Tag: Storytelling

Putting Your Brand at the Center of Storytelling with Sam Olstein, GE’s Global Innovation Lead

Posted on by Tyler Becker

Entertainment, experience, and authentic engagement can transform brands in the eyes of fans. Today’s Millennials are hungry for stories that are relevant to them, and they don’t want to be sold to. Instead, they want to be active participants with a direct connection to their favorite brands.

At General Electric, there’s an ongoing goal to foster global innovation on new digital channels, and introduce the GE brand and story to new audiences. Sam Olstein (Global Innovation Lead, General Electric) will participate at SMW New York to discuss insights on community management, the power of social influence, and how mobile technology facilitates “advertainment” in today’s digital ecosystem.

Attendees that register for SMW New York and attend this session will learn how to use content and stories to reach and engage a Millennial audience, the differences between a welcomed entertainer versus an unwelcomed sales person, and the keys to find and work with the right influencers for your brand.

This session, “Your Brand, Their Story: Exploring The Shift In Content Creation And Consumption” takes place Friday, February 26 at 9:00AM at The SVA Theatre (EDU Stage).

Image Credit: USC Annenberg

5 Lessons From Storytelling And The Human Interaction

Posted on by Kristine Garcia

Iris Worldwide’s Creative Director, Lisa Bright, discussed the idea of storytelling and using social media to amplify those stories. Along with comedian Robin Gelfenbien, and The Moth Story Slam teacher David Crabb, they shared with the audience a roller coaster of a story that had us all connected more than when we entered the room.

To bring this session to the business level, we can apply stories to brands:

  • Create empathy
  • One should identify with the brand and what it stands for, and don’t fear vulnerability.
  • Establish trust and loyalty
  • Be interested in your journey, rather than trying to be interesting to others. Your passion will shine through
  • To appeal to humans, you need to be human yourself. Share your story, don’t tell it

I’m Kristine Garcia, and I’m currently a student at Queens College. Social Media is a 24/7 priority for me, so if you’d like see me in action, follow me on Twitter and Instagram: @graciaskristine

Synchronizing The Social At The New York Times

Posted on by chauncey zalkin

The New York Times are experiencing a phase of rapid change. While social has been top of mind recently, they decided to pull together the disparate parties working on various aspects of “search” and “media” to create a unified, collaborative front for their search and social strategies. They treat each social platform differently, and find unique uses for each one while not abandoning the others. For example, they print an 800-word article for the magazine, and then allow content that didn’t make it into print to live as a longer web piece. Aside from their internal marketing teams, what’s clear is that they value (need) journalists who have a native understanding of how their content can most effectively reverberate through all of the possible strands of media distribution.

Jenna Wortham, a journalist for the Times, explained how her natural affinity manifests; when she tweets, she reveals her process providing readers an inside look at the ‘day in the life’. She doesn’t think it’s a great use of social media to solely promote yourself or your company with clicks. She says the more you engage – and what I think she means is invest yourself – the more people will follow even if there is no click back. That is, invest with content that is interesting, relatable, and shareable. The editor working on audience development pointed out that she found the most shareable stories to be ones of personal perseverance, service-oriented stories, stories that provoke discussion, and ones that appeal to a bit of readers narcissism (said affectionately). People want to share things that make them look “smart”.

The most important takeaway of the session for me was that people need a sense of continuity as opposed to being inundated by a barrage of content. There most be something to come back to or tune into again and again. Food for thought.



Chauncey Zalkin, Co-founder and Creative Director, Show Love. Show Love creates highly shareable documentary video for lovable companies. Check out our reel.

Maximizing Your Snapchat For Storytelling

Posted on by Nicole Brown

Have you followed the social media breadcrumbs to Snapchat? If you haven’t heard, Snapchat is a text message-like app that shares pictures, drawings, and video with users for a few seconds before disappearing. It’s fun, quick, and a smart way to engage with a younger audience. Share news, updates, behind the scenes moments, or just say hi to make a lasting connection in 10 seconds or less.

