Cameron Olds
Today we have Cameron Olds, co-founder and president of Protagonist Communications. Cameron is a StoryBrand certified guide who helps organizations communicate clearly and uniquely. He works with founders and operators of multi-billion dollar companies to help them not sound like their competition and make sure their message is consistent across all channels.
Table of Contents
Download Our Free SEO Guide Here!
Who is Cameron Olds?
Cameron is a Utah native born and raised in the small town of American Fork. He studied public relations and corporate communication at Utah State University. He originally wanted to be a Hollywood director, he loves filmmaking. In high school he competed in several 48 hour film festivals and won first place more than once and even competed nationally.
From Filmmaking to Marketing
Cameron’s transition from filmmaking to marketing was a natural progression. He says:
“What I loved about filmmaking and directing was the structure of the story. How do you organize the elements to get a specific reaction or response by the end of the film? I was very much a structuralist, I loved how to methodically organize a story to make it interesting and effective.”
This interest in narrative structure eventually led Cameron to discover the same principles in public relations and marketing. He found he could apply much of what he loved about filmmaking to the marketing and communication side of things and that’s how he ended up where he is today.
Current Projects That Cameron is Working On
Cameron is working on two projects:
- Book: Cameron is writing a book on the virtue of moderation, temperance and self-mastery. The book will explore these concepts not just in a political sense but in everyday life. He says: “I’m studying who are some examples of people that have reached across the aisle, compromised and done the hard work of navigating different ideas, consolidating and synthesizing and bringing people together. I really admire that when I see it in a leader, regardless of political affiliation, even in business.”
- AI-Powered Messaging Tool: Cameron and his team at Protagonist Communications have developed a custom AI tool using OpenAI’s ChatGPT to help with brand messaging: “We’ve created a custom backend version of Message Playbook that we train ChatGPT on. One of the end deliverables of Message Playbook is a ChatGPT bot that’s specifically and uniquely trained on your key messages. You can interact with it and it spits out on-message copy and ideas 99% of the time.”
Cameron’s Tactical and Strategic Brand Messaging Advice
What is the StoryBrand Framework
Cameron explains the StoryBrand framework by Donald Miller is a 7 part messaging framework that distills the best storytelling of the last 2000 years. The framework is made up of 7 parts:
- Who is the hero (your audience)
- What is the problem
- Who is the guide (your brand)
- What is the plan
- Call to action
- What are the stakes (what happens if they don’t act)
- What is the picture of success
How to use StoryBrand in your marketing
To use the StoryBrand framework Cameron recommends:
- Understand Your Customer’s Problem: Dive deep into the specific problem your product or service solves. Cameron says: “Ask customers, conduct interviews. You can mine reviews of your product and service on Google or Amazon. Look for how they’re describing the problem and how they feel about it.”
- Who is Your Unique Solution: Understand how your product solves the customer’s problem uniquely. Cameron says: “Start looking at how you are unique, how you are different from the competition. When you start talking about yourself as the guide, let that come to the forefront.”
- Consistency Across Channels: Make sure your messaging is consistent across all platforms. Cameron says: “Marketing is an exercise in memorization. You should be saying the same thing over and over again on all of your channels, whether it’s your blog, website or email nurture sequences.”
- Use the Framework as a Filter: Cameron recommends using the StoryBrand framework as a litmus test for all your marketing communications: “If it isn’t on message, it doesn’t go out. If it’s not based on one of the key messages, it shouldn’t be said.”
- Stay the Course: Cameron says: “Stay the course, make sure you’re disciplined. Discipline yourself, discipline your team, because it’s only after constant repetition that people start to understand who you are.”
Creativity vs Clarity
Cameron addresses the concern of feeling constrained by the framework:
“The Message Playbook and the StoryBrand framework isn’t meant to be so rigid you can’t be creative. In fact there’s a T.S. Eliot quote I love. He basically says if you just let your imagination run wild, you won’t produce good work. But if you force yourself to work and think within a framework, your output will be so much better.”
