I don’t watch Lost. My excuse is not a good one. I just didn’t watch at the beginning – then felt like I couldn’t catch up. That said, I have a great deal of respect for the show.

It’s an old school drama that is leading the way in a reality world. And it weaves a story so compelling that its network let it run its course despite the fact that it was only going to lose audience as it moved towards completion (really, with all the plot complexities and questions, how many people were just going to “jump in” during Season Six?).

I recently listened to an interview with Carlton Cuse, one of the show’s head writers. As he talked about Lost for an hour – again, a show I really know nothing about – I became more and more interested in what he was saying. In describing his approach to writing the show, I felt like he was describing a strategic approach to brand management.

I thought he made four points that act as good reminders for any marketer building a brand via storytelling.

Embrace the community. Cuse said the writers write with intentional ambiguity. Think about that. Intentional ambiguity works to get fans involved. The show is meant to be discussed. In the world of branding, ambiguity sounds scary. But it can be a powerful engagement tool.

Execution really matters. In television, the premise is much less important than the execution of the premise. Exhibit A: Seinfeld. Exhibit B: Friends. The concept for Lost started as “Let’s do a show about a plane crash and an island.” Great execution can make an average idea powerful. It rarely works the other way around.

Don’t over-think it. The pilot for Lost was done – start to finish – in eleven weeks. That’s unheard of. On one hand, it’s amazing it got done. On the other, there wasn’t time to think it to death. Decisions were made. The creators got to trust their vision. There is always a reason not to do something. When the potential is great, we need to find more reasons to say yes.

Evolve. Cuse’s advice? You have to be willing to try things. The writers introduce characters based on both the storyline and ideas they have for great characters. They know there are lots of pieces. The show will tell you what it wants to be. They manage accordingly. How are you listening to your brand’s story?

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