Best Practice in Creating Transmedia Entertainment
Sao Paulo, Brazil Sept 29th 2012
Robert Pratten CEO & Founder, Transmedia Storyteller Ltd
@robpratten
Transmedia Storyteller Ltd “be remarkable”
Transmedia’s Top 5 Best Practice
Best Practice in Transmedia Entertainment & Marketing
• Plan for DISCOVERABILITY
• Plan for RETENTION
• Ignite the CORE
• Plan for PARTICIPATION
• Satisfy a range of APPETITES
Bake in Discoverability
App for discovery?
Units released in 2011
Movies (US Theatrical)
iOS apps (App Store)
300,000
600
Discoverability
• Be remarkable – relevant
– resonant
– right production value
• Be spreadable – empower advocates
– free, giftable
Tell stories on social media
Facebook discoverability
Incit
Incitement Bristol,UK 2012; by splash & ripple
Be surprising, playful and live?
Be Sticky
Audience types
TV/Web Series + Open Storyworld
EPISODIC Video
AUDIENCE-DRIVEN PARTICIPATION on SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook + TV/Web series Fly Apples Tony Car
Tony
Car
Fly
Old
Brian Richard
Episode 1 : Funeral Episode 2 : Mother’s Day
Script
Ignite the core
Empower advocates
Metrics
• Marketing budget = $0
• Production budget = $500
• Total Net Kindle Revenue (2011) = $1748
• Total shipments on Kindle Jan 1st to Dec 31st 2011 = 972 (retail price at Amazon.com $2.94)
• Number of people connecting to Lauren Ortega on email = 83 = 9% of total sales
• Video views of Episode 1 (Jan 1st to Dec 31st 2011) = 4727
Sales vs Social Media (Lowlifes)
NB: “video views” used as simple proxy for trend of social media activity. Wasn’t the sole activity also included email, Twitter, Facebook etc.
Sales vs Social Media (Lowlifes)
Tipping point
“Big on Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn”
Kony 2012
Image from http://krishk.com/2012/04/kony-slactivism-justice/
Ignited core says to curators (with large audiences) “I’m relevant”
Attribution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28208534@N07/2873123033/
Plan for Participation
Audience participation opportunities
What will the audience do? How will they be engaged?
Companion Actor
Outsider Observer
THINK
FEEL
DO
Moral dilemmas, meaningful choices
Role-play, provide building blocks
Reflection, consideration Exploring, discovering
Satisfy all Appetites
For the commute to work
Before that night’s show
The TV show
After the show Something for the weekend
The Walking Dead – from snack to feast
The Roswell Experience Find GPS coordinates of alien landing. Daily question emailed to subscribers for 14 days. Answers unlocked via check-in at local stores and points-of-interest
Needs deep dive
Snack
Feast
Alien casual game
You are a PERFECT HOST for alien explorers. Your
willingness to keep an alien lovechild and tell nobody has
been noted and will be rewarded.
You are an EXHIBITIONIST who seeks celebrity in two solar
systems. We are wary of you but we may use you if it suits
our cause.
You are a SILENT RECLUSE. You crave alien attention but are
afraid to show your affection.
You are an EARTH WARRIOR - ready to make a stand against alien invasion and exploration.
You are not to be trusted.
SECRET PUBLIC
BIRTH
KILL
Text ALIEN TEST to (575) 208 5005
Transmedia’s Top 5 Best Practice
Discoverability
Retention Participation
ignite the Core all Appetites