Regardless of how you feel about the death of Osama bin Laden earlier this month, there’s no denying that it’s the single largest news story to ever hit in the age of 24-hour cable news and social media. It may sound like an odd question, but what impact does bin Laden’s death have on how our businesses communicate? What does this event reveal about the world with which we communicate?

As soon as the news broke, the analysis began, long before any details were in. What are the long-term impacts on the war on terror? What’s the impact on the Pakistani-US relationship? What will world reaction be?

Within a week, cable channels were running documentaries on the SEAL mission and retrospectives on 9/11 and the life of bin Laden. The same types of stories could be found in news magazines, newspapers and on news websites.

The lesson for businesses is that while stories spread incredibly fast in 2011, people’s desire for analysis has grown even faster. People want to know “How does this impact me? What does this mean for my life?”

To take it a step further, maybe it’s no longer enough to report a fact. Now, it needs to be explained or given context. In a business context, this means it’s not enough to make claims about your product or service. It’s more important than ever to explain why those claims are important, and what impact they have on our audiences, whether they’re B2B customers or consumers.

You manufacture a tougher, cheaper plastic bag—so what? What impact does it have on my bottom line? How will it benefit my customers? How will your more capable, faster software help my company improve its cash flow?

Customers are demanding more and more that we cut to the chase and explain how our products and services get a company from point A to point B. Trade Press Services can help your company craft messages that resonate with your potential clients. Call us at (805) 496-8850 or e-mail [email protected].