Rules Of Brand Fiction from @BettyDraper and @Roger_Sterling

session hashtag = sxswbf @BettyDraper aka @AdBroad @Roger_Sterling aka @Bissell

what is brand fiction?
participatory entertainment in service of a brand
brandfictionfactory.com

brands used to tell stories that ended when the commercial was over image from AMC’s Mad Men website

invitation to participate = the new ad created by Deep Focus for AMC

brand fiction inspires consumers to fanatically spread the brand story proliferated by Deep Focus for AMC

participation=the new metric self-portrait as Mad Woman via MadMenYourself

gets results
1 million unique visits
600,000 avatars created, “advartising”
3.3 million tuned-in to season premiere
stats courtesy Ian Schafer, CEO Deep Focus

Mad Men on Twitter

TV characters began leading parallel lives in the twitterverse Paul Isakson

giving audience a new way to connect with the show

building engagement

keeping up excitement between episodes, seasons

attracting new audience among potential fans around the world

remaining rigorously consistent with character

expanding to other social media channels brandfictionfactory.com

We began to create opportunities for deeper audience interaction brandfictionfactory.com

inviting others to become part of the fictional universe

enabling them to create stories of their own brandfictionfactory.com

fictional world was expanded by fan-invented characters Budd Caddell

this added dimension to the universe Sabina Maschi

extending it beyond the life of the show. David Benardo

We went on to play with the time-space continuum

“ tweaser” timed for Season 3 premiere
an hour before Season 3 premiere
a twitter event titled “Mad Worlds Collide”
story: Mad Men on Twitter characters attend movie premiere of “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World” which premiered 1963
inclusive concept designed to accommodate all who wanted to participate

we prepared the venue brandfictionfactory.com

set the stage brandfictionfactory.com

We promoted event via tweets & blog brandfictionfactory.com

“ sold” tickets

which allowed us to collect names and email of ardent fans

which provided eligibility for snazzy Mad Men-era prizes vintage Radio City Playbill copy of signed Mad Men script 1960s Radio City Music Hall Pin

As showtime approached, we drew up timeline so we could synchronize our (winding) watches

then launched our experimental improv theater

the audience had as much fun as we did. brandfictionfactory.com

we ensured the event endured beyond the fleeting life of search.twitter.com brandfictionfactory.com

the payoff
deepens audience engagement with show
builds new audience
goodwill for brand
keeps show alive between episodes, seasons
provides deeper profiles of most ardent supporters (stats of great interest to advertisers who no longer settle for age, income demo)

Mad Men on Twitter was first fan-based campaign recognized for its branding power

every brand has a story

stories add warmth to frozen dinners

and make drinking soda an even happier experience
coke happiness

just think if nescafe spots ran today brandfictionfactory.com foursquare | match.com | facebook | twitter | craigslist

so what are the rules of brand fiction?

1. content is king
success depends on quality of creative
appoint a dedicated brand fiction manager
design a Brand Fiction Canon:
highly detailed account of characters, settings, vernacular rising from central story

2. maintain continuity across platforms
it’s not an alternate universe, it’s one universe.

3. be authentic—content must embody brand values brandfictionfactory.com

4. be relevant to your audience
know your brand fans
what distinguishes your story from others in their minds?
consumer and programming insights enrich the experience
the medium changes the message

5. share
let fans engage
respond, retweet, relationship

6. don’t trust a zombie. your bot will show. brandfictionfactory.com

7. Don’t dilute the brand brandfictionfactory.com

7. Don’t dilute the brand

8. campaign assessment or the Scheherazade factor
Monitoring
Engagement
Redirecting/Harnessing
Tracking
Archiving

9. Don’t underestimate time/effort necessary for success.
“ The high-complexity nature of Digital programs makes it the most labor-intensive medium in the advertising industry.”
-- A Marketer's Guide to Understanding the Economics of Digital Compared to Traditional Advertising and Media Services
report published 3/09 by The 4A’s
aaaa.org

10 . Have fun Lady Gaga brand fiction by former creative writing student Stefani Germonatta

to speculate further…
Helen Klein Ross
[email_address]
Michael Bissell bissell@ conquent.com

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Rules Of Brand Fiction from @BettyDraper and @Roger_Sterling

by Helen Klein Ross

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