Last week, Powered's Aaron Strout rallied 20 marketers around a central theme: What if we penned haikus as kind of Japanese Valentine to the brands we've loved? The idea was that we each write a haiku and then link to the next author in the lineup, creating a kind of trail of breadcrumbs (or panko, perhaps?) for readers. As a writer and fan of business storytelling, I loved Aaron's idea. So here's mine, with a bonus haiku of a soul-sucking brand I recently despised.

Brand Haiku: Starbucks

Almost gave you up
Dunkin, Peet's might woo, but still
My black heart is yours.

Brand Haiku 2: A Supposedly Quaint Little Inn I Stayed at Recently but Never Will Again


There's something tragic
In weak coffee, powdered cream
To greet a fresh day.

* * * * *

So, your turn: Add your own Brand Haiku in the comments. I'll choose a winner and will send you a signed copy of my new book, Content Rules (Wiley), when it's published in ... hold on, let me count ... 15 days! I might even toss in a haiku penned just for you.

Next in the Brand Haiku series: Beth Harte. On Twitter, follow #brandhaiku.







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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

image of Ann Handley

Ann Handley is a Wall Street Journal best-selling author who recently published Everybody Writes 2. She speaks worldwide about how businesses can escape marketing mediocrity to ignite tangible results. IBM named her one of the 7 people shaping modern marketing. Ann is the Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs, a LinkedIn Influencer, a keynote speaker, mom, dog person, and writer.