He adds that within the 7 key messages there are thousands of ways to combine and orchestrate your message creatively while staying on brand.
How to Measure Brand Messaging
To measure the effectiveness of your brand messaging Cameron recommends:
- Customer feedback sessions
- Focus groups
- Surveys
- A/B testing different parts of your messaging
- Conversion rates and engagement rates
Cameron says your Message Playbook isn’t static: “You’ll always learn a lot from letting it out into the wild and seeing how it behaves.”
Where Does Cameron See the Future of Brand Messaging?
Cameron sees the future of brand messaging evolving in several ways:
- AI Integration: The use of AI tools, like the custom ChatGPT bot Cameron’s team has developed, will become more prevalent in assisting with consistent brand messaging.
- Increased Personalization: As technology advances, brands will be able to tailor their messages more precisely to individual consumers.
- Adaptability: With the rapidly changing digital landscape, brand messaging strategies will need to be more flexible and adaptable to new platforms and technologies.
- Focus on Authenticity: As consumers become more discerning, authentic and transparent brand messaging will become even more critical.
- Cross-Platform Consistency: With the proliferation of digital platforms, maintaining a consistent brand message across all channels will be both more challenging and more important.
How to Get in Contact with Cameron
If you’re interested in learning more about StoryBrand or getting help with your brand messaging, you can connect with Cameron in the following ways:
- LinkedIn: Follow Cameron Olds on LinkedIn for insights and updates.
- Website: Visit Protagonist Communications for more information about their services.
- Free Message Audit: Cameron offers a free message audit where he analyzes 50 different pieces of your content using the StoryBrand framework. This comes with a free Q&A call with Cameron afterward. To request this, you can reach out through the Protagonist Communications website.
Advice to His Younger Self
When asked what advice he would give to his younger self, Cameron reflected on his journey from aspiring filmmaker to marketing expert. While he didn’t directly answer this question in the interview, based on his career path and insights, he might advise his younger self to:
- Embrace the storytelling skills you’re developing through filmmaking – they’ll be valuable in unexpected ways.
- Stay open to new opportunities and ways to apply your passion for narrative structure.
- Don’t be afraid to pivot your career path if you find a field that allows you to use your skills in a new and exciting way.
- Always focus on understanding your audience, whether they’re moviegoers or potential customers.
Books, Podcasts, and Leaders That Inspire Cameron
Cameron shared several resources that have inspired and informed his work in brand messaging:
- Books:
- Online Courses:
- Aaron Sorkin’s MasterClass on Screenwriting
- Leaders and Thinkers:
- Donald Miller: The creator of the StoryBrand framework
- Robert McKee: Renowned screenwriting instructor
- Aaron Sorkin: Prolific screenwriter and producer
Cameron also mentioned his admiration for leaders who can bring people together and synthesize different ideas, both in business and politics. While he didn’t name specific individuals, he values those who can “sit in the middle of two ideas and bring people together.”
Additional Resources
For those interested in diving deeper into the concepts discussed, here are the resources Cameron recommends:
- “Building a StoryBrand” by Donald Miller: Available on Amazon
- “Story” by Robert McKee: A book on the principles of screenwriting that can be applied to brand storytelling
- Aaron Sorkin’s MasterClass on Screenwriting: Available on MasterClass
By leveraging these resources and applying the principles of StoryBrand, businesses can transform their brand messaging and create stronger, more lasting connections with their customers.
Conclusion
Cameron Olds brings a unique perspective to brand messaging, combining his background in filmmaking with the principles of the StoryBrand framework. His insights offer valuable guidance for businesses looking to differentiate themselves in crowded markets and create messaging that truly resonates with their target audience.
By focusing on understanding your customer’s problems, clearly articulating your unique solution, and consistently applying these messages across all platforms, you can create a brand story that not only captures attention but also drives action.
As Cameron emphasizes, the key to successful brand messaging lies in finding the right balance between creativity and clarity, and having the discipline to stay the course with your messaging strategy. With these principles in mind, businesses can craft compelling brand narratives that stand out in today’s competitive marketplace.
0 Comments