"Winning Free Press & Viral Buzz in Tough Times: The Power of Sticky Stories & Superb Storytellers to Build Your Brand" featuring Former CNN Business News Anchor & NBC News Correspondent Farland Chang '84, MS '85

From grade school to college, and business to politics, we're challenged to get our point across and make our ideas stick. We have a message to deliver and an audience to reach.

But what is the most credible, compelling and colorful approach? Having a great story to tell! And ideally one that others will tell and retell. If a picture says 1000 words, a story says 1000 pictures.

As the Heath brothers write in "Made to Stick," sticky stories explain why some ideas succeed and others die. Think of Bible stories and Aesop's Fables.

Sticky stories appeal to media - both news & social media. And that's a win-win recipe - feeding the media's hunger for "news their audience can use" and feeding your hunger for good press.

Positive publicity helps brand names win hearts and minds. That's because independent reviews offer credible, third party endorsements. And that's why many leaders in commerce and government view the media as one of their most important "customers."

Favorable reviews from trusted sources build reputations - while follow up advertising reinforces those reputations. As marketing guru Al Ries notes, Publicity first, Advertising second.

From east to west, many top brand names in their early days got off the ground thanks to the power of publicity and word-of-mouth – with virtually no advertising at all.

Consider Google, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, Craigslist, Subway, Apple, Starbucks, eBay, Pokémon, Harry Potter, Viagra, Blackberry, The Body Shop, Palm, Red Bull, Amazon, Yahoo, even Wal-Mart and Microsoft early on. And from China, look at the success of homegrown brands such as Alibaba, Baidu, Li-Ning, Sohu, Sina, Taobao, Tudou, Youku, Xiaonei and Taobao.

Publicity from news reports - good and bad - can be amplified through Facebook and other social networking sites - with their power to virally distribute news stories. So how can we craft our own memorable headlines by thinking like journalists?

Beyond knowing WHAT to say, we need to know HOW to say it. How much are we being judged by verbal versus nonverbal? What can Great Communicators teach us - from Obama to Oprah, and Steve Jobs to Ronald Reagan? And what's the secret to performing as ourselves- at our best?

Join Emmy Award winning journalist and Cornell alum Farland Chang ’84, MS ‘85 for this entertaining & interactive presentation featuring video case studies and filled with take-home value.

Highlights of this event will include:

• Harnessing the power of news & social media

• Promoting your cause, your brand and yourself

• The art of storytelling

• Crafting your ideal headline

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

6:30 PM Reception and Networking

7:30 PM Presentation/Q&A

9:00 PM Open Mic and Networking Continues 9:30 PM Event Concludes

Cost: $30 Includes Reception, Networking, Presentation

Location: The Union League of Philadelphia, 140 S. Broad St, Philadelphia PA 19102, www.unionleague.org

Event Contact: Amanda Christofferson, CEN Coordinator amanda.christofferson@cornell.edu, 607-254-7111

CEN Philadelphia & The Johnson Graduate School of Management presents The Business of Sustainability at Cornell; What’s the Role of Innovators and Entrepreneurs?

Join us as we make our first CEN appearance in Philadelphia!

At this event Dr. Mark Milstein will present and lead a discussion on how Cornell is thinking about sustainability in a business context. In his role as Director, Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise at the Johnson School, Mark sees numerous opportunities for faculty, students, and alumni to work together to promote new business growth which addresses social and environmental issues – while simultaneously meeting the University’s goals in research and teaching. Dr. Milstein will also discuss Cornell’s role as host for the 2009 Net Impact Conference next November – an event that will draw 2,000 attendees to Ithaca who are interested in sustainability, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Additionally, joining this event are Karrie Borgelt, Director of Alumni Affairs, The Johnson School, as well as Cornell students attending the 2008 Net Impact Conference at Wharton. To make this event a home run, all we need is you! 

About The Johnson School Center for Global Sustainable Enterprise

Founded in 2004, the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise is dedicated to building the next-generation management practices that enable growth and innovation strategies which address the world's environmental and social problems. The Center views solutions to environmental and social problems as business opportunities, not as costs of doing business. The Center's focus on sustainable innovation and base of the pyramid enterprise development guides its work with companies around the world to effectively identify, understand, and pursue competitive opportunities that solve those problems.

Thursday, November 13, 2008 ~ 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
6:00 PM Hors d'oeuvre Reception/Networking
7:00 PM Speaker/Q&A/Open Mike

Cost: $30 Includes Reception, Networking, and Presentation

Location: Philadelphia Downtown Marriot, Room: Franklin Hall 2, 1201 Market St, Philadelphia, PA - (215) 625-2900

Registration Questions?  Amanda Christofferson, amc392@cornell.edu, 607.254.7111

Other Questions? Shannon Murray, Sr. Director, Cornell Business Communities, shm4@cornell.edu, 650.755.9711