Children develop theory of mind around age four or five. A 2007 study by psychologists Daniela O’Neill and Rebecca Shultis, both at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, found that five-year-olds could follow the thoughts of an imaginary character but that three-year-olds could not. The children saw model cows in both a barn and a field, and the researchers told them that a farmer sitting in the barn was thinking of milking the cow in the field. When then asked to point to the cow the farmer wanted to milk, three-year-olds pointed to the cow in the barn—they had a hard time following the character’s thoughts to the cow in the field. Five-year-olds, however, pointed to the cow in the field, demonstrating theory of mind.

Perhaps because theory of mind is so vital to social living, once we possess it we tend to imagine minds everywhere, making stories out of everything. A classic 1944 study by Fritz Heider and Mary-Ann Simmel, then at Smith College, elegantly demonstrated this tendency. The psychologists showed people an animation of a pair of triangles and a circle moving around a square and asked the participants what was happening. The subjects described the scene as if the shapes had intentions and motivations—for example, “The circle is chasing the triangles.” Many studies since then have confirmed the human predilection to make characters and narratives out of whatever we see in the world around us.

But what could be the evolutionary advantage of being so prone to fantasy? “One might have expected natural selection to have weeded out any inclination to engage in imaginary worlds rather than the real one,” writes Steven Pinker, a Harvard University evolutionary psychologist, in the April 2007 issue of Philosophy and Literature. Pinker goes on to argue against this claim, positing that stories are an important tool for learning and for developing relationships with others in one’s social group. And most scientists are starting to agree: stories have such a powerful and universal appeal that the neurological roots of both telling tales and enjoying them are probably tied to crucial parts of our social cognition.

As our ancestors evolved to live in groups, the hypothesis goes, they had to make sense of increasingly complex social relationships. Living in a community requires keeping tabs on who the group members are and what they are doing. What better way to spread such information than through storytelling?

Indeed, to this day people spend most of their conversations telling personal stories and gossiping. A 1997 study by anthropologist and evolutionary biologist Robin Dunbar, then at the University of Liverpool in England, found that social topics accounted for 65 percent of speaking time among people in public places, regardless of age or gender.
Anthropologists note that storytelling could have also persisted in human culture because it promotes social cohesion among groups and serves as a valuable method to pass on knowledge to future generations. But some psychologists are starting to believe that stories have an important effect on individuals as well—the imaginary world may serve as a proving ground for vital social skills.

Now, if you’re in the brand business (or even just a student of the topic ), I hope you know of Kevin Roberts’ work — Lovemarks, and his even better sequel, the Lovemarks Effect. But have you spent any time on the complimentary web site called lovemarks.com? Launched several years ago, the lovemarks website invites anyone to nominate a brand as a lovemark - but it gets interesting: you are asked to tell a story explaining why this brand plays such a cherished or important role in your life. The thousands of anecdotes shared to date are quite personal and profound, and speak volumes about the role of brands in our modern lives.

Both websites serve as wonderful examples and learning platforms for Brand Storytelling and its psycho-emotional depths. 

I’m equally struck by the UN’s 60th anniversary logo (see image to the left) - what a great way to reinforce the iconic nature of the blue helmet as a symbol of peace!

The 60-second video is called “Peace is Hard” and is worth a look on Youtube!

HANO recently interviewed us as part of the conference promotions. The conference theme is “Telling the Nonprofit Story” and we are excited to deliver a conference keynote and several breakout sessions.

Below are short excerpts with links to the full interview: 

“Whether it has been lobbying US senators to protect California’s Mojave Desert, bridging the digital divide in New York, building an entrepreneurial class in Morocco, or giving a collective context to the cultural genocide in Tibet, each organization must find its story of truth – as well as allow supporters to feel located within the collective story. Now, I have the privilege of helping other organizations and companies to harness their best story to reveal their hidden potential and achieve their long-term success.” [read the full interview with Stephanie]

“Storytelling is an essential tool to activate and accelerate your efforts, whether they are related to fundraising, advocacy, or internal change. In the end, stories will allow you to succeed faster and in a manner that has people invested in a collective future…Storytelling is a leadership philosophy. Look at any organizational challenge through the lens of narrative; I guarantee you will discover new insights and solutions.” - [read the full interview with Michael]

As the finalists prepare for their big pitch at the end of April, I’ll be leading a brown bag lunch to help these entrepreneurs hone their 15-minute pitch. Come the finals, they’ve have 15 minutes to tell their story (with the assistance of powerpoint in the background).

