A P R I L 2 0 0 6 Win a $100,000 Grant thinking for Cause Marketing he Bemp orad Ba ra now ski Ma rketi ng BBMG is looking for applicants who L e a rning from Raisins, G roup (BBMG) is la u n chi ng the “It ’s are enthusiastic about leveraging How We Live” Grant — a $100,000 creative cause marketing to make package of in-kind communica- a difference. You don’t need a huge T tions services to help a nonprofit team or budget — just a compelling M&Ms and Goldfish and its corporate partner create and vision and a dedicated partnership. launch a breakthrough cause marketing To learn more about the grant and campaign. to download an application, visit www.ItsHowWeLive.com or call ot only do you know them, you why they have burrowed so deeply into probably know more about them your consciousness (and generated mil- BBMG has enlisted some very talented 212.473.4902 x206. The deadline than you care to admit. They lions of dollars for their corporate par- partners — Global Strategy Group, for submissions is July 31, 2006. are the California Raisins, who ents), and it has everything to do with Kintera, Slam Media Group, MediaLink, boogied to “I Heard it Through the carefully conceived story that has US Newswire and Quality Letter N the Grapevine” and became a national been developed around each of them. Service— and this team is ready to sensation. They are Snap, Crackle and help you craft the strategy, message Pop, three Many of these and materials to bring your campaign remarkably stories have to life. If you want to la c to s e - tol era nt been brought become a better fellows who to life or nur- have been tured to new s t o r y t e l l e r, study co-habiting vitality by a the masters . the same bowl company called of cereal for Character, LLC. Before you eat decades. They David Altschul them, of cours e . are M&Ms founded Character, with attitude, and when he Goldfish who talks about worry about being eaten, and a giggly his unusual guy made of dough who just loves it clientele (as when you poke him in the belly. he did with me in March), anyone Yes, they are commercial “spokes- interested in the art things,” but before you dismiss them and power of story- as cute-but-shameless shills for every- telling has good thing from candy to kitchen cleaners, reason to listen. Free-range thinkingTM is a monthly newsletter for public interest take a closer look. There is a reason groups, foundations, and progressive businesses that want to reach a goodman more people more effectively. For a free subscription, send your David Altschul of Character, LLC request to: [email protected] or call 323.464.3956. Back issues are available on the web at www.agoodmanonline.com. 444 north larchmont blvd, suite 102 los angeles, ca 90004 Newsletter edited by Lori Matsumoto. thinking A P R I L 2 0 0 6 L e a rning from Raisins, M&Ms and Goldfish David Altschul had been fascinated by To solve the problem, Altschul and his a flaw is when they’re described as a little and the resulting stories are as interesting cha ra c ters and their stories since his col l e ge colleagues created a second repairman: mischievous.” What the marketing man- as Superman without the green stuff. days, and his passion eventually led to a a younger, perkier fellow who is obsessed agers find delightful, however, is deadly Narratives that fall into the “We came, we job at Will Vinton Studios, the birthplace with all the new things Maytag is doing. dull to the audience. It’s the flaws, Altschul saw, we conquered” pattern and that cast of the California Raisins. Altschul had a Place him next to Old Lonely and you have says, that make characters interesting. the nonprofit in a heroic role may, in fact, front-row seat for the raisins’ meteoric a natural conflict between young and old Or as his partner, Brian Lanahan, succinctly be accurate. But it’s the mistakes, the rise, and even though they experienced an that allows Maytag to talk about both puts it, “Superman is boring without kryp- blind alleys you walk down, and the sur- equally fast fall (excessive merchandising reliability and innovation at the same time. tonite.” prises along the way that will keep the qu i ckly cha nged them from cool to com- audience interested. m on ), the fact that they had developed a Internal conflict can be another way of This pri n c iple has helped guide the develop - following at all was not lost on him. They revealing character and driving the action m ent of Finn (pictured here ),wh om Cha ra c ter If there are stories you tell ab out you r certainly hadn’t done it on looks, Altschul of a story, says Altschul. The red M&M, one is bringing to life for Pepperidge Farm. orga ni za ti on , try taki ng another lo ok at recalls with a chuckle. of Al ts chul ’s earl i e st cre a ti on s, is con fi d ent — Finn is a worrier, and everything that them with these principles in mind. And some might say arrogant — and a bit of a Pepperidge Farm does to make its Goldfish the next time some talking snack pops After two decades with Will Vi nton , Al ts chul loudmouth, but most of all he craves atten- more desirable — new flavors, colors, etc. — up on your TV, put down that remote and la u n ched Cha ra c ter, LLC ( www. chara c terweb ti on . This poses a probl em , h owever, b e ca u s e is only more cause for alarm. Altschul and pay attention. There is probably a story .com) and set up shop in Portland, Oregon. attracting human attention increases his Cha ra c ter are b et ti ng that this vul n erabil it y b ei ng told in those thir t y s e c on d s,and it Since 2002, he and his team have worked chances of being eaten, which is not a good will make Fi n n more appealing, and it looks may help you tell you rs bet ter. on such well-known characters as Mr. Clean thing in Red’s view. In short, says Altschul, like a good bet. and the Pil l sbu ry Doughb oy. Corp ora te Red is a character “who carries his conflict Tim Keelan, who c l i ents pay $150,000 to attend the compa ny ’s with him,” and that is a dilemma that many helps companies find three-day “Character Camp,” and while human beings can relate to. and hone their best most of the content of those gatherings stories, affirmed the i mp or tance of vul n er- is confidential, Al ts chul was wil l i ng to sha re Candy and washing machines may seem abil ity when I inter- t wo of the fu n da m ental principles that a far cry from your particular issue, but no vi ewed him late last guide every session: matter what kind of story you are telling, year. “When p e opl e conflict will always be an essential ingredi- a re wil l i ng to sha re ent. Altschul’s experience is an excellent Stories are driven by conflict. s om ethi ng vul n er- reminder that you can often find that abl e,” Keelan told conflict between the people in your story When Altschul was still at Will Vinton, me, “ the audien c e or even within a single person. marketing execs from Maytag came to him will be more likely to with a problem. “Old Lonely,” the repairman tru st them .” whom nobody called because Maytag’s Characters who are flawed are more machines were so reliable, was not driving Public intere st story- sales like the old days. Further compli- i n t e re s t i n g . tel l ers sha re the cating matters, Maytag wanted to promote “ p erfecti on probl em” all the i n nova ti ons in its newe st wa shers When corporations bring their characters with their corp ora te and dryers, and it was clear that a lonely to camp, Altschul says, the most frequent c ou nterpa r ts. Flaws old man was not the ideal spokesperson problem is perfection. “The characters are and vulnerability are for new technology. But the company charming, friendly, and helpful,” Altschul often in short supply didn’t want to dump a character with so expla i n s,“and the clo s e st they come to havi ng in their narratives, much equity. Finn the Goldfish may be crunchy and cheesy, but the secret ingredient of his appeal may well be his vulnerability. Copyri ght ©2006 by An dy Goodma n , All Ri ghts Re s er ve d ..