How do we go from imposing ourselves to being embraced?
The $200 billion question
(*) 2012 Global TV advertising forecast = $202bn, Zenith Optimedia December 2010
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Brands, agencies and TV stations need to develop a new approach
They will require co-operation
But considering the prize, the effort is worth itWhat if consumers embraced our messages willingly?
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Only a genius
can tell a story
in 30 seconds
or less.
For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn
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Let’s face it:
Case: Titanic is a great story, but
It just isn’t the same in 30 seconds
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http://www.angryalien.com/0604/titanicbunnies.html
We will continue with this
programme after these
important messages.
So why do we hurry? Where did the 30 second spot come from?
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What if?The 30 second orthodoxy didn’t exist?
You had the time you needed to tell the story?
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMjoEFyWn8w
• Who is my audience ?
• Why are they coming ?
• What is on their mind ?
Every storyteller asks:
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Don’t worry Mrs.
Thys, I’ll take care
of your boys.
Movie NightMinimum effort, maximum explosions
OMG Will’s in trouble, how
will he EVER get out of this
car chase alive ???
On the edge of our seats
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Impact requires context
Yesterday’s homogeneous audience has fragmented into hundreds of subsets.
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Context effects are more pronounced for TV
Context effects more pronounced in interrupting than shoulder blocks
Positive valenced context improves ad effectiveness
Marketing Communications, A European Perspective 3rd Edition, P. De Pelsmacker; Maggie Geuens and Joeri Van den Bergh, FT Prentice-Hall, 2007, p. 247
Impact requires context
Today’s fragmented audience makes context more important than ever (Mediapost, March 2011)
Suggestion #2
Don’t just plan based on
(average) numbers.
Make sure your creativity matches
the context of the programme.
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The commercial messages we
once welcomed, lost their appeal.
Share of voice
has become
Share of noise
Image: (c
) A
dam
booth
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As we move on and our interests change, so does their story
Great storytellers continuously adapt their message
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They anticipate with plot-twists and different formats
If we risk tuning out, they don’t shout louder
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Luke, I am
your father.
If I give you 30” of my life, what are you offering me in return?
Don’t be a GRP addict, yet find new ways to give your ads meaning
Suggestion #3
Plan for reach, but aim for impact.
Talk about things that have real
meaning to your audience.
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Encourage channels to come up with quality product shows
Join forces with your audience’s favourite storytellers
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Consider product placement that fits the narrative
Join forces with your audience’s favourite storytellers
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Leverage the webisode concept to digital TV
Or invite them to listen to a story you craft yourself
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This is proven by developments in social TVLive television brings unites whole tribes on Twitter, Facebook, etc.
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Many brands would like to center these conversations on themLeverage promoters, create positive WOM, “buzz.
But there’s just so little to talk about
What can you say about this?
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnfHDp19k5s
Source: http://farisyakob.typepad.com/blog/2006/10/transmedia_plan.html
We all see the same content
= no conversation value
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Media neutrality (simplified)A single idea iterated across all touchpoints
This requires remarkable contentConsider this classic from 2004
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toD0WzAbb3I
• Six seasons on TV (144 episodes)
• Online & mobile episodes
• Season prequels
• 5 graphic novels
• Games (mobile, boardgame, online, trading card)
• 11 Paperback novels
• Series of companion books
• Action figures
• Feature film (upcoming)
• Massive amounts of web & fan content
But one story doesn’t cut it in the fragmented mediascape
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Transmedia storytellers create multiple
entrypoints to the same story
FUTURELAB Transmedia planning (oversimplified)Multiple representations of a story across ≠ touchpoints
Source: http://farisyakob.typepad.com/blog/2006/10/transmedia_plan.html
We can all see different content and
are part of the conversation
Suggestion #5
Use Transmedia planning to:
• capture attention across channels,
• drive conversations,
• make people part of the story
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Summary
# 1 Take your time
# 2 Consider context
# 3 Be meaningful
# 4 Invite the audience
# 5 Go transmedia
A final thought
Storytelling is a craft
“it takes 10,000 hours of practice to
become a genius”
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Learn by doing
Set up brand-agency-media dialogues
Experiment in story and medialabs
Involve architects/puppetmasters
Try out new planning systems
Call me
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