MAKE YOUR 2021

MARKETING CONTENT
BINGE-WORTHY
Lessons from Cobra Kai & The Karate Kid

Lesson s f ro m Cob ra Ka i & Th e Ka rate Kid

J
ohnny Lawrence had everything going Why, then, would 41 million households tune in
for him as a bad boy: he was a rich kid to see what happens in his dojo in 2021?

who belonged to a country club, he was a

Simple answer: because Hollywood writers
karate hot shot with a ruthless sensei, and he
have mastered the art and the craft of
had cronies to back him up when attacking the
storytelling. And you can apply these same
underdog. He was the perfect villain. In 1984.
tactics to your own content marketing.
There was just one problem. He was one-
dimensional.
The Karate Kid is a film about teenager Daniel
LaRusso, who learns karate from his mentor,
Mr. Miyagi, to defend himself and ultimately,
to compete in a tournament against his bullies.
Check out these
The first feature went on to have two sequels, concepts from
one re-boot, plus an episodic TV sequel, Cobra Hollywood writers’
Kai, now in its third season on Netflix. So yes,
middle-aged Daniel and Johnny continue their
rooms that you’ll
martial arts rivalry 34 years later. The series want to apply to
illustrates a remarkable story franchise, plus
classic storytelling lessons from Hollywood
your own content.
that every marketer should know, too.

Check out these concepts from Hollywood

writers’ rooms that you’ll want to apply to
your own content.
1. CHARACTERS DRIVE STORY, DIALOGUE DRIVES CHARACTER

It’s not about plot. Not research. Not the
number of tips you have. Not the amount of
data you have to back it up. Not how many
widgets you sold, customers you gained,
achievements you made, battles you fought.
None of those things will get your audience
hooked like compelling characters.
Our brains are wired to engage with a
character, following a goal, and the obstacles
he or she has to overcome to achieve that goal.
Paul Zak, the founding director of the
Center for Neuroeconomics Studies, CEO
of Immersion Neuroscience, and author of
Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High-
Performance Companies, wondered if his lab
could “hack” the oxytocin system to motivate
people to engage in cooperative behaviors.
Described in Harvard Business Review,
the experiment his team ran found that
character-driven stories consistently cause
oxytocin synthesis.
Effective story—character—leads to narrative
transport. It puts us in the shoes of the
character and influences our beliefs, attitudes
and decisions. It may seem obvious when we
think about it in entertainment terms – why
would we watch an uninteresting character,
or someone who has no obstacles, or no
ambition? We wouldn’t.
Character development is an intricate art and
science in its own right. When you nail it, 41
million people will tune in during opening week,
like they did for season three of Cobra Kai.
So why do we go to Johnny Lawrence’s dojo
three-plus decades later? Because he has
become more dimensional. He has become
a more compelling character. He’s aware of
his shortcomings, tries to do the right thing,
calls hashtags: hash browns, and is now an
underdog opposite Daniel LaRusso, who has by
all of the modern trappings, succeeded at life:
a successful business, beautiful home, loving
family, a certain ease and flow.

“Character-driven stories consistently

cause oxytocin synthesis.”
—Paul Zak, Center for Neuroeconomics Studies
& CEO, Immersion Neuroscience
We are fascinated by Willam Zabka’s portrayal
of Johnny because we feel like, in some ways,
we know him, or maybe in some way we are
him, facing all the things going wrong while
desperately and tirelessly trying to get it right.
We have dimension. We try, we fail, we learn,
we hurt, we succeed, we face setbacks, we try
again. We see him tackle the obstacles and we
live vicariously through him.
Paul’s lab has spent several years researching
the science of story, and concluded that stories
are an effective way to transmit important
information and values from one individual or
community to the next.
But in order for a story to do that, it must
connect with an audience. And it can’t do that
if it’s in a different language. Whether Japanese
versus English, or formal versus casual, PG
versus R, speaking the same language is
essential. Giving a customer the experience
of “real talk” is often a delicate balance in our
organizations, where more formality is expected.
But compelling dialogue is a part of that
connection point needed to convey and
share information.
Just as Johnny Lawrence keeps it real on
all fronts, from the Coors Light and fried
bologna he eats for breakfast, to driving his
1991 red Firebird, to his unvarnished language,
companies can do the same to convey their
own customer and character DNA, as described
in my new book, The Hollywood Approach.
Consider the numerous ways to answer a
phone (back when we did that) and what how
it contributes to one’s customer experience:
“Good afternoon, Northwest Advanced
Healthcare Specialists Group With Many
Important Doctors in Schaumburg, Illinois. How
may I help you today?”
“Hello, gorgeous!” (actual phone greeting from
BrowBar in Santa Monica – brilliant)
“John Smith.”
“What.”
These greetings convey a lot about a person
and a company, from the plain to the mundane.
Words matter, and either move a customer
closer to or further away from connecting with
you at any given time.
Boston University

Boston University’s student-led initiative

to facilitate a safe return to campus during
COVID-19 did a great job getting real with their
dialogue. BU’s student organization produced
an out-of-the-norm promotion. “F*ck It Won’t
Cut It” was the campaign rally cry that got
student attention and support from school
leadership on video and social platforms.

To be successful in creating bingeworthy

content, BU got it right: they said it the way
See It Live: F*ck It Won’t Cut It
they’d really say it.

Characters and dialogue matter. Keeping it real

with your audience keeps you connected.

Characters
and dialogue
matter. Keeping
it real with your
audience keeps
you connected.
2. SHOW, DON’T TELL

This is a famous Hollywood adage for a reason. And

that reason is getting progressively bolstered with
increasing neuroscience that supports the concept.

“Paint the fence” fictitious example

In the film world, “show, don’t tell” is a note

screenwriters receive on a script in places they’ve
been too obvious or on-the-nose.

Indulge me in this fictitious example, would you?

Imagine a high school boy saying to an elder in
1984, “I want to be good at karate.”

It’s far more effective for us to see this young man

get his butt kicked by a throng of brutes, tend to
bloody gashes, get beat up again, and spend his
free time waxing cars and painting fences in a very
specific manner until exhaustion, perhaps not
unlike Daniel LaRusso in Karate Kid. It’s far more
effective for any audience to see this in a way that
conveys his desperation and commitment to learn
karate because it SHOWS us.

This, in essence, is show versus tell.

60,000 times faster

According to research done by 3M, the brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text. It seems
that we remember visuals better, too, since most people remember only one fifth of what they
hear. That means that in the fictional example above, the “show” vs “tell” indeed has more power to
impact the audience.

The brain
processes
visuals
60,000
times faster
than text.

In addition, accomplished story researcher
Kendall Haven says that our subconscious works
1000 times faster than our conscious mind.
Our conscious mind is actually much slower
than the rest of our brain – it is 1000 times
slower than the other internal processors that
are active in our brain.
So, story is a way for our brains—and our
customers’ brains—to accelerate the gripping
and retaining of information because of these
processing times. And showing, vs telling, is a
force multiplier in that process.
Story as part of customer experience
In traditional business communication,
“telling” was customary:
“Let me TELL you about our features and benefits.”
“Let me TELL you about our linear and historic
backstory starting with this seven-page scroll of
dates and names beginning in 1871.”
“Let me TELL you how awesome our team is.”
Avoid getting crane-kicked by your competition
The brain, it seems, does not make much
of a distinction between reading about an
experience and encountering it in real life; in
each case, the same neurological regions are
stimulated. Keith Oatley, an emeritus professor
of cognitive psychology at the University of
Toronto (and a published novelist), says that
It was the way it was. But not anymore. That
way does not make a customer feel seen,
heard or understood. It is lacking in customer
experience in any format that it exists. And it
will get you crane-kicked by your competition.
reading produces a vivid simulation of reality,
one that “runs on minds of readers just as
computer simulations run on computers.”
In 2020, customer experience was expected to
overtake price as the most important criteria
among B2B buyers. Customer experience has
been on a tear, with business owners and
executives reporting in multiple studies that
it’s a top priority. A company’s storytelling is
a key part of that, evidenced in top-of-funnel
experience, dialogue with employees and the
arc that happens from consideration to close
in a purchase or decision to engage.
There are many ways to implement
“show vs tell” in business.
Recreate a Masterpiece at Home with The Getty Museum

The Getty Museum created a marketing

dream by throwing down a simple
challenge— to recreate art masterpieces
with common items found in your home—
the response has been noteworthy and fun.

