Transmedia Development& The New World Model<Keynote – April 28th, 2010>

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gunther Sonnenfeld, Principal | ThinkState

creation of possibility

contextcontentconsensuscauseco-creation experience

collective intelligence |sentience |value systems |media transcendence

WHAT

TRANSMEDIA IS AND CAN BE…

“Transmedia stories are those which ‘unfold across multiple media platforms with each new text making a distinctive and valuable contribution to the whole.’” -Henry Jenkins, Father of Transmedia, Director of the MIT Comparative Studies Program

"There are short stories and multi-volume epics; transmedia narrative is a way of conveying messages, themes, and stories -- a tool or methodology if you will. We try to distinguish transmedia narrative implementation from standard terminology such as advertising campaigns, although the two can co-exist or overlap." - Jeff Gomez, Transmedia Pioneer, CEO of Starlight Runner Entertainment

“Transmedia doesn’t just promote brands and products. It also promotes itself.”                                                                                                            -Ivan Askwith

‘STORYMAKING’ VERSUS ‘STORYTELLING’

STORYMAKING INVOLVES THE ACTIVATION OF LEGACY, AND THE BIRTH OF AN IDEA.

STORYTELLING INVOLVES THE INTERPRETATION OF THAT LEGACY WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF EXPERIENCE.

becoming a “transmedialist”

As chaotic and far-reaching as it is,

MEDIA, as a practice, has already begun to

COLLAPSE onto itself.

The problem with ‘branded content’ is that it PRESUPPOSES two fundamental things: that it is of GOOD QUALITY, and that brands are AUTOMATICALLY IMPORTANT or relevant.

“An interesting problem (we face) — some marketers aren’t interested in storytelling. Most storytellers aren’t interested in marketing.”

- Ivan Askwith, Director of Strategy, Big Spaceship

- As articulated by Scott Walker

Yet storytelling is the very fiber of why we exist.And further, why we make purchases.

Stories give us something to believe in, before and after a purchase is made.

Or, when we simply can’t.

INTEGRATED MEDIA VERSUS TRANSMEDIA

INTEGRATED (linear)

TRANSMEDIA (non-linear)

narrative

channel

< campaign/promotion >

campaign/promotion campaign/promotion campaign/promotion campaign/promotion campaign/promotion campaign/promotion

REDEFINING THE PLANNING PROCESS

What if we no longer had to look at media initiatives as separate from BUSINESS SOLUTIONS? Or better yet, separate

from NEW BUSINESSES?

Further, what if CAUSES, of all types, were PROFITABLE to everyone involved???

It all begins and lives on with good

STORYTELLING.

With TRANSMEDIA, the OPPORTUNITY to extract the potential of advertising, media or literary OBJECTS and formalize them into vibrant, ongoing NARRATIVES is always available to us.

In fact, they BEG for it.

STORIES are the creation and/or reorganization of information

through experiences we can relate to and interact with.

“We are living in a time where technology enables us, and the state of the world requires us, to use new media not only as a revolutionary marketing tool, but as way to galvanize the consumer to participate in transforming the future. 21st century branding is not just about making consumers’ lives better... It’s about making the world better.”

   - Michael Fox, Founder of Humanitainment

transMEDIAPLANning.

“Content isn’t king, it’s now a Republic.”

-Faris Yakob, Chief Innovation Officer, MDC Partners

CAUSES[plus]

© Gunther Sonnenfeld 2009

THE NEW

model

= [equals]

Planners, media buyers, analysts, developers and account people who are skeptical will inevitably ask:

“Stories don’t necessarily sell product or services, why should we

care?”

[The answer:]

Because you can sell more of everything, without having to actually sell anything.

It doesn’t matter where the story came from, what matters is where it goes.

From there, the decision to purchase has already been made.

In truth, a narrative never really dies, it just keeps reinventing itself.

So keep selling campaigns [if you must], but remember that to consumers, brands are forever. Until we convince them otherwise (which we are good at doing).

consensus

context & relatedness

value co-creation

- As articulated by Scott Walker

CAUSE

CONTENT

SERVICE

EXPERIENCE

PRODUCT

story

story

story

story

1. Contextualize2. Narrate3. Productize4. Deliver

legacy experiences

source: John Kim

source: John Kim

KEN EKLUND POINTS TO EXTRACTING MYTHOLOGY FROM CIRCUMSTANCE AND MAKING IT AN ACTIVE PART OF CULTURE.

WHAT JENKINS HAS ALSO ESTABLISHED AS ‘HARVESTING’.

BIRTHERS HARVEST AND PROLIFERATE IDEAS.

IDEAS ARE THE FABRIC OF OUR EXISTENCE, BECAUSE THEY CAN T-RA-N-S-C-E-N-D TIME AND SPACE.

CAUSES ARE THE backdrop FOR OUR LEGACIES, OUR IMMORTALITY.

CAUSES, AND THEIR RESULTING STORIES, ARE THE very balance THAT COMPRISES THE MEDIUM.

FROM THERE, THE POSSIBILITIES ARE limitless.

Let’s EXPLORE.

TRANSmedia ition

migration lation gression continental

narrative fusion itivity

mission lucent act

ceive cription cultural

disciplinary

SCENDENT