Time to lift the lid? Can you ‘live tweet’ reading a 6 year old playbook you co-wrote and it not be the be the most boring thing ever? How could something written about social media 6 years ago possibly even be relevant eh?! #StorytellingAtScale

From a creative perspective we could almost stop right here... the biggest challenge in churning out content is that you don’t give yourself the time to make exceptional content that you’d actually want millions of people to see... like your TV ads. #StorytellingAtScale
This doesn’t seem... controversial? But we gave it a whole page because frankly all too often it still is 🤷‍♂️ #StorytellingAtScale
An integrated campaign that brings the same campaign idea (and distinctive assets ideally) to life but in a way that makes sense on social...? Sounds pretty obvious. This was the output of the first ever UK ‘Publishing Garage’ workshop with Facebook & Elvis. #StorytellingAtScale
Ahh yes, perhaps not award winning creativity but let’s acknowledge FB isn’t always the biggest/broadest brand building canvas... practical occasion based (category entry point even?) content and simple reminders or prompts play a big role. #StorytellingAtScale
Look, this isn’t rocket science is it folks... but yes, apply good brand & creative best practice to your social content too. #StorytellingAtScale
Did I mention I used to work on Oreo? I think I do say it in passing occasionally... but anyway, the Daily Twist was more a triumph of consistency (in content AND reach) than it was for inspiring a one off (but fun) Tweet. #StorytellingAtScale
Honestly we came to see that even this ‘reduced’ calendar was WAY too much content and nothing was getting maximised reach or wear in (let alone wear out) but yes is more is still a good take home. #StorytellingAtScale
Remember Facebook Apps? We were fighting those back then... we won that battle much more cleanly than the ongoing war against cheap tricks in social 😂 #StorytellingAtScale
Ooh, this is a glorious slide in which we named and shamed some of our own brands for the cheap tricks they were using!

Cute animals ✅
Desperate plea for engagement ✅
Forced engagement competitions ✅

#StorytellingAtScale

[This Slide Image Is Redacted 🤐]
Ahh media thinking... imagine approaching social media platforms as serious media channels with opportunities to drive continuity, increase reach, or allow smaller brands to activate?! #StorytellingAtScale
And the media money shot... things have evolved a bit but not a lot since then. NB - we’re not talking about a few hundred £ here and there, we’re talking about how we scale social to reach 50%+ of our total target consumers on a regular basis. AKA #StorytellingAtScale
Measuring social based on... reach, resonance & reaction? Not social metrics and engagement? 🤯 did we reach enough people? Did we make them think anything different? Did we make them do anything different? #StorytellingAtScale
Long time listeners... it won’t surprise you to learn I went hard against ‘engagement’ - rebranded as ‘digital actions’ to try and find a role for, but really clear it’s not about business value in itself, MAYBE about content testing (I’m less convinced now) #StorytellingAtScale
REALLY hard against engagement... there’s a whole splendid explaining why they are nonsense numbers. We went on to remove/ban active engagement metrics from central social media performance dashboards, and to try and stop agencies using it. #StorytellingAtScale
I liked this because it spoke to global inclusion and accessibility... lots more you can do in this space now. #StorytellingAtScale
All of that to conclude that marketing on social media channels is kinda like marketing elsewhere? With some media specific upsides and unique creative opportunities? Oh right. Also organic social was more or less banned (except for customer service/replies) #StorytellingAtScale
And we’re done. There are things that have evolved, new opportunities and even some more rigour... but IMHO you could follow all this and have a pretty strong social media approach, especially if you work out how it fits in with your other channels. 🤷‍♂️ #StorytellingAtScale

More from Culture

I'm going to do two history threads on Ethiopia, one on its ancient history, one on its modern story (1800 to today). 🇪🇹

I'll begin with the ancient history ... and it goes way back. Because modern humans - and before that, the ancestors of humans - almost certainly originated in Ethiopia. 🇪🇹 (sub-thread):


The first likely historical reference to Ethiopia is ancient Egyptian records of trade expeditions to the "Land of Punt" in search of gold, ebony, ivory, incense, and wild animals, starting in c 2500 BC 🇪🇹


Ethiopians themselves believe that the Queen of Sheba, who visited Israel's King Solomon in the Bible (c 950 BC), came from Ethiopia (not Yemen, as others believe). Here she is meeting Solomon in a stain-glassed window in Addis Ababa's Holy Trinity Church. 🇪🇹


References to the Queen of Sheba are everywhere in Ethiopia. The national airline's frequent flier miles are even called "ShebaMiles". 🇪🇹

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First thread of the year because I have time during MCO. As requested, a thread on the gods and spirits of Malay folk religion. Some are indigenous, some are of Indian origin, some have Islamic


Before I begin, it might be worth explaining the Malay conception of the spirit world. At its deepest level, Malay religious belief is animist. All living beings and even certain objects are said to have a soul. Natural phenomena are either controlled by or personified as spirits

Although these beings had to be respected, not all of them were powerful enough to be considered gods. Offerings would be made to the spirits that had greater influence on human life. Spells and incantations would invoke their


Two known examples of such elemental spirits that had god-like status are Raja Angin (king of the wind) and Mambang Tali Arus (spirit of river currents). There were undoubtedly many more which have been lost to time

Contact with ancient India brought the influence of Hinduism and Buddhism to SEA. What we now call Hinduism similarly developed in India out of native animism and the more formal Vedic tradition. This can be seen in the multitude of sacred animals and location-specific Hindu gods
1

From today, we will memorize the names of 27 Nakshatras in Vedic Jyotish to never forget in life.

I will write 4 names. Repeat them in SAME sequence twice in morning, noon, evening. Each day, revise new names + recall all previously learnt names.

Pls RT if you are in.

2

Today's Nakshatras are:-

1. Ashwini - अश्विनी

2. Bharani - भरणी

3. Krittika - कृत्तिका

4. Rohini - रोहिणी

Ashwini - अश्विनी is the FIRST Nakshatra.

Repeat these names TWICE now, tomorrow morning, noon and evening. Like this tweet if you have revised 8 times as told.

3

Today's Nakshatras are:-

5. Mrigashira - मृगशिरा

6. Ardra - आर्द्रा

7. Punarvasu - पुनर्वसु

8. Pushya - पुष्य

First recall previously learnt Nakshatras twice. Then recite these TWICE now, tomorrow morning, noon & evening in SAME order. Like this tweet only after doing so.

4

Today's Nakshatras are:-

9. Ashlesha - अश्लेषा

10. Magha - मघा

11. Purvaphalguni - पूर्वाफाल्गुनी

12. Uttaraphalguni - उत्तराफाल्गुनी

Purva means that comes before (P se Purva, P se pehele), and Uttara comes later.

Read next tweet too.

5

Purva, Uttara prefixes come in other Nakshatras too. Purva= pehele wala. Remember.

First recall previously learnt 8 Nakshatras twice. Then recite those in Tweet #4 TWICE now, tomorrow morning, noon & evening in SAME order. Like this tweet if you have read Tweets #4 & 5, both.
My top 10 tweets of the year

A thread 👇

https://t.co/xj4js6shhy


https://t.co/b81zoW6u1d


https://t.co/1147it02zs


https://t.co/A7XCU5fC2m