Now, you may be thinking, show vs tell

is a great plan if you have a cool dojo,
or fancy drinks and fun games, or drone
shots. But what do I do if I have a more
conservative business?

Good question. It’s important to note

that “show don’t tell” is a concept about
being evocative as much as it is a literal
instruction to show with cool visuals.

Marketing & Margaritas from Terminus

Terminus, a B2B account-based marketing software

company (not exactly Coca-Cola on the fun
scale) did a great job in shaking up their webinar
format with their “Marketing & Margaritas from
Terminus” series. Taking a pour of some of the best
tequila and margarita trivia from our own tequila
aficionado, Jay Baer, Terminus awarded prizes for
the most correct answers and artfully wove in a full
conversation about ABM. Not to mention, a new
hashtag (or hash brown, if you’re Johnny Lawrence)
#margeting, Terminus drew rave reviews
from their attendees. Why? Show, not tell.
3. SHARING FLAWS CREATES AUTHENTICITY
The continuation of Daniel LaRusso and
Johnny’s Lawrence’s rivalry in Cobra Kai works
for many reasons. A major one is that Johnny’s
character is more dimensional. Through
his flaws, we see that he’s in touch with his
shortcomings. We see that he was a “rich
kid” because his mother married a dreadful
stepfather, has regrets about his relationship
with his son, and tries to help a neighbor’s son
by teaching him karate.
But it’s not just about showing his flaws.
It’s also about his pursuit of a goal: to make
something of his life. The sequel has struck a
balance between these elements, and an artful
interpretation of these characters’ lives 34
years later, attracting both original and new
fans for the binge.
Applying this to content marketing doesn’t
mean plopping a sack of issues and
shortcomings on the table. But it does mean
carefully considering how you can tell a more
complete story – and not necessarily your
own. Just like in the movies, customers
have problems, obstacles and flaws they
are trying to overcome. Showing
(not telling) that your company
intimately understands these
issues goes a long way to
connect and build trust.
Now more than ever before,
customers want to feel
heard. And they want to see
themselves. That’s where the
opportunity is.
Wink Frozen Desserts

Take Wink Frozen Desserts, for example. The

company sells a vegan, dairy-free, gluten-
free, 100-calorie-per-pint treat that comes in
flavors like Vanilla Bean, Cinnamon Bun, and
Iced Latte.

Wink’s dessert is a non-dairy alternative to

ice cream. Emphasis on alternative, which in
and of itself, might be considered as a flaw
in the dessert, as it was for Random Musings
of a Barefoot Libertarian-Democrat Hippie,
who shared some choice words on Wink’s
Facebook page.

Random Musings called it “absolutely

disgusting” and stated that “literally licking
the freezer burn “ice” shavings from the
inside of the freezer would probably taste
better than this.”
Now, when someone fires a side kick like this,
the inclination may be to paint the fence and
then strike back. However, Wink CMO Jordan
Pierson chose to paint a picture. Check out
this response:
“Sorry to hear this Random Musings! While
Wink is definitely not ice cream, we do
aim for an ice cream like experience. The
creator of Wink is a 25 year old named
Gabe who has Celiac disease and dairy
intolerance. We do recommend letting your
pint sit out for a few minutes before you
dig in. If the store you purchased Wink in
gives you trouble with the refund please let
us know! While we hope that everyone will
love and enjoy Wink as much as we do, we
realize that not everyone will.