A recent study shows that 77% of college students use Snapchat daily. Mashable.com reports, “Almost half of college-age Snapchat users said they would open a Snap from a brand they’d never heard of, and 73% said they would open one from a brand they did know. Close to 70% of students said they’d even add a brand as a friend if they also followed them on a separate social network like Facebook or Twitter.” That’s great news for brands both large and small.

On Wednesday February 25, join ICED Media’s Greg Littley to learn the essentials on maximizing your Snapchat and how to bring storytelling to the most popular in-the-moment social sharing platform among millennials.

With over 100 million monthly active users and over a billion Snapchat Stories viewed per day, ICED Media will help you leverage your presence on the mobile app.

ICED Media is an award-winning full service digital marketing agency & received the 2013 Shorty Award for Best Brand on Snapchat.

 

Check out the latest lineup of speakers and events here, then get excited to join us for a week you won’t forget. Grab your pass to get full access to SMWNYC!

Jonathan Basker of betaworks’ Guide to SMW NYC

Posted on by Sara Adam

betaworks is a network that builds new products to change the media landscape — some of their work includes Bitly and Tweetdeck. Additionally, they make seed investments in companies and products that they believe have the potential to be game changers. VP of People, Jonathan Basker, is responsible getting some of betaworks’ amazing talent on board. Jonathan is joining us at Social Media Week and took the time to share with us the events that he is most looking forward to and why.

  1. How To Build a Brand That People Don’t Buy, They Join
    This is an impressive panel of brand-forward companies. I’m excited to learn more about how these companies think about strengthening their businesses through brand identity and branded community.
  2. Using Social Technology to Galvanize Residents and Improve Neighborhoods
    With San Francisco, Detroit, Austin and dozens of other US cities in periods of transition, we’re facing a real challenge in bringing our local communities together in useful and meaningful ways. I’m excited to hear how these men and women are using technology as a tool to elicit social change.
  3. The Content Marketing Revolution, hosted by Percolate
    Percolate is awesome. Their branding and marketing work is awesome. I’m really excited to hear what they have to say.
  4. Is Social Killing Storytelling?
    Content is King? Content is Queen? Content is King, but he’s very short? Our communication tools have changed so quickly in the last 20 years…how has this affected what we’re choosing to communicate?
  5. Building Essential Products for the Social World, with John Borthwick, CEO of betaworks
    This is not to be missed. Having worked for John for over two years, I can tell you that he is one of the premier thinkers working with the Internet today. The betaworks team is cooking up some incredible stuff!

Social Media Week is just around the corner, but it isn’t too late to get your pass to see these awesome events and more! And definitely don’t forget about our VIP opening night party, Monday February 17th, hosted by our partner Nokia.

Social Media Week Un(filtered): Steven Rosenbaum’s Guide

Posted on by Sara Adam

Another Social Media Week rockstar who will be joining us this year is Steven Rosenbaum. Steven is best known as the producer behind the creation of MTV News UNfiltered. Then, in 2011, he published Curation Nation, a book that explores the need for brands to curate content that engages their customers. Currently, he is the CEO of Magnify, a video curation platform that enables companies to create a uniquely engaging experience for their customers. Needless to say, he is an expert on all things storytelling and all things millennial. You will not want to miss these events, so  register for SMW before it’s too late!

In Stevens’ own words, here are 5 reasons he is pumped about Social Media Week: 

The thing is, I’m a long-form storyteller that’s increasingly in love with the democratization of new platforms that are connecting audiences with new voices. Ah, therein lies the conundrum. Are we unleashing a new force for social and editorial good, or are we hooked on a new drug that ties speed, viral headlines, and funny cat videos to an audience that scans rather than reads?

With those big questions in mind, I’m counting on SMW to provide the answers (or at least engage in a smart conversation about the trends facing storytelling). So, my Curator cape is on, and I’m ready to nail the five most awesome presentations and panels in this week, chock full of content.

Here’s my Curator’s top 5.

