The Paragraph
Here we curate some of the most imaginative and interesting stories published around the world, and from our own work—stories that chronicle the way we live, work and play.
The Myth of the lighthouse
The Lighthouse of Alexandria, built on the island of Pharos - one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - although now lost after standing for over 1600 years gave its Greek name 'Pharos' to the architectural genre of any tower with a light designed to guide mariners safely to shore. The lighthouse is an apt metaphor for our mission to help our clients through complex issues, lighting up their stories, and helping them win.
Did the Pandemic Make Us Less Friendly?
It’s an interesting thought. Consider this. Are we in the middle of a “loneliness epidemic”?
With 3-day or 4-day working weeks being experimented across India Inc., amid more and more calls for greater workplace flexibility, there have been growing concern about social isolation, a lack of trust between managers and employees, and good friends just managing to remain friends.
A new study, published in PLOS ONE, suggests the COVID pandemic has indeed triggered much greater shifts in personality than we would expect to have seen naturally over this period. In particular, the researchers found that people were less extroverted, less open, less agreeable, and less conscientious in 2021 and 2022 compared with before the pandemic.
Worth a read we think.
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/did_the_pandemic_make_us_less_friendly
Your Story is Your Business’s Superpower.
Great articulation is not storytelling. Just because one creates content doesn’t mean one’s effectively telling their story. But that’s the case with many brands and corporations, often held hostage by mindset where quantity often trumps quality, where a genuine story is sacrificed at the altar of product-centric marketing spiel.
It's just doesn’t work anymore, especially in our frenetic always-on world dominated by social media, where consumers and people are looking for genuine connections. So you’ve heard this before? Indeed.
But here’s a read that you might like to spend a moment or two. Why? Because it restates why people just naturally respond to stories.
Here’s this interesting study from Berkley, which shows that the human brain loves storytelling. Stories release oxytocin (the love hormone) which increases feelings of empathy, trust, generosity, and compassion. And that’s exactly the state of mind that you want people to be in if you’re trying to sell them your services.
The science says that when we get lost in someone’s story, we actually imagine that we are them.
Read on.
This piece for ‘The Drum’ by Gate Lambert, creative director, VaynerMedia EMEA explores why the red carpet’s new pop culture moments are a big deal for brands. Excerpts from the piece:
“While viewers are up since the worst of the pandemic, award show viewing figures remain in long-term decline. But that doesn’t mean people aren’t engaging with them.
Will Smith’s infamous ’Slapgate’ at last year’s Oscars dominated headlines (for all the wrong reasons, but still). Its reverberations are still being felt, as evident in Chris Rock’s recent Netflix special, Selective Outrage, and host Jimmy Kimmel’s comments about his own safety at last night’s awards.
Outside of that 2022 moment, however, most people struggle to recall anything else that happened during the ceremony. Physical altercations aside, attention is mainly focused on two key moments – the speeches and the red carpet.
Prior to this year’s event, #Oscars2023 content had already received over 80m views on TikTok, which continues to grow. Award shows continue to fascinate but, unsurprisingly, the vast majority of the buzz is being generated on social media. The build-up starts weeks in advance and viral moments linger long after the red (or champagne) carpet is rolled up.
Read the piece here: