The Art of Storytelling in Government Communication: How Personal Relevance Makes a Difference In the tumultuous world of today, more and more hinges on governments doing a good job in governing. As with all things, this starts with the story they convey. Yet, a lot of general welfare messaging is still not up to par, even in a world that has been perfecting its branding and marketing messages. Today, we use a simple example to demonstrate how best to communicate to the publ

Those who squint their eyes can see that within America, the tone is shifting from left-right to up versus down. A turning point is visible in media signals and language, while tentatively the word revolution is appearing, all in the context of an economic storm building. So, today I give you an outsider perspective on the narrative shift that could change everything from within the USA itself, as signs of an uprising grow. Even South Park (image credited) is weighing in with

As a story, populism is a simple one. It promises that all the complexities of life can be evaded by simple, straightforward talking leaders. The type of strong leader that 'gets things done'. It's easy to see its appeal. Yet looking at the graveyard of failed ideological politics in our times, even populism has now added its tombstone. So today, mostly from a storytelling point of view , we'll discuss how and why populism has failed. And then we'll paint a picture for humani

Now that Europe can no longer lean on its big American brother, the spotlights have put it into full view. While the first reactions to the new world order from European leaders have been surprisingly positive, there is still a lot that needs to be fixed when it comes to the story of democracy in Europe. Here goes... Credits: TheMetaPicture.com Before we start We have highlighted a similar story for the US in this blogpost addressing the particulars of why America is now not

Now that America's society is getting hit, here's an outsider's view on what steps Americans need to take to finally become a true democracy again. Today, we're rewriting the story for America, just to inspire you to make it better. Buckle up for a wild ride. Here goes... A step before we walk... Super quick word before we begin. Forgive me if and when I point out things you may already know as an American. A European like me is also learning as I go, most of all from my many

Apparently, America is now a kingdom. How did it get here? I offer Americans an outsider view  from those who’ve lived under kings. The honest kind that might hurt. And it’s all about the story you tell yourself. How did we get here? Even now that the dust has settled, to those who have actually read it , The Supreme Court immunity decision is still beyond shocking . Or is it? Many people across the world have recognized for some time now that America does not have true separ

In its essence, a conspiracy theory is just a story. A pretty bad one actually. Yet under the right circumstances, it becomes so potent, it can cause an insurrection. What makes such a flimsy narrative so strong? From a storytelling perspective, that's a fascinating question. And the kicker? You and I both my dear reader, have already falling for it many times over. Hold on to your knickers, we're diving in the deep end today. And it starts with creativity. Pattern recognitio

During a small online music and poetry event yesterday, we were asked to reflect on the past year. Funny thing is, despite all the emotional art, writing and creative work I do, I'm actually not the sentimental type. I live quite firmly in the present and don't feel much need to reflect on a past year. Yet, when the question was asked, a very clear image immediately popped into my mind: the moon, two stars and the planet Venus in the night sky over the Amsterdam canals. It op

Society is a contract. The contract states that we live and let live, through equality and freedom, whatever your view of life. This contract has been broken left, right, up, down, front, rear and center in the past decade, because we have forgotten that freedom is not just something you have, but also something you extent to others . Freedom doesn't work if we take it, without giving it. So, with the recent developments in mind, let’s break down the current story of society

Even after GDPR, governments, businesses, consumer and civilian rights organizations are still failing at online privacy, and the mood around AI pioneers seems to be to shoot first and pay for the consequences later, no one seems to know what to do to protect us all against the theft and use of our data... whether it be by criminals, governments or tech-companies. Yet in this emotional discussion we are missing a strikingly obvious solution - not to mention a golden opportuni

The world after lock-down. Where people turn out to be such fascinating creatures. Some spread conspiracies, while others believe love or meditation can actually stop viruses. And between all the heart ache of patients and economies, dolphins returning to their (not our...) coasts and some brilliant gallows humor from our comedians, we all rushed to get toilet paper. This begs the question; what will really change? The theory goes that it takes around 21 days to change a habi