Hey all,

Before we jump into the stories here are a few things that we think you’ll enjoy. Russell Davies’ wonderful Interesting 2024 is happening on May 15th at Conway Hall in London. If you like “short talks about interesting things” you’ll love this. Tickets are selling fast!

There’s a great story about payroll in the links so I wanted to point you towards a publication we make for payroll provider ADP. Issue 11 is all about Borders. Check out this story from our One-of-a-Kind Jobs format which is all about running a gift shop in the DMZ – a demilitarised strip of land between North and South Korea.

Finally, if you’re not sure why your content isn’t delivering the results you hoped, our Content Audit might be just the thing you need. Hit that button below!

OK. Enough of that. Time for some stories. Have a great weekend.

Hugh

Phoenixed: Inside Canada’s Payroll Disaster (podcast series)

The Last Telephone Box Painter in London (8-min watch)

‘Bravery’: The Folly and the Vanity (4-min read)

The Disappearing Insta Grid (4-min read)

Podcasts and the Attention Bargain (4-min read)

How a Simple Piece of Copywriting Changed the Fortunes of Disneyland Paris (3-min read)

The Most Interesting Photos of the Eclipse… (photo gallery)

In Frivolity Much is Revealed (3-min read)

A Good Metaphor for Trying to Figure Out What the Algorithm Wants (thread)

A Website Designed to Look Like a Google Meet (website)

Identities of the World: A film series for ExperianA series of filmed portraits of the financially excluded in Peru, Colombia and Brazil. Portraits included an ex-FARC rebel setting up a micro-brewery in Brazil and an indigenous community in the jungle of Peru launching an eco-tourism resort.

How we can help you

Storythings is the content marketing agency of choice for some of the world’s most forward-thinking B2B brands and organisations. Here are 2 reasons to get in touch. 

1. “I don’t know what to do” – You’ve been creating content but it’s not having the impact you need. Talk to us about our Content Audit Workshop. 2. “I need something making” – You know what you want to make but need an agency to make it. We can help make your podcast, video, publication, animation and newsletter.We do other things too. Get in touch for a FREE 30 minute consultation. 

Phoenixed: Inside Canada’s Payroll Disaster (podcast series)Sometimes a story comes along and you wonder “Why have I not heard about this?” That’s exactly what happened when our very own Grace Dobush came across this story of how the Canadian government rolled out a new digital payroll system too soon – against the advice of experts. The result was catastrophic for tens of thousands of government workers. Like the Post Office scandal in the UK, it’s a heartbreaking tale of people’s lives being ruined as a result of organisations failing to take digital transformation seriously. Grace took this story to the Global Payroll Association who partnered with us to bring it to the world. Eight years on and the problems continue – we are starting to uncover similar stories around the world. Give it a listen. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Then tell all your friends. If you rate and review it the algorithms will help get this in front of more people and hopefully in the future these disasters will become less common.

The Last Telephone Box Painter in London (8-min watch)A short and lovely window into the work and life of Robert Pammen, an old school painter from London, who voluntarily paints the remaining red phone boxes in London. Stick around to find out what happens when you take time out to talk to passing strangers.

‘Bravery’: The Folly and the Vanity (4-min read)This article re-surfaced this week in amongst conversations around the bravery of the excellent new BA billboard campaign. Martin Weigel looks at how asking clients to ‘be brave’ misrepresents and undermines creativity, passing it off as some roll of the dice. Effective work entails eschewing category norms and conventions, being distinctive and interesting and evoking visceral reactions. This is not being brave. It’s just prudent and effective brand-building.

The Disappearing Insta Grid (4-min read) A good read on why the Instagram grid has become a blank slate for many: “It represents opting out of the Instagram slot machine where being at the right party, or notching some incremental career success can ring three cherries, drive a bunch of likes, and spur a dopamine rush. It’s a way of throwing your hands up and leaving the casino. The reaction to maximalist posting is cutting back entirely.”

Podcasts and the Attention Bargain (4-min read)If you’re still trying to decide whether to add podcasts into your content marketing mix this year then take a look at this recent study. It will come as no surprise to fans and makers of podcasts that the data suggests that podcasts are ‘the most slept-on attention bargain for brands’. Here’s why: “Across every measure you’d use to determine ROI, at every point in the marketing funnel, podcasts were more effective than YouTube or CTV. This means they scored highest in increasing awareness, favorability, consideration and driving action.” 

How a Simple Piece of Copywriting Changed the Fortunes of Disneyland Paris (3-min read)Before the launch of EuroDisney in 1992, Disney had launched three hugely successful theme parks. But when a fourth open in Paris it was a failure. It turned out that EuroDisney was a flop was because Europeans associated Disneyland with Florida, not Paris. Especially the British. By 1994 it was facing huge losses. But two years later, a rebranding and a great bit of copy helped move Disneyland Paris into profit for the first time. Here, Creative Samba looks at other examples of how good copy has reframed brands in people’s minds.

The Most Interesting Photos of the Eclipse… (photo gallery)…are photos of people watching the eclipse. The lesson here is: To make your story better, just add humans.

In Frivolity Much is Revealed (3-min read)I’m a huge fan of this format. This week Billy Oppenheimer tells six connected stories on something I’m a huge proponent of. He uses stories about Andrei Agassi, Debbie Millman, Winston Churchill and Harvard psychologist Amos Tversky to demonstrate how the frivolities, tiny moments and small details can reveal a lot about people. If you don’t already subscribe to Billy’s newsletter give this a try.

A Good Metaphor for Trying to Figure Out What the Algorithm Wants (thread)Jason Kottke on the similarities on trying to get your content seen and appeasing temperamental Greek gods.

A Website Designed to Look Like a Google Meet (website)This is fun. It’s got my attention and will get a lot of clicks from you lot too. A tech exec’s portfolio site is designed to look like a non-stop Google Meet. The personal website reached over a million impressions on Instagram within a few hours, thanks to visitors sharing screengrabs of the fake call. Building on the point three links up…Just add humans but in interesting ways. (via Its Nice That)

We hope you've enjoyed this week’s newsletter. I’m sure some of your friends would love to read it. Sharing it would be really appreciated. If you’ve received this from a friend, you can subscribe below and get it direct to your inbox every Friday.

Thanks for reading. We’ll see you all next week.

Hugh, Matt, Anjali and the whole team at Storythings.