A Genius and Innovative Storytelling

This is (part of) the story of Jack Andraka, a genius.

Andraka is currently a grad student studying electrical engineering and anthropology at Stanford, where he is, according to MIT Solve, conducting 'research on nanorobots and inkjet-printed biosensors for environmental contaminants and infectious diseases.'

So yah. Smart cookie.

Our story begins when Andraka was 15. He developed a test for the early detection of pancreatic cancer.

This earned him the prestigious the 2012 Intel ISEF Gordon Moore Award. And... it meant that Intel could tell the story of how he developed this innovative test - in an innovative way.

I don't want to spoil it. Just enjoy Look Inside:

On Day 8 of 12 Days of Content, I'm celebrating this sweet little story because of its narrative arc. It's a chronology of events we don't expect. Intel has reversed the order of things.

From the first scene, as a teenager jumps out of the audience, we're hooked. Who is this kid, so emotional about this win?

There's a deftness to tracing back the steps that lead to the win, and the payoff to the audience is that brilliant line 'if only someone had started looking earlier, like fifth period freshman biology class.'

Boom. Mic drop.

Changing up the chronology of story is a way to grab your audience's attention, and non-linear storytelling can be a wonderful trip.

It can also be frustrating. We've all seen films with flashbacks and flash forwards that leave you wondering where the heck you are in a plot line. (Hello Inception, I'm looking at you).

In a two-minute magical carpet ride, the story is told, we've met Andraka and... Intel as a brand has connected itself firmly in our minds to innovation. I'd also like to offer that this story is a perfect length.

Celebrating someone else to build brand affinity

So often, marketing is about telling your audience why you're the top choice: your product/service might be faster/cheaper/more holistic.. but ultimately it's about 'choose us.'

I love when brands connect themselves to something bigger, something outside themselves. In funding awards that celebrate innovation and research, Intel is indirectly building/strengthening its own brand.

It can't be measured by MQLs, SQLs or conversion rates, but Look Inside reminds us that telling the story of someone else's genius can ultimately build brand affinity. I was ambivalent towards Intel before I saw this piece. It was a sticker on my older laptop.

But when I heard about Jack Andraka, what he'd done, this prize sponsored by Intel ... I started to look at the company differently. And that's exactly what these storytellers wanted me to do.

Good storytellers know there's more to it than 'buy now.'

I believe great stories (of any age) should be celebrated. And while a partridge in a pear tree sounds lovely, I'd much rather gift 12 Days of Content into the this December. So here we are.

Here are the 12 Days of Content:

• Day 1: How The Guardian turned a fairy tale on its head to connect with audiences
• Day 2: How 84 Lumber packed a political punch about a wall - and earned brand awareness
• Day 3: How Save the Children told the Story of Need
• Day 4: When a Brand's Manifesto Taps into a National Identity
• Day 5: Telling a Story Without a Narrator
• Day 6: Brands and The Nostalgia Effect on Consumers
• Day 7: Using Music to Move Your Audience
• Day 8: A Genius and Innovative Storytelling
• Day 9: When the Audience Adds Meaning to the Story
• Day 10: Telling a Compelling Story from a Product POV
• Day 11: Words Matter, Even in a Social Video Era
• Day 12: Cheers! To an Epically Beautiful Brand Narrative