In fact they still refill the cars with red cans that are wheeled to and from the gas pumps in little red wagons. It's all nostalgic. Yet, within all the glitz and glitter of entertainment, the cycles and synergy, it is often difficult to remember that making money is still the goal of the entertainment economy. The result is that The Entertainment Economy leaves us with interesting food for thought. It's about stories that move us, characters we can root for, ideas that transform the cultural landscape, special effects that take us to a world we've never seen before, situations and lines that make us laugh, and ideas that are universal, they forever change the way we live.
Entertainment is really about stories.
A number of scholars have argued that great business leaders are often great storytellers they create compelling stories for their organizations. Renowned education theorist Howard Gardner of Harvard has done a major study focusing on outstanding leaders. They are actually stories where there are goals and obstacles, where good and bad things can happen along the way and where the people involved feel part of the enterprise that's trying to end up in a better place. Like the heroes in stories, corporate leaders create a sense of drama, and conflict in building a corporate mythology. In effect corporate visionaries understand the key elements of building a strong story, whether this is understood consciously or unconsciously.