Branding with Powerful Stories:
The Villains, Victims, Heroes Model
There’s an old adage in Hollywood that great villains make great movies, and the same principle applies in business. Yet as Greg explains in this new book, the “scoundrels” in the commercial world need not be animate. Instead they are problems that cause pain, discomfort or extra expense for the customers, who are in effect the “victims.” The book teaches you not just how to tell stories about your products or services but what elements to include. The techniques are applicable to many audiences, including colleagues, suppliers, distributors, job interviewers and the press. Read Chapter 1 for free, or order the full book from Amazon.
Artful Business:
50 Lessons From Creative Geniuses
Greg’s first book features a dazzling collection of color masterpieces with stimulating ideas on facing pages — tools for the “thinking manager.” If you are struggling to find new perspectives on strategy or messaging you can turn to any page at random for inspiration. You will be surprised to discover that Michelangelo and a modern marketing executive, or Botticelli and a brand manager, have a lot in common.
ARTICLES:
Greg wrote a seminal article on the irresistible power of villains in business stories in Harvard Business Review — which was the basis for his book on branding.
He has also published in the academic journal Philosophy and Literature (on the Narcissus myth) and in the magazine Philosophy Now (in an article defining art and in another about Camus).
Media coverage for Branding book:
Bloomberg article What to Read After Finishing the Mueller Report, 6/25/19
Podcast interview on Matt Johnson’s Pursuing Results, 5/10/19 (also on Apple)
Live radio interview on NIghtSide with Dan Rea on WBZ-AM, 2/22/19
Podcast Interview on GrowthIgniters Radio: How Stories Can Launch Epic Transformation, 2/13/19
Podcast Interview on HR Power Hour with Dave Ciullo, 2/9/19
Article in Belmont Citizen Herald, 2/8/19