If we can help, please send us an email

to info@winkfrozendesserts.com.
Thanks for giving Wink a try!”
Jordan acknowledges the perceived flaw—
Wink is indeed not an ice cream. He shares
Gabe’s food intolerance backstory and goal
of creating an ice cream like experience. Now
we understand that Gabe is 25 years old
and has a goal: desserts for people like him!
Very smart. Jordan also straight out says, not
everyone will love us. It’s that kind of authentic
acknowledgement, truth-telling about not only
who they are, but who they aren’t, that builds
trust with the brand.
The challenges or obstacles that your company
addresses—and how you convey them— can
create a strong and lasting connection just like
Jordan did with Wink Frozen Desserts. When
you build trust in a relationship, you build a
shortcut in communication and understanding.
“No one pays 20 bucks to see The Village of
the Happy People,” Lew Hunter, former ABC
executive and UCLA Screenwriting Co-Chair
said, and said often during screenwriting
classes and workshops.
Characters and stories must have dimension
to be binge-worthy. Companies must reveal
dimension to evoke authenticity, build trust and
attract and retain interest.
Note how Cobra Kai’s story is modernized
for inclusivity, too. The series features
main storylines from a broader spectrum
of backgrounds, genders, races and ages,
attracting a wider audience.

That is the opportunity in today’s

business storytelling.

Characters and stories must have

dimension to be binge-worthy.

Companies must reveal dimension to evoke

authenticity, build trust and attract and retain interest.
CONTENT MARKETERS ARE FALLING BEHIND

Not all businesses have kept up with the

rapidly increasing sophistication of our
customers—and many, if not most, are missing
a major opportunity to connect and build trust
with their audiences in a meaningful way.

The challenge with storytelling is anyone who

learned the alphabet or heard Mother Goose
thinks they’re an expert. It’s like breathing,
yet look at all the breathwork classes available
today. Kinda makes you think.

Storytelling is an underutilized tool in

business. Out there in the wild, story
consumption is heavily influenced by the
entertainment industry, and therefore
Hollywood screenwriters. Hollywood pros
write and develop an average of 33 scripts
before it goes into production—and is still
tweaked from there. The precision of craft is
perhaps unparalleled in any other medium.
We can apply this same rigor in business (in
fewer drafts) by leveraging what works. Show
don’t tell. Understand the importance of
character. Use the flaws within a character and
story to tell your story and build authenticity.
If we want to compete in the arena that is
storytelling in the attention economy, we
must rise to the caliber our audiences are
accustomed to. We must get more competitive.
Aim for story excellence. The masters of the
craft today are Hollywood-style storytellers.
Their storytelling demands six-and-seven
figure investments to get a show—a story—
off the ground. They must be masters of
character, plot, obstacles and goals. The same
elements can be exquisitely applied to content
marketing to make it binge-worthy, too.
HOLLYWOOD IS IN THE BUSINESS OF STORYTELLING & SO ARE YOU

Hollywood at its most collaborative, at its
finest, is masterful, inspiring and game-
changing. And let’s not forget, that Hollywood
is a business. One could argue that all
companies are in the business of storytelling.
Until you develop compelling characters to
drive your narrative, you are leaving eyeballs
and dollars on the table.

Until you develop compelling characters

to drive your narrative, you are leaving
eyeballs and dollars on the table.
WELCOME TO OUR STORYTELLING DOJO

Kristina Paider – “KP” – is a world-class marketer and storyteller.

Her company (and book), The Hollywood Approach, is a
platform that leverages the art and neuroscience
of story to help people accelerate results in
their business and life.

KP’s executive track record includes

overseeing the marketing and research for
a $10 billion global hotel advisory company
and two hotel tech companies, all while
moonlighting as a screenwriter. Her action-
thriller screenplay, Mindgate, is centered
around fMRI technology that is used for neuro-
research on story.

She travels by motorcycle, jumps into waterfalls and is a guest chocolate chef.

AMP UP YOUR BUSINESS WITH BINGE-WORTHY STORY

TACTICS—HERE’S HOW

Want to see how we can help you amp up your storytelling hub, through a workshop
or editorial services? Contact us here for a free, no obligation planning call:
http://awesome.convinceandconvert.com/science-of-story-workshop/

We will teach you and your team everything you need to know to infuse your
marketing and communication with storytelling tactics that produce results.

Credit: Cobra Kai and The Karate Kid. Photo source: MovieStillsDB