Let’s be clear… when it comes to the many conversations around concepts such as ‘multiplatform’, ‘Transmedia’, ‘Immersive’ – there is just one, simple fact that we are dealing with: audience’s behaviours are changing because they have more control over when, where and how they consume stories.
Good storytelling has always been an important part of any marketing strategy but when we talk about digital marketing the core concepts need to be considered differently. ‘Digital’ doesn’t mean online platforms or using technology – those are just the tools. ‘Digital’ means ‘active audience engagement’. The ‘active’ is because there is no longer a linear delivery of story to the passive consumer – they can talk back, co-create and have more control over, not only, consumption but also directing what content they want.
We have to create story environments that are driven by ‘theme ecologies’ that have emotional resonance before creating any content strategy. The first question has to always be: “What is the core emotional (thematic) question you are asking of the audience? Remember – it’s a dialogue and not a monologue! So start a conversation…
The technology available is now ubiquitous to the point that it is a part of their lives rather than an option. This means that audiences have more creative power and so, when developing ideas, we are no longer telling them stories but sharing with them through a ‘connected dialogue’.
There is a real potential to create storyworlds to encourage a wider and longer lasting reach and, through more immersive and interactive engagement, to gain emotional resonance from a much earlier point in the strategy.
There are, however, implications!
Firstly, audiences (content consumers) are becoming content creators. As more choices become available there is a move towards being able to direct the story you are engaged with. This is why the move from linear delivery needs be less of a framework and more of an ecology. The stories depend on the imagination of the users and the outcomes have a need for shareability, so that anyone can come and play. Choice was always key but now it is about being able to choose the choices that can be made.
Secondly – we are in an industry that is about designing experiences for emotional engagement. This has always been the case but with the shift described above – this is needed in more detail and with more immediacy. If the experience you design is now more short form and interactive then there are various places where audiences can enter the storyworld and get involved.
This means that we need to really grasp all the elements of the engagement process and be able to deliver emotional resonance at a heightened level.
This leads us onto the third and, arguably, the most important point: we need to be able to measure that emotional engagement and feed it back into the ongoing design process in order to create more effective story experiences.
With the explosion of the internet as a tool for creating and interacting with social media content - engaging audiences online is becoming more and more important for our industry. As social media becomes even more ubiquitous, there are ever more innovative ways of creating online content that utilise the increasing number of tools available.
A 'tipping point' is approaching where it is not just about creating generic online content but the identification of content that is 'fit for purpose' and this is becoming harder to identify.
Within the context of more ‘connected dialogues’, this, ever-evolving, new media landscape is starting to use these social media tools to create storyworlds and look for active user engagement that is generated and driven forward online. The notion of a 'mainstream narrative experience' is getting outdated and redefined from the passive, one-to-many interactions we are used to into a more interactive, many-to-many framework.
The point is that alongside the increased value, the fragmentation of the notion of ‘an experience' puts more pieces of the puzzle in the hands of different user groups across various media landscapes. The key shift, therefore, is from a linear mode of interaction (as a facet of these experiences) to one where multiple touchpoints can form parts of an
overarching interactive experience.
In short - story is like software. Use it as a way to talk to and build a community with your, more active, consumers.
By Adipat Virdi, digital strategist and transmedia storyteller.
Adipat will be sharing more thoughts and advice on transmedia at the Digital Marketing Show 2015. Book your free ticket now!
PrivSec Conferences will bring together leading speakers and experts from privacy and security to deliver compelling content via solo presentations, panel discussions, debates, roundtables and workshops.
For more information on upcoming events, visit the website.
comments powered by Disqus