Fable and Foster

⁣⁣💔 At 11, Hugh Grant stole my heart.⁣⁣

I remember it like it was yesterday: staying over at my bestie’s place on a school night in 2005.⁣⁣
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It was Christmas, and clearly, our parents were living by the “f**** it, it’s Christmas” mantra- still floats, by the way.⁣⁣
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Then, her mum (the coolest mom) pulled out a VCR tape of Love Actually.⁣⁣
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Looking back, I'm not sure why she thought it was okay for two naïve primary school girls with our family-sized bag of Maltesers to watch a movie with that many layers, but heeeeey, we all know the scenes.⁣⁣
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And my goodness, I’m so glad she did… Because it was in that moment that I fell hard for Hugh Grant, his quirky dance moves, sweet romance with Natalie and of course, that dreaaaamy face.⁣⁣
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Fast forward 19 years, and it turns out my childhood crush, Hugh Grant and his Love Actually producers know more than just romantic lessons.⁣⁣
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They’ve got storytelling down, too.⁣⁣
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Here’s the storytelling formula they nailed:⁣⁣
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→ Relatability⁣⁣
→ Emotion⁣⁣
→ Knowing your audience⁣⁣
→ Humour⁣⁣
→ Simplicity⁣⁣
→ Surprise⁣⁣
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So, if you need an excuse to close the laptop, crank the air con and indulge in Love Actually this December? Consider it personal development.⁣⁣
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Lara x⁣⁣
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P.S. I couldn't figure out why all the photos online were so low-res and then it hit me - this movie is 21 years old!⁣ DUH.
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Storytelling marketing is like going for a coffee date with a friend
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Except, five minutes into what you thought was going to be a gossip-filled, deep-and-meaningful chat at your fav local cafe, your friend starts reading the product label from their new jacket:⁣⁣⁣
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“It’s 100% recycled material, cold wash only, needs a light iron.”⁣⁣⁣
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Pardon?⁣⁣⁣
Yep, bizarre
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You’d probably ask yourself why you’re friends with this strange human
Annnnnd you’d look for an excuse to wrap things up
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But what if, instead, your friend shared a story? Like how she unintentionally recreated ‘The Notebook’ scene during a weekend walk, while staying dry in the most waterproof jacket she bought on a whim
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Because, hello, Ryan Gosling 🔥🔥🔥
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Now you’re laughing, picturing your friend with her soggy croissant and drowned-rat dog, and suddenly you kinda want to recreate your own Notebook moment with that jacket too (but with RG of course)
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The same goes for your marketing: Although the features of what you're trying to sell are easy peasy to churn out, people can spot them a mile away. And they get bored
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But stories? They make people feeeeel something, keep them coming back for the next post and, let’s be honest, they’re probably going to wana buy your stuff.⁣⁣⁣
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Lara x⁣⁣⁣
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P.S. I’ve only got a handful of coaching sessions left for 2024. So, if you want to start the new year with storytelling skills under your belt, nab a spot on my website!⁣⁣⁣
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⁣I was just two when Toy Story came out in 1995.⁣⁣
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And 14 when the first iPhone launched. ⁣⁣
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I’d grown up with Woody and Buzz and envied those with iPhones, but I had no idea there was a bigger story behind their success. ⁣⁣
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So, turns out Steve Jobs worked at Pixar?⁣⁣
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And he brought the storytelling skills he learnt at Pixar to Apple… ⁣⁣
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Yip, I had no idea that the same strategy that made me cry over plastic toys (I’m looking at you, Mr. Potato Head) was what had me saving my dollars for an iPhone.⁣⁣
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That strategy?
Storytelling.⁣⁣

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All along, it was storytelling that was making me feel part of something bigger.⁣⁣
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So thanks Woody and Buzz, for inspiring Steve to ‘Think Different’ and giving me life in my pocket. ⁣⁣
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Lara x⁣⁣
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P.S. What was the last kids' film that made you ugly-cry? For me, it was Inside Out 2.⁣
https://www.fableandfoster.co.nz/services

I recently sat in a café waiting for my decaf FW to cool to its perfectly scullable temperature. ⁣
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At the table sat next to me three ladies who were admiring three mannequins in the shop next door. Each mannequin was wearing a different coloured coat. ⁣
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Lady #1 “I like the pink one” ⁣
Lady #2 “Nah, the black one has my name on it”⁣
Lady #3 “Well if I’m honest, I’d go for the mustard one”⁣
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And me, well I didn’t like any of them ⁣🤷‍♀️
But what it did remind me is that everyone is attracted to something different. ⁣
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The same goes with marketing. ⁣
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There will always be some that are attracted to your coats (products + services) ⁣
While others will scrunch up there nose and walk straight on by your shop window. ⁣
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All I can say is, when you focus on staying unique, the right admirers will find you. ⁣
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L x⁣
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P.s I’ve been having some great conversations about ‘finding unique stories’ to tell for social + email marketing with my coffee catch up coaching clients. If this sounds like what you need, get in touch. ⁣