Why is this Urban Legend a Communicable Message?

The Elephant Story

The Elephant Story

In 1986, Mkele Mbembe was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern University. On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air.

The elephant seemed distressed, so Mbembe approached it very carefully. He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant’s foot, and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it.

The Elephant Story – cont.

As carefully and as gently as he could, Mbembe worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments. t.

The Elephant Story – cont.

Mbembe stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the �elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away.

Mbembe never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.

The Elephant Story – cont.

Twenty years later, Mbembe was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teen aged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Mbembe and his son Tapu were standing.

The Elephant Story – cont.

Mbembe summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder.

The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Mbembe’s legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.

The Elephant Story – end

The large bull elephant stared at Mbembe, lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.

Remembering the encounter in 1986, Mbembe couldn’t help wondering if this was the same elephant.

Probably wasn’t the same elephant.

What is it sticky?

Simple – it’s whittled down to its core

Unexpected – it makes you pay attention

Credible – it’s easy to believe

Concrete – it’s easy to understand

Emotional – it makes you care

Story – it flows easilyFrom Made to Stick by Chip & Dan Heath

Our mission is to become the

international leader in the space

industry through maximum team-

centered innovation and strategically

targeted aerospace initiatives.

Which is Stickier?

“I believe that this nation should commit

itself, to achieving the goal, before thedecade is out, of

landing a man on the

moon and returning

him safely to the

earth.”

Which is Stickier?

What’s Sticky?

Simple = Core + Compact– Core

• Commander’s Intent• BHAG (pronounced Bee-Hag,

a Big Hairy Audacious Goal)From Good to Great by Jim Collins

Big Hairy Audacious Goals?

1. To improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities.– United Way

2. It is our job to continually foster world-class, economically sound infrastructures as well as to quickly create principle-centered sources to meet our customer's needs.– Online Dilbert Mission Statement Generator

3. Respect, integrity, communication, and excellence.– Enron

Big Hairy Audacious Goals

1. We’re going to put a computer on every desk and in every home.– Microsoft

2. Organize the world’s information, making it universally accessible and useful.– Google

3. Our vision is to have every book ever printed, in any language, all available in 60 seconds.– Amazon Kindle

When companiess have a BHAG, their revenue rises faster than the market as a whole.

What’s Sticky?

Simple = Core + Compact– Core

• Commander’s Intent• BHAG• “If you say three things, you’ve said nothing at all”

– Compact• Proverbs

– Golden Rule: Be unto others as others would be unto you

– Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face– A bird in hand is worth two in the bush

• Don’t Bury the Story Lead

What’s Sticky?

Simple = Core + Compact– Core

• Commander’s Intent• BHAG

– Compact• Proverbs• Don’t Bury the Story Lead

– Simple doesn’t mean dumbed down• It’s not a sound bite

What’s Sticky?

Unexpected– Gets Attention – Surprise!

• Breaks a pattern– See FightGlobalWarming.com:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-_LBXWMCAM

What’s Sticky?

Unexpected– Get Attention – Surprise!

• Breaks a pattern

– Hold Attention – Highlights a knowledge gap• Create a mystery they want to solve

– See Don’tPassGas.org:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=connRUHZ8r4

What’s Sticky?

Concrete– Helps to understand

• Makes abstractions memorable• Provides hooks

– See Daily Show/Governor of Illinois:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YuCPtve3tw

What’s Sticky?

Concrete– Helps to understand

• Makes abstractions memorable• Provides hooks

– Helps to coordinate

• Think of something gray• Think of a gray thing in Africa

Don’t think of an Elephant!

What’s Sticky?

Credible– Helps people believe

• Internal credibility – Authoritative– i.e. if Warren Buffet gave you a stock tip, would you take

it? Uh, yeah!– See Obama Endorsement:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_NMZv6Vfh8

What’s Sticky?

Credible– Helps people believe

• Internal credibility – Authoritative• External credibility – Convincing details

– Mkele Mbembe– 1986– Northwestern University– Chicago Zoo

External Uncredibility

What’s Sticky?

Credible– Helps people believe

• Internal credibility – Authoritative• External credibility – Convincing details• Testable – Try it, you’ll like it!

– See Will it Blend:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l69Vi5IDc0g

What’s Sticky?

Emotional– Undo Overwhelm

• Focus on the Single, not the Many– i.e. Help sponsor a child, not million of children are dying

7.0 Earthquake Rocks Haiti

Major Earthquake Hits Haiti

Big Haiti Quake Topples

Buildings, Many Casualties

Quake Devastates Stricken Haiti's

CapitalHaiti Earthquake, Deforestation Heighten Landslide Risk

Dea

th, D

espai

r Li

tter

Hai

ti S

tree

ts

Keeping Order in H

aiti

Disease Stalks Haiti Quake Survivors

Pat Robertson: Haiti 'Cursed' By Pact with Devil

8.8-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Central Chile

8.8 Earthquake

Strikes C

hile, Ts

unami Reporte

d

Strong Earthquake Rattles Chile

Man Clings to Daughter as They Fall 13

Stories in Chile EarthquakeChile Earthquake Aftershocks Cause Panic

Quake-Devastated Chile Deploys Troops to Halt Looting

One easy thing to do$32 Million Raised by Feb 1

15% of Total

What’s Sticky?

Emotional– Undo Overwhelm

• Single vs. Many

– Power of association• Tap into the things that people care about

– See Cyberbulling:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG-7pldYvvQ

What’s Sticky?

Emotional– Undo Overwhelm

• Single vs. Many

– Power of association• Tap into the things that people care about

– Appeals to their self-interest• WIIFY – What’s In It For You

– “Here’s what we can do for you!”– Two for the price of one! / Buy one, get one free!

What’s Sticky?

Emotional– Undo Overwhelm

• Single vs. Many

– Power of association• Tap into the things that people care about

– Appeals to their self-interest• WIIFY – What’s In It For You

– Appeals to their identity• Opposite of WIIFY

– Ethics & Morals preclude enriching themselves» Anything that feels unethical / makes them feel slimy

What’s Sticky?

Story– Simulation - Tells people how to act

• How to solve a problem• Provides visualization

– Inspiration - Gives people reason to act• Challenge to overcome obstacles• Connection to get along or reconnect• Creativity to inspire a new way of thinking

– See Girl Effect:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIvmE4_KMNw

What is your company’s

Simple

Unexpected

Concrete

Credible

Emotional

Story?

• Chip Heath, Professor, Stanford University– Teaches a Made to Stick class,

this video was made by his students:– Choice: Stop the Bullets

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIcSZtQVwYQ

Made to StickChip & Dan Heath

Random House, 2007