This month, “Steve”, or Steve Burns, from the popular Nickelodeon kid’s show Blue’s Clues, shared a twitter video on Nick Jr. that has gotten a lot of attention. To the tune of 34M views and counting, in fact. Through an outpouring of positive reposts, memes and stories, we’ve seen that this video has created a profound impact. It has mostly affected members of the generation that watched him daily during his seven-year tenure on the show from 1996-2002.
Steve from Blue’s Clues came back after twenty years away to deliver a two-minute message that was simple, yet moving. We happened to notice it also featured the three elements we value so highly in presentations here at Ethos3. He utilized the tools of engage, empathize, and energize to deliver a performance that will be remembered for years to come. First, watch the clip below in case you missed it. Next, we’ll break this down.
So about that time Steve went off to college… #BluesClues25 pic.twitter.com/O8NOM2eRjy
— Nick Jr. (@nickjr) September 7, 2021
Engage
To start off his narrative, Steve from Blue’s Clues simply asked, “Hi, you got a second?” It was a heartfelt, genuine opening. Then, he went on to tell a quick, relatable story asking his viewers if they recalled things from the show like getting the mail and talking to Mr. Salt. He discussed abruptly telling viewers he was leaving for college and introducing them to his new friend Joe–never to be seen again. Then he asked another very simple question, “Can we just talk about that?”.
Empathize
Steve from Blue’s Clues acknowledged the human experience in his narrative. He lets his viewers know why he left the show, after so much speculation all of these years. Steve really did go to college! And he shared that college was challenging. As it turns out, life thereafter has been, too. Which, now more than ever, is incredibly relatable no matter who you are. However, he also revealed that leaving ultimately lead him to where he is now. Living out his dreams, he said, would not have been possible “without your help.”
Energize
Perhaps the most clever of the tools Steve from Blue’s Clues utilizes is energize. Of course, Steve doesn’t have anything he’s selling directly in this appearance, so differs slightly from a typical presentation. But it’s important to take an honest look at how he accomplishes this. He lets his audience know that they helped him when he was younger, and they’re still helping him today. “And that’s super cool.” Steve goes on to share that he never forgot his audience. Now, who isn’t energized by feeling seen and validated? He layers on some more compliments like “whatever you’re doing, it’s working.” But! The magic is in this simple phrase: “I’m super glad we’re still friends.” Talk about a subtle call-to-action. As a deep-dive society, it’s easy to imagine that many listeners instantly looked up what he’s doing now, and maybe even boosted streaming numbers for the music he’s making now.
Key Take-Aways
One of the reasons Steve from Blue’s Clues’ message was so powerful was his use of simple language. Of course, this may come naturally to him, as it’s where he is most experienced—speaking with children. However, science shows us that speaking to your audience at an elementary level yields great results. Another Steve who did this flawlessly was Steve Jobs from Apple.
The second reason that this talk was so successful was that it told a relatable story. Audiences are craving connection, understanding, and answers now more than ever before. So, here, not only did Steve from Blue’s Clues answer a 20-year old mystery in why he left the show, he told his viewers he understood how hard life has been lately, then connected with them on a personal level by stating helpful they’ve been in his life.
I hope you’ll consider bringing a little bit of “Steve” to your next presentation.
As a presenter, you are the reason we get to help tell the compelling stories we love telling. We get to join you at the table, understand your viewpoint, and stand in your shoes for a time to collaborate on the presentations that, quite literally, change the world. Thanks for making meaning in our space, too. As it turns out, your story really matters. Let’s make magic together, shall we?
