Storytelling and TV Advertising (No Story, No Glory)

Alain Thys
“No Story, No Glory”
FUTURELAB

The $200 billion question
How do we go fromimposingourselvestobeing embraced?
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(*) 2012 Global TV advertising forecast = $202bn, Zenith Optimedia December 2010

Or being even more ambitious
Can we get peopletohit pauseinstead of fast forward
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#ChangeMarketing:
I don’t have all the answers, but I’mwillingto look forthem.

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5 Suggestions
from the world of storytelling

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Theywillrequireco-operation
Brands, agenciesand TV stations needtodevelop a new approach

Orthodoxieswillneedtobechallenged
Especiallyiftheystopped making sense
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But considering the prize, the effort is worthit
Whatifconsumersembracedourmessageswillingly?

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Suggestion #1
Take your time

Let’s face it:
Only a genius
can tell a story
in 30 seconds
or less.
For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn
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http://www.angryalien.com/0604/titanicbunnies.html
Case: Titanic is a great story, but
It justisn’t the same in 30 seconds
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We will continue with this programme after these important messages.
Sowhy do we hurry? Where did the 30 second spot come from?

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Orthodoxy alert
Pat Weaver
& Leonard Lavin

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Orthodoxy alert
As advertising industrialised, the logic becameentrenched in the system

Whatif?
The 30 second orthodoxy didn’texist?
You had the time you needed to tell the story?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMjoEFyWn8w
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Suggestion #1
Make sure you have the time you need to tell your story
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Suggestion#2
Consider context

Every storyteller asks:
Who is my audience ?
Why are they coming ?
What is on their mind ?
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Ifyouforgettoaskthem,
Things go wrong

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“YEAEEEH!!”
Some time ago, my son and I had the house to ourselves

Movie Night
Minimum effort, maximum explosions
Don’t worry Mrs. Thys, I’ll take care of your boys.
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We had it sorted
+
+
=

On the edge of our seats
OMG Will’s in trouble, how will he EVER get out of thiscarchasealive???
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Time forsome important messages on the benefits of well-fitting female hygiene products.

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What’s wrong withthis picture?
+
+
+
Femalehygiene
Popcorn
Will Smith
2 guys

Impact requires context
Yesterday’shomogeneousaudience has fragmentedintohundreds of subsets.
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Impact requires context
Today’sfragmentedaudiencemakes context more important than ever (Mediapost, March 2011)
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
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Someremarkablepractices
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Suggestion #2
Don’t just plan based on
(average) numbers.
Make sure your creativity matches
the context of the programme.
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Suggestion#3
Be meaningful

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Orthodoxy alert:
Onceupon a time, advertising content matteredtous

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Today
The bath tub is full

Image: (c) Adambooth
The commercial messages we oncewelcomed, lost their appeal.
Share of voice
has become
Share of noise
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Great storytellers continuouslyadapttheirmessage
As we move on andour interests change, so does their story
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If we risk tuning out, theydon’tshoutlouder
Theyanticipatewith plot-twists and different formats
Luke, I amyourfather.
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Don’tbe a GRP addict, yetfind new waystogiveyouradsmeaning
If I giveyou 30” of my life, what are youoffering me in return?

Suggestion #3
Plan forreach, but aimfor impact.
Talk aboutthingsthat have real meaningtoyouraudience.
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Suggestion#4
Invite the audience

Great storytellers
Invite audiencestosit down and listen
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Advertisements
Tryto catch our attention whilewe’redoingsomethingelse

Remember the soaps?
Invite audiences
tocome
to you
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Joinforceswithyouraudience’sfavourite storytellers
Encouragechannelstocome up withquality product shows
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Joinforceswithyouraudience’sfavourite storytellers
Consider product placement that fits the narrative
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Or invite themto listen to a story youcraftyourself
Leverage the webisode concept to digital TV
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Suggestion #4
Invite youraudiencetosit down
andgiveyoutheirundivided attention
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Suggestion#5
Go Transmedia

Every story seeksto share itself
Ifitdoesn’t spread, it’s dead (H.Jenkins)
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This is proven bydevelopments in social TV
Live televisionbringsuniteswholetribes on Twitter, Facebook, etc.

Many brands wouldliketo center these conversations on them
Leveragepromoters, createpositive WOM, “buzz.

But there’sjustsolittletotalk about
Whatcanyou say aboutthis?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnfHDp19k5s
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Media neutrality (simplified)
A single ideaiteratedacrossalltouchpoints
We allsee the same content = no conversationvalue
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Source: http://farisyakob.typepad.com/blog/2006/10/transmedia_plan.html

If you want me to talk about you.
Tell me a story
that makes my conversations more interesting

Thisrequiresremarkable content
Considerthis classic from 2004
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toD0WzAbb3I
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But one story doesn’t cut it in the fragmentedmediascape
Transmedia storytellers create multiple entrypoints to the same story
Six seasons on TV (144 episodes)
Online & mobile episodes
Seasonprequels
5 graphicnovels
Games (mobile, boardgame, online, trading card)
11 Paperback novels
Series of companionbooks
Action figures
Feature film (upcoming)
Massive amounts of web & fan content
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Transmedia planning (oversimplified)
Multiple representations of a story across≠ touchpoints
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We canallsee different content and are part of the conversation
Source: http://farisyakob.typepad.com/blog/2006/10/transmedia_plan.html

How Nokia gotits Emmy nomination
Imagineadding TV to the mix
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Suggestion #5
Use Transmedia planning to:
capture attention acrosschannels,
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
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A finalthought
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A finalthought
Storytelling is a craft
“it takes 10,000 hours of practicetobecome a genius”
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Learnbydoing
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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Andaboveall, adopt a mindsettoonlycreateads
Thatyouraudiencewouldembrace

Start a conversation
Alain Thys
www.futurelab.net
www.alainthys.com
Twitter: @FLB_alainthys
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Storytelling and TV Advertising (No Story, No Glory)

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