The marketing and communications industry has evolved so rapidly in recent years, even the terms we use to describe what we do can be challenging. It’s never been tougher to put agencies into a specific bucket.

As I recently wrote for Forbes, our team here at i.e. network found success by developing strong narratives around the benefits we drive. The backbone of this is our journalistic approach to content.

The brand storytelling team at IEN is built on the value of truth-telling, and the ability to create compelling, emotional narratives.

The importance of these skills in content marketing is the theme for this month’s Elevate Briefing – the latest in our monthly series aimed at business growth leaders.

Nobody knows this better than Sean Ryan, vice president digital strategy here at IEN. He has a compelling story about his years as a reporter, and the advantage those skills he used as a journalist gave him when he shifted to content marketing.

He explains more in a recent piece, up now on the i.e. network Elevate blog. Make sure to read it by clicking the link below.

Be informed: Why an app time limit makes storytelling more vital

Apple is testing a new feature for iPhones that will allow users to set a time limit on app usage – meaning, for example, once my 30 minutes on Facebook are used up for the day, my phone lets me know.

On its own, the news isn’t much. But big picture, it’s the latest sign people are becoming more wary of screen time, and want tools to cut back. That means the ability to tell a compelling, powerful story will be even more vital for marketers.

Read why that’s the case here [i.e. network]

Key engagement: Could inspirational stories replace ad breaks?

Fox Networks Group wants to test the effectiveness of branded storytelling in place of traditional ad breaks during shows. The company introduced the concept of “Unbreakables – Stories That Heal” at Cannes Lions.

The series will feature vignettes highlighting inspirational true stories of people who overcame the odds, which will run instead of normal ad breaks. Fox is currently courting sponsors.

Read more here [Variety]

From the network: ‘A New Age’ case study

When the Medicare & Retirement division of UnitedHealthcare wanted to talk about aging in America, it saw the value of telling a story. So i.e. network, utilizing our journalism-trained team, produced a 30-minute soft documentary called “A New Age.”

The piece followed story lines across five states to craft a narrative we knew would be compelling to the audience Medicare & Retirement was targeting. The results were fascinating.

Watch the trailer and read more about IEN’s strategic process