I recently saw the latest Pixar film ‘Up’ and it had me thinking about corporate comms and my sector. The film deals with themes such as loss and personal hardship – ie. a story highly relevant to current times.
The youngest protagonist is an affable boy – an overeager Wilderness Explorer named Russell and probably the first Asian- American in a leading screen role. Mr Fredrickson, his aging widower companion, is also an atypical lead. For much of the film he is holding his ‘inflated’ house up like a balloon on a string.
Whether intentional or not, the film offers an understated metaphor for the inflated house-prices of the past and the world we live in today. UK and US homeowners are still living through the house-bubble crisis and perhaps for years to come.
I think the writers of ‘Up’ can teach business leaders a thing or two about how to engage with audiences: tell human stories; ensure the message is relevant; and, deliver it with a lightness of touch.
Given the current crisis in “housing” I always thought the banks should could do more to modify their corporate messages – or to at least acknowledge the reality of negative equity, foreclosures, etc. Sure, some banks like Barclays have softer-sounding CEOs, but for the most part the change in approach has not happened. Which is disappointing and also a missed business opportunity.
Back to ‘Up’ [SPOILER ALERT], there is a touching scene near the end of the film in which Mr Fredrickson’s house begins to descend towards an earthly end. Given the focus of the house throughout the story, this is a sort of crisis point. The young Russell looks up and tries to comfort his friend:
“I’m sorry you lost your house”
Mr Fredricksen, watching his house disappear through a cloud, stares listlessly and shrugs, “It’s just a house”.
Filed under: Uncategorized , Corporate Comms
