I had a rather promising meeting yesterday where the subject of creative writing in business came up. What we know as business writing, aka pr, aka marketing communications, aka marcomms can be pretty dire, dry and formulaic stuff, whereas creative writing in business – telling great stories about businesses – is a whole other kettle of fish.
The manager I was meeting with produced a printed copy of my 9 Lessons from “Black+White” e-book and asked me if I could do something like that for her organization. She hadn’t got the e-book from this website – it had been given to her. Amazing how these things go viral.
I first began thinking about the crying need for great creative writing for business – as opposed to reporting, marcomms or advertising copywriting – well over a decade ago, when I was freelancing for the major Australian business magazines and newspapers, but everyone I spoke to about my ideas thought I was nuts. I knew I wasn’t, of course, but nothing came of it then.
Even now, though, it seems, few if any people I speak to about it here in Australia know what I am talking about. That’s kind of like Black+White all over again. So, clearly, I shall have to articulate all this much better.
Luckily there are some people who do understand the concepts underlying creative business writing, and the reasons for it, and its enormous value. John Simmons, formerly of Interbrand, was one of the first to write about these same ideas. He has written three terrific books on the subject:
John also wrote these:
- My Sister’s a Barista: How They Made Starbucks a Home Away from Home
- Innocent: Building a Brand from Nothing but Fruit
John edited or co-edited these:
- Common Ground: Around Britain in 30 Writers
- From Here to Here: Stories Inspired by London’s Circle Line
- The Bard & Co: Shakespeare’s Role in Modern Business
Cyan Books in the UK publishes a large number of books telling the story of specific brands – I wish their books were easy to find here. Look for their Great Brand Stories and Great Asian Brands series.
And, here are links to three important organizations John is a part of:
I shall write more about this topic soon. But meantime, John said this to me the other day: “All I can say is keep plugging away – there’s great value in persistence.” Indeed!
Great, and sobering, lessons Karin. Thanks for sharing them.
Once we see the light on something, once a passion is ignited, we really have only one choice – to keep plugging away at it regardless of whether others see it or not.
The alternative, to deny it, to turn away from it, will turn living into existing. That price is too high to pay.
Zern, thanks for your comment.
It arrived while I was writing to the worldwide CEO of an ideas agency I’ve consulted for in the UK, while some of the latest TV commercials from there were playing on another machine next to me.
I saw the light there, after the long struggle to change Australian culture for the better via Black+White magazine took me there, and I really began to live, creatively speaking, for the very first time.
Once you’ve been exposed to that, you never want to let it go. Since returning to Australia, I’ve seen far too much living reduced down to mere existing, and it is a constant fight to live and live well, creatively, brilliantly, with joy, and hope, and optimism, despite everything that the world is going through right now.
Your appreciation for what I am trying to do here keeps me going.