COM 117

I went to hear Alan Spearman and Mark Adams speak about their film As I Am. The two both started at newspapers and eventually moved into the realm of filmmaking. Spearman explained the reason for this transition was to challenge himself. This new outlet allowed for not only more creativity but also the chance to relate to, and really involve themselves in the stories they are telling.

Spearman and Adams had an interesting perspective on stories. They stated multiple times that all the films they have created existed before they made them, they just needed to be captured. I had personally never thought about films in that way, but the concept is very logical. The job of the filmmaker, especially in the genre of documentaries, is to simply combine elements that already exist, whether they are characters, environments, or dialogue. Combining these elements in a way that has never been done before is how a new story is created. Spearman spoke about how a critical part of his creative process was “mindful walking”. This is a technique taught to him by a Buddhist monk in which you simply walk and meditate in an attempt to clear your mind of all clutter and allow yourself to simply absorb your surroundings. On these walks is when Spearman says that he is able to see stories and potential stories the clearest.

Both Spearman and Adams also attempt to live their lives as fully as possible. The words that the two live by are exploration and curiosity. Not only are they constantly watching for stories to present themselves, they want to live stories themselves. They are always looking to take the road less traveled. For example when As I Am was nominated for an Emmy the two decided that rather than fly, they would ride their motorcycles to the event. They insisted that simply putting themselves in interesting places, and around interesting people is the key to their creative success. Getting to know people at a heart-to-heart level is what the two felt was missing from their work in newspaper. Filmmaking allows them to connect with their subjects on such a deep level that they actually call them friends.

The film As I Am is dependent on this closeness between Spearman, Adams, and the protagonist of the film Chris Dean. The two found Dean in the Memphis, the poorest metropolis in the U.S., and immediately noticed his talents. Dean is gifted in poetry, music, and art and uses these skills for survival. Spearman and Adams enter to tell his story. Yet they intended to do so in the truest and most natural way possible. The two built up so much trust and mutual respect for Dean that they refused to even call him a subject. They let him in as a collaborator and insisted they wanted to tell his story, the story that is already out there, rather than what they may want to say or what would be successful.

I greatly admire the work that Spearman and Adams do. Their whole philosophy on both stories and life in general are awe inspiring. After hearing them speak I challenge myself to live more like I am a character in a Spearman and Adams film, and be more observant of the stories that are all around just waiting to be captured.

Recent Newhouse alum Laura Foti spoke about emerging trends in the post digital age. She discussed how to use technology to solve business problems and the importance of technology to business. Foti is now working at a company called Deloitte. She says that her days are filled with storytelling as she talks about herself, her clients, and Deloitte in terms of the past, present, and future.

At Deloitte, Foti dreams up new and creative ways to solve problems through technology without actually creating the technology. She leaves the actual development to tech guys who, although essential to creating software and writing scripts, are not always sensitive to the user’s point of view. Foti is responsible for keeping the user in mind and understanding the user experience.

Companies must take advantage of technology to further the user experience. A website’s design may be great online but may not translate as effectively to a smartphone or tablet. Companies are responsible for modifying content in order to fulfill the consumer’s craving for interactive media, especially social media. Social media should not just be something tacked onto a finished product or company. Social media needs to be baked into the user experience in a unique and accessible manner. It should foster relationships and make people feel that the company cares. As consumers evolve with technology businesses must evolve too.

Foti stressed the importance of creativity in the way we use technology to solve problems. She emphasized a problem solving strategy based in the future, encouraging us to find answers in terms of undeveloped technology. These solutions may not be able to be employed in the next week or year but working on development early puts you a step ahead of the game and gets your head in the right place.

A fantastic example of technological innovation to solve a problem is Jawbone’s Up Band, a wristband that provides the person wearing it with information about how well they slept, how many miles they walked, what they ate, etc. It solves problems people have with their own health. Maybe people don’t realize that they don’t get enough sleep or that when they eat red meat they feel sluggish. The Up Band, which is synced to the person’s iPhone, helps people solve these problems and realize these patterns. Foti believes that in the future these Up Bands will be used to enhance the healthcare system and that the technology makes people more aware of their all-around health.

Foti’s presentation was extremely interesting and engaging. Hearing Foti speak changed the way that I think about problems and inspired me to think about how technology could help me. Generally, I think about how I can use what I have and what I know to solve issues but this type of thinking won’t help me reach my potential. I need to go beyond what I already have and know. It seems silly that I had never thought to be innovative or to dream up Star Trek-y technology considering that so much of what was once considered science fiction has become reality. Perhaps being “in the clouds,” as Foti put it, is actually innovation at its finest.

It was extremely inspirational to hear Laura Foti tell us the story of how she has gotten where she is today. At still such a young age, is it both impressive and daunting to see the amount of success she has already achieved. Currently Laura works for Deloitte and calls herself a “digital native”, but her path to this point was not direct. Before coming to college Laura took a year off and lived in Argentina. While there, she wrote about her experiences for a local newspaper back in the U.S. She soon decided to share her stories with more people and asked a local Argentinian newspaper if they would publish her work. She wrote about various topics from the structure of the Argentinian family to the custom of sharing a latte. After a year in Argentina, Laura returned home to attend Syracuse University and study Public Relations at Newhouse. She was specifically interested in helping the health care system. Laura’s father is disabled from Rheumatoid Arthritis and she therefore has a personal connection to the cause. Though met with some disapproval originally, Laura graduated and got a job with Deloitte. Though she is not working in Public Relations she is still a storyteller and still attempting to improve the health care system in any way possible