Having coached several teams already, here’s what I’d say are EIGHT KEY LESSONS for teams eager to sell their business idea in this competition:

1. Explain Why YOU: People invest in people, not ideas. So give the judges/audience a sense of why you’re the right person. llustrate your committment, knowledge, and expertise. How many years have you been at this? How has your life experience prepared you for this endeavor? Show the judges that you are real, genuine, and passion-driven.

2. Don’t Over-Describe the Problem: Most of us are aware of the overwhelming and intractable problems out there. Unless you’ve got a really unique take or identify a completely overlooked problem…don’t devote more than one slide (90 seconds) on this topic. The more targeted you can be here the better - e.g. “poverty” versus “18-25 year olds in urban communities with untapped talent and potential who seek job opportunities.”

3. Present a Focused Solution: This is what everybody’s waiting for. A simple yet elegant idea for a better mousetrap. The more tangible and clear your product or service can be the better. Most important - Why are you distinctively positioned to deliver this solution? Think really hard here…the “competitive advantage” question is one that I see teams fail to really address again and again. Don’t let a naive answer undermine your perception of credibility.

4. Make it Real: Describe how this is more than just an “idea”. Have you beta-tested the product? Run a demonstration project? Any evidence that there is both a need and demand for your solution? Let people know that you have already begun to experiment with implementation, and have some real on-the-ground experience and lessons learned to date. If so, share them.

5. Find the Emotional Hook: People buy based on emotion and then justify through logic. So how will you get your audience to self-identify with your message? What is it about your business idea that they can personally relate to? In order to find the emotional hook, begin with basic ego needs - who benefits from a transaction with your solution? Does it include any intangible benefits such as “status/prestige”, “feeling good”, or “belonging to something meaningful”?

6. Justify Your Model of Change: Since this is a business plan competition for social entrepreneurs, you’ve got to justify how your idea will generate social change. Get specific. How will launching a fair-trade business in Asia really alleviate poverty? More than superlatives, judges want to know how you will move the needle on this issue. What kind of social return on investment is generated - and can you substantiate it?

7. Describe the Critical Path: Show how you are ready to hit the ground running. Now that you’ve convinced people about the idea and the team, you need to build the judge’s confidence that know how to implement. Say you win the $100K prize, what will you do with this money? Describe your plans, including why you’ve chosen to prioritize certain expenses. How you plan to spend the prize money is DIFFERENT than your start-up or first year budget. You need to present both. Describe short-term milestones, and why these activities are key in scaling the business.

8. Remain Optimistic yet Humble: Conclude with a passionate plea for why you deserve to win the prize - and what great impact can come out of your work. Don’t be afraid to discuss your remaining concerns or vulnerabilities - it shows a great deal of maturity and perspective. And lastly, reiterate your commitment to this idea, regardless of whether you win the prize. There are plenty of other potential sources of funding and support out in the audience.

P.S. With just 15 minutes to make your pitch, PLEASE no more than 10 slides. You’d be amazed how many teams think they can get through 30-40 slides!

P.S.S. It all comes down who can tell the most believable story. Make sure you’ve assembled the pieces to present a coherent and compelling storyline that makes your idea come to life.

May the best story win! 

Here’s the link — Is Stupid the New Cool? My quote appears near the bottom.

It has been said that the contemporary age is one of irony, where Truth and the meta-narrative have been shot through with holes. The collateral damage could be characterized as a crisis of meaning – one that is filled by the rise of fundamentalism and the creed of consumerism. We see the polarization of our population – the red state, blue state divide is decreed by pundits and pollsters to be more accurately a divide between those who believe and those who do not.

Where the Right makes universal claims, the Left takes a critical position, aiming to reveal an irrational or intolerant opponent. Faith, advertising and political spectacle are treated as mythologies to dismantle. While the dogma of fundamentalism and the Right’s fictionalizing are legitimately problematic, the implications of this reactionary focus are as well…

What are the casualties of the Left’s critiques? Is there a redemptive value to fundamentalism? Is there a way beyond this deadlock that addresses the pitfalls of dogma and those of distanced irony? What could a religion for disbelievers look like, and why could this be important? The Change You Want To See Gallery hosts a panel discussion exploring these themes with guests:

Stephen Duncombe (http://www.nyu.edu/classes/duncombe/)
Savitri Durkee (http://www.revbilly.com)
Zack Exley (http://revolutioninjesusland.com)
Simon Critchley (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Critchley)

*The title for this panel is borrowed from a forthcoming essay by Andrew Boyd and Stephen Duncombe.

This morning, the Giants returned to NYC amid fanfare celebration for a ticker tape parade up Broadway. While I’m more of a baseball fan than footballer, I jumped at the chance to be a part of history.

Apparently the history of the Ticker Tape parade originated here in New York City back in 1886 as a spontaneous celebration during the dedication of the Statue of Liberty. There have been over a hundred of these parades since, probably the most famous being V-day at the conclusion of World World II, and various World Championships won by local sports teams.

I thought you might appreciate a couple snapshots I grabbed from the corner of Broadway and Coartland Streets. The news reported that over 1 million people choose to brave the crowds and hang out on the corner with me. And yes, that’s Eli Manning in the photo below - Mr MVP chumming it up with the crowd, and his ‘onor Mayor Bloomberg.

Or at least that’s the trend as the New York Times reports this weekend. Even though the savings might add up to a couple hundred or even a thousand dollars, the real benefit comes from feeling like you are taking control in the face of much economic uncertainty around you.

The problem is, as the article goes on to describe - we are quite simply addicted to many of the Brands that make up our discretionary spending. These creature comforts are now wrapped into our identity and self-worth - they are bonds that are hard to break, even if that means spending more than you can afford. Apparently, a cup of coffee means more than just a cup of coffee.

P.S. Of course, you could decide to go cold turkey, like Neil Boorman did, documenting the experience in his book Bonfire of the Brands - a sort of self-help manifesto for the brand-obsessed seeking the monastic response to brands. 

From the New York Times article: Tightning the Alligator Belt

Joe Priester, an associate professor of marketing at the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California and the president of the Society for Consumer Psychology, is not surprised people scale back instead of abandon certain habits. “In a way, a lot of these brands have become safe harbors for us,” he said. “People build attachments to brands over time, and those are very much like friendships or buffering devices in our world. You don’t hear people saying, ‘I’m not going to Starbucks.’ It would be like saying ‘I’m going to cut off this friend.’ ”

In a working paper under peer review, Mr. Priester and colleagues write that “consumers see brands as part of themselves” and the greater the attachment to the brand, “the more difficult the behavior the consumer is willing to enact in order to maintain the brand relationship.”

Additionally, Jeff Greenberg, the director of the social psychology program at the University of Arizona, explained in an e-mail message that frugality “will generally be with regard to products and services that don’t undermine the individual’s material bases of self-worth and prestige. If a person’s self-worth is invested in his/her car, wardrobe, apartment, ability to send their kids to private school, etc., they will cut corners in relatively invisible ways that don’t affect their self-worth to preserve those things.”

This Croatian Village was sure they had beat the record of 241 Smurfs assembled at once. But as the story goes, the Guiness Book of World Records gave the village the wrong info, and the official number they needed to trump was actually 451. Sadly though nearly 400 grown men, women, and kids showed off their “inner-smurf”, a group of students in the UK still hold the prize. Amazing to see how pop culture remains timeless and travels around the world. For more on this news-breaking story, check out the Daily Mail.