At IBM, Slow Blink was enlisted to help bring IBM’s global voice to focus.
In 2023, Bretty joined a team of storytellers to help consolidate IBM’s global blog ecosystem into a single storytelling center — IBM Think — and publish cutting edge articles about the ever-changing landscape of work, technology, and sustainability. Since then, Bretty has helped develop key narrative frameworks for inbound content channels.
digital environments
With 10 years of experience working in WordPress and CMS environments, Bretty co-managed the development of IBM’s process documents for publishing on Think Insights, and has also held post-migration content projects, SEO enhancement projects, and more.
Bretty works with a team of storytelling to think, curate, and publish thought leadership articles on topics such as food traceability technologies, innovation in schools and classrooms, and case studies showing how new technologies are solving age-old challenges.
In 2024, Bretty was tasked with creating a narrative framework for one of their fastest growing inbound content channels, What’s New.
structure is a strategy
Pulling from his background in craft and creating writing, Bretty turned a classical narrative structure — ABDCE — into a content strategy for a key inbound content channel.
The What’s New editorial team was trying to solve three interrelated challenges: 1) an influx of monthly submissions for publication, 2) limited editorial bandwidth, and 3) an inconsistent quality in content. Bretty solved these challenges with craft: by applying a narrative structure to the content guidelines for the inbound content channel.
ABDCE is a classical storytelling technique that general audiences are hard-wired to receive: action, background, development, conflict, and ending. Bretty placed this structure at the center of the content guidelines for the channel, requiring all posts to follow, and contain, these five elements: announcement, background, details, case studies, and engagement. This gave IBM’s subject matter experts an easy-to-grasp form, and frame, for their articles. It not only led to a higher quality of submissions, but it also reduced the time spent on the editorial process.
Most recently, Bretty applied the Story Anchors technique to help brand and name an internal communications channel, “Think With Us.”
an achor for internal audiences
As a part of an editorial overhaul, Bretty helped brand and name an IBM-wide communications channel using the fundamentals of Story Anchors.
For the first time since 2023, Bretty co-led a month-long editorial overhaul, rebranding and refreshing the content guidelines for IBM’s inbound content channels. Bretty used a fundamental aspect of the Story Anchor process, bridging the gap between internal and external audiences. Named “Think with us,” this communication channel invites IBMers to learn how to produce, curate, and publish industry-leading content for their target audiences.
Craft is what connects content to an audience.
Testimonials
“I’m still relatively new at IBM and work with a lot of people across the company, and you are hands-down one of the most positive, proactive, and easy people to work with.”
Matt D., Senior Product Marketing Manager, IBM
“Our partner was super excited about the work we did here, and it’s because of the vision you saw for the expanded piece.”
Christopher B., External Relations Manager for Developer Ecosystems, IBM
“You’re a rockstar.”
Chris L., Digital Data & Analytics Strategist, IBM