Laura’s focus on the importance of storytelling really resonated with me. She insisted that the key to networking and achieving your goals is to meet a lot of people, tell them your story, and make sure to listen to theirs. What I feel is often forgotten is that telling stories is how we all connect with one another. Stories aren’t simply for entertainment purposes but are actually the basis of all interactions with others. For example, Laura told the story of how a simple conversation about running and cycling created an invaluable connection between her and the CIO of the company she was interning for at the time. Telling a story as simple as what you like to do in your spare time can resonate with someone else and lay the foundation for a deeper connection. Laura also brought up the point that all companies, not just media companies, need good communicators and storytellers. She mentioned the fact that after her freshman year she interned for a baseball team in Cape Cod and managed their communications. Though at first this may seem like an odd choice for a Public Relations major, it is perfectly logical. Every company or organization communicates, and therefore could use the assistance of a professional communicator. Even Laura’s current position seemed like an odd choice to one of her professors at Newhouse. Yet, Laura explained that though she is now in technology and not Public Relations she is still telling stories. Specifically, Laura’s position entails helping to bridge the gap of communication between the users and creators of the technological problems.

Hearing Laura speak was very eye-opening. I feel I now appreciate the impact of storytelling more, and see where it can lead if done well.

Laura Foti is a 23 year old Business Technology Analyst at Deloitte, one of the big four consulting firms. However, what Foti does for a living today is not as important as the the track that lead her there.

Growing up Foti was very active, However, her father was physically disabled. Although her father could not play basketball, he could make up stories. These stories were something Foti and her father could share together and something that Foti became very passionate about.

Never the less Foti left high school feeling unfulfilled and took a year off from college to live in Argentina. Here Foti embraced the culture and ended up writing stories for a local paper about the differences between the United States and Argentina. Although she loved Argentina, after a year, it was time to return to the United States and go to school at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications.

While at Syracuse Foti never passed up an opportunity to get involved. She lead Hill Communications, interned for GE digital marketing, interned for GE healthcare, interned for the Chatham Anglers, and even applied for a job at Deloitte, after seeing a sign for technology, social media, and pizza. After being given a hard time by her public relations teacher, Foti decided that Deloitte was the right career for her. This decision however did not come without a lot of second guessing and risk talking.

I think we can all learn a valuable lesson from Foti. First of all, always share your stories and experiences with other people. It could have a larger effect on their life than you may have ever imagined. Second, try a lot of new things until you find your niche. The happiest people in life are the ones willing to take risks and go outside their comfort zone. Lastly, always try to expand upon your current skill set and create opportunities for yourself. Try new things, get out there and experience the world, and soon enough you will find your place in it.

I attended the presentation, “The Ins and Outs of PR”, given by Stephanie Manas, corporate communications specialist for Ogilvy Public Relations. She spoke about her company’s approach to communications and public relations. The focus of Ogilvy PR is on building relationships to meet client goals and transform brands. The company has been successful at drastically changing brands like Ford, whose reputation as a boring, old school automaker was swapped with a reputation as an innovative lifestyle brand.

During this presentation, I learned a lot about PR strategies and the ways a brand can be transformed. According to Ogilvy PR, the best way to prompt changes in behavior is through changes in emotion. Further, the best way to tap into someone’s emotions is through storytelling.

This concept is demonstrated by a British Petroleum (BP) PR campaign. After the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, people were not thrilled to hear that BP would be a sponsor of the US Olympic team. BP’s reputation had been destroyed. In an attempt to salvage it, BP began an ambitious PR campaign. Manas showed a BP commercial featuring Olympians telling their stories. The Olympians spoke about various obstacles and mistakes that they had to overcome in order to be successful. They said that triumphing over difficulties was what made them Olympians and that BP was the perfect sponsor for the US team because BP knew what it was like to have to start from scratch and struggle to the top in order to succeed, just like them. This commercial made me think of BP in a different way because it connected the stories of the Olympians to the story of BP, making BP look strong and courageous. As a result of this strategic PR campaign, public opinion of BP began to rise significantly.

In another commercial, Manas demonstrated the power of storytelling in Brazil. To say that Brazil’s soccer fans are die-hard fans would be an understatement. Likewise, to say that Brazil was in desperate need of organ donors would be an understatement. With a brilliant program aimed at raising the number of organ donors, paired with a legendary PR campaign, Brazil was changed for the better. The program focused on distributing organ donor applications to fans during soccer games. As a result of this, the number of Brazilian organ donors went from a record low to a record high. Yes, it was easy for fans to register to become organ donors at the soccer games they religiously attended, but they didn’t just do it because it was convenient. This is where the PR comes in. The program was framed around the idea that one fan was helping another fan, and therefore, the beloved soccer team as a whole. The concept was that fans should become organ donors so that their lungs never stopped screaming for their team and their hearts never stopped beating for their team. The campaign also featured gracious fans, happy to be cheering for their team, whose lives had been saved by organ donors. This program was successful because of the influential PR and the amazingly strong effects storytelling.

I always knew that storytelling was effective but both of the examples Manas presented showed just powerful it can be. Storytelling prompts changes in behavior through changes in emotions, just as Manas had said.

“Tell the truth but make it fascinating.” – David Ogilvy

BP & US Olympics Team

Brazilian Soccer and Organ Donors