1

S H A R L E N E S O N E SW W W . B R A N D S T O R I A . C O MC O P Y R I G H T 2 0 1 2 B Y S H A R L E N E S O N E S / B R A N D S T O R I A P R E S S

H O W S T O R I E S C A N A D V A N C E Y O U R B U S I N E S S , C A U S E A N D C A R E E R .

A N E X C E R P T F R O M :

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A S B R A N D C H E F W E ’ R E C A L L E D

T H I S R E Q U I R E S A D I F F E R E N T T W I S T O N S O M E F A M I L I A R

I N G R E D I E N T S & M E T H O D S O F “ C O O K I N G ”

T O S E T T H E T A B L E &

S E R V E A Feast

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t h a t c o n n e c t s p e o p l e t o e a c h

o t h e r t h r o u g h conversation

P E O P L E ,

E S P E C I A L L Y M I L L E N I A L S ,

D O N ’ T W A N T T O :

“like you”F R I E N D O R T W E E T

A B O U T Y O U . . .

G U I D I N G P R E M I S E :

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T H E Y W A N T A S P O T L I G H T

O N T H E M S E L V E S

T H E I R O W N L I V E S A N D

T H O S E A R O U N D T H E M .

N O T S O M E

B R A N D T R Y I N G

T O S E L L T H E M

S O M E T H I N G .

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N E W R E C I P E :F O R B R A N D S U C C E S S

Find the joy I N S H O W C A S I N G

other people’s story

F I R S T I N G R E D I E N T :

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Y O U W O U L D N ’ T H O S T A D I N N E R P A R T Y A N D M O N O P O L I Z E

T H E C O N V E R S A T I O N , W O U L D Y O U ?

Give your “guests”

C E N T E R S T A G E ,H I G H L I G H T I N G A N O P P O R T U N I T Y

to talk about themselves

A I T ’ S N O T A B O U T Y O U , I T ’ S A B O U T T H E M B R E Q U I R E S

M O V I N G F R O M B R A N D - C E N T R I C S T O R Y T E L L E R T O A R O L E

A S “ E N A B L E R ” O F C O N V E R S A T I O N C G I V I N G P E O P L E A

P L A T F O R M T O S H A R E T H E I R S T O R Y

H O W I T I S :T R A D I T I O N A L “ P U S H ”

M A R K E T I N G M I N D S E T .

M E - F O C U S E D . B R O A D C A S T .

I N T R U S I V E . B R A N D - F O C U S E D .

T A L K I N G A T : C O N F I R M I N G

A N I D E A O R A G E N D A .

S O L I T A R Y / I N D I V I D U A L .

T H I N L Y V E I L E D S E L L I N G .

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W H A TC O U L D B E :L E A R N I N G & D E E P M E A N I N G .

“ G I F T . ” C O L L A B O R A T I O N ,

C R E A T I O N , “ S P A R K ” O F N E W I D E A S .

R E L A T I O N S H I P . S H A R I N G .

R E L A T I N G . R E A L L Y H E A R I N G .

S P E A K I N G W I T H , N O T A T .

C O N N E C T I O N & E N G A G E M E N T .

T H E

N E W C U R R E N C Y

I S

Conversation

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F I N D I N G & E M P O W E R I N G

C O N V E R S A T I O N I S :

A P R E C U R S O R T O

R E L A T I O N S H I P B U I L D I N G

A N D A N I M P O R T A N T

I N G R E D I E N T F O R

L E V E R A G I N G T E C H N O L O G Y

A S A R E A L - T I M E

B R A N D I N G P L A T F O R M

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M A R K E T I N G

I S A B O U T

Relationships

B U T D O N ’ T C O N F U S E

T H E M E D I U M W I T H T H E

M E S S E N G E R

M E E T Y O U R N E W H E A D

O F S O C I A L M E D I A :

Y O U RC U S T O M E R

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“ C O N V E R S A T I O N S A M O N G T H E

M E M B E R S O F Y O U R M A R K E T P L A C E

happen whether you like it or not.

G O O D M A R K E T I N G E N C O U R A G E S T H E

R I G H T S O R T O F C O N V E R S A T I O N S . ”

- S E T H G O D I N

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B R A N D S T O R I E S A R E

C O N V E R S A T I O N

S T A R T E R ST H A T F A C I L I T A T E S H A R I N G A N D C O N N E C T I O N

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G I V I N G P E O P L ES O M E T H I N G T O T A L K A B O U T

A H E L P F A C I L I T A T E S H A R I N G O F I D E A S

B B U I L D C A P A B I L I T I E S I N L I S T E N I N G

C A C T I V E L Y G E N E R A T E C O N V E R S A T I O N

successful brands:

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S K I T T L E S : M O B T H E R A I N B O W

As part of their “Experience the Rainbow” campaign, Skittles brings people together to create flash mobs that deliver kindness and love, aka the “rainbow experience,” to those who don’t ordinarily receive it.

Their first effort: an outpouring of valentines to a parking enforcement officer. Encouraged by Skittles, fans sent over 40,000 valentines to the officer through the mail on their own or via the Skittles site.

A great conversation starter with the focus on Skittles as enabler for random acts of kindness.

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GiveP E O P L E A N O T H E R

R E A S O N T O

Care.

S T A R T L E V E R A G I N G Y O U R S T O R Y

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Sharlene Sones is a brand-building and marketing specialist that understands the power of a story to sell your product, advance an idea, communicate your value and point the way toward potential.

As Founder of Brandstoria, Sharlene helps entrepreneurs and organizations tap into the heart of their brand. Her approach is rooted in experience launching hundreds of products in sports and entertainment, when she’d think about the strategy for a new product based on its fit with the larger story people held about the brand. Today, she connects this storytelling perspective with traditional branding practices that can surprise and delight in ways that matter.

Over the past decade, Sharlene’s worked with and consulted to a wide range of agencies, organizations and global brands including Benetton Sportsystem, Spalding Sports Worldwide, LPGA, Tiffany & Co, University of Pennsylvania, Sigma Designs, IMS Health, Forefront Records, Barnes & Noble Collegiate, Womens Sports Foundation and more.

She’s a frequent presenter of workshops and keynotes at conferences including Jeff Pulver’s BrandsConf, Reinvention Summit, and The Babson Forum on Entrepreneurship.

When she’s not working on someone else’s story – she’s living out her own in Pennsylvania’s beautiful Lehigh Valley, or, as she refers to it, “the deep, deep, deep suburbs of NYC.” And while she’s put aside a single-engine airplane in favor of a bicycle, you can find Sharlene using power tools: creating something on a wood lathe (Bowl? Pen? Art?) or tackling a DIY home project.

Sharlene earned her graduate degree in organizational dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania and holds a B.S. in management from Babson College, where she serves on the board of the Babson Alumni Association.

A B O U T T H E A U T H O R

Thank You!

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B R A N D S T O R I A . C O M