Storytelling has always been a part of our lives; the stories could enable one to forward a real or fictional message to other people. A few simple facts about stories in our lives are:
This is why nowadays in the most consumption oriented times for people, the opinion leaders have become “brands,” which customers look up to. Brands have spotted the opportunity to get more personal with a customer and a potential customer, build a relationship, engage and have interaction in order to make him associate with a brand or a product.
Thanks to the fact that the customer has evolved and nowadays uses various internet devices, brands not only invest their time to tell interesting or moving stories but also to communicate via various channels accessible on these devices. This is how Transmedia Storytelling has become a brands’ goal to provide each target group with interaction and personalized message so that the receiver/audience will take action and respond to it actively.
One of the most respected and also popular media and communication professor, Henry Jenkins, has described this evolution of a relationship between brand and customer as:
“We are in a moment of a transition, where spectatorial culture is giving way to participatory culture.” – Henry Jenkins
Henry Jenkins on:
Transmedia
Participatory culture
The definition of Transmedia Storytelling could be stated, as a technique of storytelling via multiple channels and media platforms, where each of them adds an unique value and customer experience into the story. The goals and requirements of transmedia storytelling are:
Here are a couple of examples of Transmedia Storytelling by brands:
Jay-Z ang Bing campaign
Barack Obama campaign supported by American artists
The Hunger Games campaign promotion
Sources:
Henry Jenkins, MIT professor
Transmedia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibJaqXVaOaI
Participatory culture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gPm-c1wRsQ
Jay-Z Bing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5776HPNeHA
Barack Obama campaign https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z2fPi2VtQI
The Hunger Games campaign https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNaDjJ-lsKQ
Questions:
Have you heard or noticed Transmedia Storytelling? Please give an example.
What kind of stories and channels are, in your opinion, the most interesting for the audience?
Have you ever taken a part in the campaign which allowed you to interact with a brand and follow its story?
- We all love to listen to stories told by other people, we also like to share our stories with close ones like friends, relatives and family.
- We use them as a communication tool with other people.
- The stories differentiate us from other people.
- Interesting stories live forever and stay in our families, societies, culture and history.
Thanks to the fact that the customer has evolved and nowadays uses various internet devices, brands not only invest their time to tell interesting or moving stories but also to communicate via various channels accessible on these devices. This is how Transmedia Storytelling has become a brands’ goal to provide each target group with interaction and personalized message so that the receiver/audience will take action and respond to it actively.
One of the most respected and also popular media and communication professor, Henry Jenkins, has described this evolution of a relationship between brand and customer as:
“We are in a moment of a transition, where spectatorial culture is giving way to participatory culture.” – Henry Jenkins
Henry Jenkins on:
Transmedia
Participatory culture
The definition of Transmedia Storytelling could be stated, as a technique of storytelling via multiple channels and media platforms, where each of them adds an unique value and customer experience into the story. The goals and requirements of transmedia storytelling are:
- The stories use the content in a specified context, which enables the audience to remember it better.
- A brand starts communication with a story, not a product.
- The content does not promote a product or brand itself, it becomes a part of it.
- The audience is encouraged to take active action in following and looking for new elements of a story.
- The audience interacts with a brand while being engaged, not only as a participant but also as a creator.
Here are a couple of examples of Transmedia Storytelling by brands:
Jay-Z ang Bing campaign
Barack Obama campaign supported by American artists
The Hunger Games campaign promotion
Sources:
Henry Jenkins, MIT professor
Transmedia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibJaqXVaOaI
Participatory culture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gPm-c1wRsQ
Jay-Z Bing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5776HPNeHA
Barack Obama campaign https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z2fPi2VtQI
The Hunger Games campaign https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNaDjJ-lsKQ
Questions:
Have you heard or noticed Transmedia Storytelling? Please give an example.
What kind of stories and channels are, in your opinion, the most interesting for the audience?
Have you ever taken a part in the campaign which allowed you to interact with a brand and follow its story?
Comments
I personally like such kind of marketing, if it's well done. Otherwise it would be a nuisance, to be targeted by product or service which we don't need or like.
the most interesting for people are the channels that go through the Internet, but it doesn't necessarily mean the other channels are left unvieved/unheard.
But when we think longer about it we could see that nowadays every biger brand try to communicate with some longer story (storytelling), not only short marketing advertisement.
In my opinion this is made for making money, specifically looking at customers as a source of money.
A lot of fans are able to pay thousands for stuff they like (example Star War fans). I know this is business
and a lot of company are being more and more creative and find better ways to make money on innocent people, which is sad but you can’t change the world and definitely not alone. It’s getting hard and harder to become famous and rich that’s why people start find new ways into doing so.
I like the idea of transmedia storytelling in advertising: "brand starts communication with a story, not a product". I think that advertisements that show only the product, and keep talking about the product, are extremely dull and - sadly - very popular. It would be much cooler if more ads contained some kind of a story - that way they wouldn't be so annoying :)
We are tired of advertisements being shoved down our throats everywhere, so companies had to find other ways. It's more 'show, don't tell' these days. I must say, I like this form much more than Very Obvious PR (TM); it's much subtler. I love Allegro's ads, they are soooo touching :3 Of course, we are still being manipulated. We are supposed to associate certain emotions with the given brand.
I've always loved creative street advertising which encourages people to interact with it, so as to "complete" the message; like for example: a bus stop ad with a mirroring surface thanks to which our face/we become part of it. Again, through making it personal, people get much more engaged.
Also - the real question is does Coca-Cola Santa Claus count as transmedia stroytelling?
I suppose so - i have just been to London where advertising campaigns are very interesting and really nice to look at. Right now we are around the time of Father’s Day, so for example Jack Daniels had their billboards in the tube stations where they were telling short story about Jack Daniels’ family background, his own history and the whole idea of course had an ending with the point that it is a really great idea to buy Jack Daniels for your father.
What kind of stories and channels are, in your opinion, the most interesting for the audience?
I really don’t know, but as far as i can observe, I see that usually there is a lot of hard work/experience-from-the-bottom-to-the-top stories which are connected with our basic interests.
Have you ever taken a part in the campaign which allowed you to interact with a brand and follow its story?
Hmm maybe tasting Pepsi and Coca Cola in the same cups and deciding which one tastes better? But i am not sure if it qualifies as that :)