I'm a big fan of Idris Mootee's blog. He's a terrific writer and often has some pretty cool things to say.
A recent post is about how brands need to own storytelling and keywords.
http://mootee.typepad.com/innovation_playground/2008/09/the-next-competitive-front-for-brands-would-be-to-own-the-best-stories-and-most-relevant-search-key-words.html
I've written a bunch about storytelling and ad agencies. We have some of the most creative minds in the business at our disposal, and with all of the tools now available to us to completely engage a consumer, the ability to tell a great story is a must.
This is still my favorite example of great storytelling:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_the_Heist
But it's Idris' argument about keywords that is so interesting. Search is becoming such a valuable tool to marketers, but few really know how to harness the power of it.
And I don't just mean keyword purchases. Not only do you have to use keywords to help consumers find your brand, but then you need to work really, really hard to provide an experience that engages them and activates their interest.
Too often agencies and their clients think insuring that you have some snappy copy written for your brands search results is enough. It's not. What's they have found you, consumers them want to know your story.
How well are you telling it?
