing. Try to play devil’s advocate and put yourself in the other person’s shoes.
- Curate your presence at all times, you never know who is watching.
Otto Bell, Chief Creative Officer, Courageous CNN on The Power of Creative
- He spoke about how far they’ve come along as CNN’s content studio, can check out their work here.
- They currently have 67 films in development, all under the umbrella of “stories with meaning.”
- Otto referenced the Hulu x Handmaid’s Tale mirrored statue activation as breakthrough creative that he loves.
- He also brought up the Coors canal street hanging ice experience as breakthrough creative with a purpose.
- He talked about the challenges surrounding every brand “expecting something they can own.”
Adam Aston, VP & Executive Editorial Director, T Brand Studio NY Times
- Spoke about the importance of nourishing your brain: get out of your bubble to generate new and fresh ideas.
- Discussed how good questions and personal relationships have the power to alter client assumptions that feel immovable.
- Always assume that if a client is coming to you now, it’s because what they have been doing previously reached its peak.
Michael Smith, Principal, Michael Smith Media LLC
- The average person spends 7.5 minutes to decide what to watch on a streaming service each time they log on.
- As the active TV audience has cut in half, the cost to reach this heavily reduced number of viewers has essentially doubled in price.
Swan Sit, Vice President Global Digital Marketing, Nike
- The best creative lands as the intersection of Platform, Creator, and Brand: all given equal weight.
- “You get a consumer when they feel like they get you.”
Amy Emmerich, President North America & Chief Content Officer, Refinery29
- Discussed the importance of Vulnerability and how allowing yourself to be vulnerable makes you more human.
- Spoke about developing a practice of allyship and how important it is to be an ally to those you work with.
- Good business is about Reach, Relevance, Revenue
- Cultivate safe spaces in business that allow everyone to be seen.
- Ask and reask yourself constantly: What is our POV?
Kristina Heney, Chief Marketing & Experience Officer, Cirque Du Soleil
- Stressed the importance of human emotion in marketing, It all comes down to emotion.
- The shift from “I Buy” to “I Am” is what truly becoming a fan means. Brands need fans.
- Behind the scenes content is powerful and often overlooked because of low production value. Fans love behind the scenes, no matter how well produced!
John Lack, Chief Partner, Firemedia Partners
- When asked about the future of experiential, John stressed how often audio so important and often overlooked element of experiential
- Is excited about the future of storytelling because of the Incredible opportunity to adjust the story and adapt in real time based on customer feedback.
Until next year!
