Strands of Genius :: Stories Don't Always Sell, Play Well, The Sweet Spot Between Idiot & Expert
WRITING FROM
Auckland, NZ
WORKING ON
a new Genius/Steals offering for 2020
UP NEXT:
Nov 12-24: Auckland, NZ
Nov 24-Dec 4: Honolulu, Hawaii
Dec 5-9: Los Angeles, CA
Dec 9-12: Nashville, TN
Dec 12-19: Beersheba Springs
Dec 20-22: Atanta, GA
Dec 23-30: Nashville, TN
Dec 31-??: Greenville, SC
LOOKING AHEAD
We've got our holiday gift guide coming to your inbox oh-so-soon!
SPEAKING
We're currently booking speaking gigs for 2020! If you're at all interested in collaborating, check out full descriptions and key learnings from our talks on here:
http://bit.ly/TalkDescriptions2019
If you're pitching us to others, here's a handy press kit:
http://bit.ly/GeniusStealsPressKit2019
NEW CLIENTS
We're not accepting any more clients for 2019, but if you're looking for training, workshops, or strategic support in 2020, please get in touch: hello@geniussteals.co
THE WORD | THESE BRIEF BITS OF INBOX INSPIRATION BROUGHT TO YOU BY...
Kaylene, Julie and all the Bauer crew for hosting us for dinner, inviting some friends, and a lovely evening all round. Vic&Randal are delightful AirBnB hosts - we sometimes forget how much fun it can be to stay with hosts instead of getting a place to ourselves. Auntie Heather for coming into town and hanging out, Icebreaker for having a vest so Faris loved so he can do his annual change in costume, Dolly Parton's America, Yoga Ground, and Aotearoa, we heart you.
If you're in Auckland and want to grab a drink THIS Sunday in, we'll be at Mekong Baby in Ponsonby from 5p-8p, either reading our Kindles or hanging with friends! Hit reply to let us know if we should save a seat for you!
WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT | CONTINUING EDUCATION
We were enjoying some sparkling water by the brand Antipodes, only to find out that it was created by a former Saatchi-CEO who went to business school at 50 years old and then started his own brand.
It inspired us, and got us thinking, for a number of reasons. In part, because it's important to remember that we have many options to choose different paths in life.
But also because it seems that people are so rarely focused on continuing education. Perhaps it's because it's expensive: conferences aren't cheap before the travel, and companies often can't justify sending one person.
Maybe it's because there's a lack of accountability. When it comes to online courses, there's a lack of community, and sometimes it feels like with online courses, the fun has been taken out of learning.
And then there's also the fact that so much of it seems to be bullshit. Some people sell snake oil, while others cite best practices that are outdated or irrelevant.
BUT - Sometimes we learn something new and it inspires an entirely different way of thinking, a different way of operating. And it really, truly, can be life-changing. We've had those moments ourselves, and we try to facilitate a higher frequency of those moments by continuing to invest in our own education.
So, we want to know: If you had an unlimited budget for your ongoing education, what would you spend it on, and why? (Hit reply and let us know. We're curious!)
“Stories can be fantastic; you might want to use them.
However, there’s a ‘but’—and I think it’s a pretty important one.”
— Derek Rucker, professor of marketing at the Kellogg School
Stories Won’t Always Make the Sale
#Storytelling #Narrative #Facts
New research from the Kellogg School of Marketing looked at why stories are powerful persuading tools and discovered that most of the time they do convince, leading people to feel more favorably towards a product or brand. However, in certain cases, stories actually had a neutral or even negative impact. Find out when you should use narrative and when it might backfire. ::KELLOG SCHOOL OF MARKETING:: [THANKS SAM!]
Play Well
#PlayMore #Learning #Collaboration
We are very interested in the power of play, which seems to be a wonderful learning and collaboration tool that is left underutilized because of its associations with childhood. Our friends at the Wellcome Trust are putting on a great Play exhibit in London at the moment, exploring play as a transformative tool, tracing history through toys, games and art. Play is being increasingly sidelined in favor of academic pursuits, but this is short sighted. It bolsters creativity, support social skills and teamwork and makes you feel good. As we like to say, it won't be any good if it isn't any fun. ::CULTURE WHISPER:: [THANKS DAN!]
The Sweet Spot Between Idiot and Expert
#Predictions #Generalists #Fachidiot
We've been talking about generalists and specialist for a while in relation to naive binaries, the fragmentation of strategy and the fachidiot - or subject matter idiot - problem. This piece covers a range of ground looking at the Hype Cycle and how accurate or not predictions are, and how it applies to working today, in agencies and beyond. ::STOP PRESS:: [THANKS SIMON!]
ICYMI: The Golden Age of Product Placement
#WhatisTV #Innovation #Brands
The Steaming Wars have begun! Apple, Disney and other heavy hitters are looking to challenge Netlfix's ambition to be the world's TV provider. These 'peak tv' subscriptions services don't carry ads - so what can brands do to reach those audiences with the power of moving pictures? Faris has an idea, old becoming new. ::WARC::
Written from here.
If we can ever be of help to you, even outside of a formal engagement, please don’t hesitate to let us know. We always love getting to meet like-minded folks, so please let us know if you see if we'll be in a city near you :)
rockON,
rosie & faris & ashley, geniussteals.co
@rosieyakob / @faris / @ashley
HIT REPLY & LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER.
STILL WANT MORE?
In March of 2013, Rosie & Faris left NYC. They've been #OutOfOffice for 6 years & counting. Want more on the nomad lifestyle? Check out Technomadix.co
Want to collaborate with Rosie and Faris? They are a husband and wife team that consult, speak, write, teach, strategize, facilitate & generally play well with others. You should definitely get in touch.
