Storytelling & Emotive Digital Strategy

Jessica Quillin, PhDChief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder, Atelier 36

jessica@atelier-36.comatelier-36.com

The Story about Story

•Today’s digital storytellers need to create transmedia experiences.

•Companies must engage with consumers rather than at them with a brand authentic story.

•The measure of success with brand storytelling is about appealing to a consumer’s emotions.

Consumers Love Brand Story

•Consumers respond to a brand’s vision and story when they buy things.

•A company’s story is a powerful part of brand identification that can create consumers for life.

•Consumers are interested in quality, craftsmanship, and provenance.

Brands Write Their Own Story

• Source: Michael Lazerow and Linda Abraham, “How Social Media Influences Consumer Behavior,” http://www.slideshare.net/lazerow/how-social-media-influences-consumer-behavior

Build Build Brand Brand Story; Story;

Get FansGet Fans

Brand Brand Messages Messages

Reach Reach Consumers Consumers

through through News FeedNews Feed

Fans Fans “Talk” “Talk” about about

News Feed News Feed ContentContent

News Feed News Feed Content Content

Spreads to Spreads to “Friends”“Friends”

Maximum Maximum Reach; ROIReach; ROI

1. Cut-Through II. Engagement III. Amplification

Companies need strategy and story to achieve maximum ROI.

Engage...

Make the Leap ... Get People Involved

• Consumers who engage with brands over social media demonstrate a deeper emotional commitment to the brands.

• While the average billion-dollar company spends $750,000 a year on social media, many big companies invest significantly more.

Source: Bain & Company, “Putting Social Media to Work,” 12 Sept 2011, http://www.bain.com/publications/articles/putting-social-media-to-work.aspx

Engage at All Levels

•

It’s All About Social Currency

Digital “Storytelling”• “Storytelling” refers to taking a

story-specific approach to marketing, as opposed to a message- or product-driven one.

• “Story” is about establishing an authentic brand voice and a strong unifying concept.

• “Transmedia narrative” refers to a consistent, brand-identifiable story across all digital media platforms.

Digital Storytelling

Techniques• “Plot” or storyline – i.e., a course of action or series of events – that can be developed across different media outlets.

• Intriguing “characters” or actors (whether a person, product, or idea) to carry out the action.

• A simple, pervasive way to tell different parts of the story across various media outlets.

And the Moral is...

•Use social media as a part of a strategic plan to articulate and grow your brand story.

•Don’t be afraid of mini-narratives or focused storytelling to tailor efforts to key consumers.

•Watch, measure, understand, and respond to learn what makes your consumers tick.