  1. Is Social Killing Storytelling?
    This panel is going to be a minefield of twists and turns. The panelists are from ‘big media’s Bravo TV, The guardian, The Atlantic, and ‘big web’  Huffpo and Mashable. So they are going to say that social is awesome! But at the same time, what happens when social “Is Storytelling” and Twitter replaces The Guardian. Yikes.
  2. Keynote interview: Jonah Peretti, Founder and CEO of BuzzFeed
    So, first off — Toby isn’t going to let Jonah just have a BuzzFeed commercial. The fact is, BuzzFeed is a traffic machine. Massive and growing. But is it a trick, or is it really the future of editorial? Toby will find out – and the whole world will finally know 🙂
  3. Upworthy’s Real Mission: A Keynote Announcement from Eli Pariser, Founder
    Since I can’t see Eli and Jonah in a cage match, this is the next best thing. Eli has a mission, and I think we know what it is (see: moveOn.org) but there may be more. And in a world of Filter Bubbles, Upworthy needs to continue to grow while not creating a bubble of it’s own. Can’t wait to hear what he’s got to say.
  4. Five Ways Millennials’ Habits Are Changing How Content is Made and Shared
    Even as BuzzFeed and Upworthy sort out the new traffic world, millennials are morphing yet again. From computer screens to mobile devices, from SMS to vanishing text, Vine, Listicles – the kids today are turning content upside down. And they’re just getting started.
  5. The Future of Giving: Storytelling, Big Data, Crowdfunding, and Finding New Donors
    Storytelling at its core is about having an impact. And this panel connects the story of change with the dollars that drive change. It’s a unique conversation -and the kind of panel that makes me love SMW all the more. Stories connect and change the world. I’m in.

We only let Steven choose 5 events, so make sure to check out our schedule for a wealth of events on topics like journalism, marketing and technology.

Storytelling and Journalism in the Digital Age: 5 Events You Need at SMW NYC

Posted on by Sara Adam

Digital media’s searchability, sharability and speed are changing the way that we interact with news. Join the conversation as we look at what this means for journalists, marketers and the stories we share!

  1. The Art & Science of Storytelling
    Even as we change the ways in which we consume and share content- some things don’t change. The need to tell a compelling story is here to stay. EVP of Advertising at the NYTimes, Meredith Kopit Levien, will dive into new platforms for creating value and sharing engaging content to help you master the art of storytelling for yourself.
  2. Is Social Killing Storytelling?
    Well is it? If you are feeling cramped by your character limit or the attention span of your readers, this panel hosted by AOL is here to help. Explore what social media means for storytellers and the ways that social media can be leveraged to share long-form content (because not everything can be said in a tweet).
  3. Calling All Journalists: How to Rebrand Yourself as a Content Marketing & Social Expert
    Just because there might be fewer opportunities for writers in traditional print media roles, does not mean that there are fewer total opportunities. This panel of seasoned professionals will help you polish your resume, master the vocab and connect with the wealth of opportunities for journalists to partner with brands in creating content that connects with readers and customers.
  4. Investigative Reporting for the Web: Is Anything Different?
    Investigative journalism plays a pivotal role in society, exposing exploitation and injustices happening right under our noses. However, in the age of the Internet, opinions abound and facts can be scarce. Pioneers in the field from BuzzFeed, Propublic, Rueters and the Washington Post will discuss the facts and the role the web plays in the Rennaissance of investigative reporting.
  5. The Changing Face of News Consumption, Hosted by WSJ
    Wondering what skills today’s journalists, reporters and editors need to have to succeed in the new mobile news economy? Or which demographic is driving the changes and trends in news delivery? This event hosted by the WSJ will answer these questions and more, introducing you to innovators in the field including, Neal Mann of the WSJ, Anthony de Rosa of Circa and Jim Roberts of Mashable.

Storytelling and journalism are important themes at SMW14, February 18 to 21, but don’t forget about the wealth of other engaging topics, like marketing, health & wellness and entrepreneurship! And did we mention the parties?

Registration is open! Check out the schedule, then get your pass today here, and join us and our partners, Nokia and MKG, for what will be a great week of exploring our always on, always connected world.

Thursday: Newly Added & Open Events

Posted on by Nicky Yates

Day 2 is almost over, but that doesn’t mean SMW NYC is close to ending. With so many events, you could have missed some great ones. We also added a few new ones. So, to highlight open and newly added events, we recommend you checking these out:

New at our Global HQ

9:30: Master Class: Build Insanely Effective Landing Pages With Old School Secrets
4:30: Social Collaboration: Nokia Lumia 820 Design Challenge: The winner is…
5:00: Performance: Max ZT, Hammer Dulcimer

At our Content Hubs & Across the City

9:30 at JWT: FORTUNE Interview w/ Bonin Bough, Followed by panel: The Secret Sauce of Native Advertising? Authenticity
9:30 at 92Y: Half The Sky Movement: Using Transmedia to Inspire Real Impact
9:30 at Hearst: The Shift from Presentation to Participation, A Discussion With HuffPost Live’s President Roy Sekoff
12 at 92Y: Healthy Living: How Behavior and Patients Can Fix Healthcare, with Jay Parkinson, Greatist, StartupHealth.
12 at JWT: Technology, Advertising & Startup Council (TASC)
2:30 at 92Y: Cowbird and the Storytelling Life: A Visual Story Workshop
2:30 at Bloomberg: Purpose: Driving the New Economy
6 at JWT: Deep Focus Presents: An Evening of Disruption
6 at 92Y: Connections: How the Internet of Things is Transforming Our Social World
8 at JWT: Controller Rocks the Stage: A Night of Music at JWT
7 at Projective Space: “The Magical Sharing Experiment”: Launch of yerdle in NYC presented by Let’s Collaborate!

Don’t wait any longer- we’re running out of time! Register now, and join us tomorrow!

SMWNYC Day 4: Transmedia, Deadly Sins, Tangible Action

Posted on by Greg Bodenlos

Penultimate Day 4 of Social Media Week NYC 2012 was an amalgamation of transmedia storytelling, social media anti-best practices, and social good discussions, all centered around the integral importance of collaboration. Here are some of the day’s highlights:

  • Collaborative Storytelling: Transmedia and Social Media: A panel of creators from Broadcastr, GMD Studios, Lina Srivastava Consulting, and host Storycode dove into discussion on how exactly the transmedia form enhances collaboration and innovation platforms, and what it means for the future of entertainment, activism, marketing, branding and business. Amidst the debate, the speakers utilized an interactive demo of an innovative digital storytelling tool to outline how social media storytelling in a variety of sectors can benefit from the practice of Transmedia.
  • How and Why We Share: The Seven Deadly Sins of Social Media: A fine group of panelists from various advertising, digital media, and publication backgrounds came together to address how social media vices and virtues drive our actions online — from cyber-bullying behaviors to blind re-tweeting and rampant over-sharing. The highly interactive conversation between the panelists and audience alike incorporated various trends, research findings and real life examples that added a layer of necessary concreteness to a largely anecdotal panel theme.
  • New Business Models to Convert Human Intent into Tangible Action (followed by free after party): The evening came to a close with a fascinating discussion – held at the very cool Brooklyn Brewery – from an expert panel addressing how new business models they have created leverage social media to unlock underutilized human intent for social good and convert it into tangible action. From living greener to hitting the gym more often, the diverse panelists from StickK, Purpose, Oceana, Opower, Yoxi.tv, and host The Mutual highlighted some very enlightening ways that social media can guide us to better lifestyle choices. The Mutual sponsored after party that followed – featuring an amazing open bar of Brooklyn Brewery drafts and enormous spread of appetizers – capped the evening off with perfection.
Greg is a motivated Cornell University Hotel School alumnus, affectionately known as a Hotelie for life, with keen interests in social and digital marketing for hospitality and lifestyle brands. He’s passionate about sales and marketing in the hospitality industry, specifically as it relates to the dynamic online space. In his free time, Greg obsesses over growing his musical intellect (both modern and past-time artists apply), tennis, and running skills. Check out his lifestyle blog covering these topics at http://www.thesocialsonictraveler.wordpress.com and follow him on Twitter.
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