An evaluative look at how storytelling evolves as we increasingly move from TV-based advertising to web-based content marketing.

1. .
UNDERSTANDING THE
EVOLVING NARRATIVES
EMPLOYED IN ONLINE
CONTENT
March 2016
C. Cannell

2. A DEFINITION:
Narrative.
noun
a spoken or written account of connected events; a story

3. HOW WE TELL OUR STORIES HAS BEEN
THE TOPIC OF MUCH DEBATE.
• Aristotle’s Arc
• Freytag’s Pyramid
• Three Act Structure
• Syd Field's Paradigm
• Robert McKee’s Central Plot & The Quest

4. BUT SOME STUDIES EMPLOY A
LOOSE DEFINITION.
Equating narrative with execution… Or equating form with structure…

5. EITHER WAY, THE DISCUSSION SHOWS
NO SIGNS OF ABATING.
An approach of communicating brand
narratives across content and time
via either ‘control’, ‘sustaining’ or
‘sequencing’ methods of storytelling
– a theory linked closely to the
amount of content a brand produces
and the objectives for each.
[March 2016]

6. THE DISCOURSE IS DOMINATED BY THE
SAME THEMES: EXPOSITION, CONFLICT &
RESOLUTION .
AKA The Four Part Story:
‘Once upon a time’
A world we all
recognise and like ‘Suddenly a dragon’
A new problem we all
want to go away
‘Fortunately…’
The solution to the
problem
‘And so they live
happily ever after…’
Problem solved and
life improves
1
2
3
4
Exposition Conflict Resolution

7. …WHICH DEVELOP FRAME BY FRAME.

8. BUT BEHAVIOURS ARE
CHANGING.
“Young people are spending more
time playing and socialising online
than watching television
programmes, according to an annual
survey tracking children's media
behaviour in the UK”
BBC, 16th January 2016

9. THE QUESTION THEN…
Is the medium changing the message?
As we move from commercials aired on television to consumers choosing to watch branded
content online, is the way we structure our stories also subject to change?

10. THE DATASET.
January – December 2015
120 Videos
2015 Most Shared Videos
20 Videos (9 Unique)
Branded Content & Ent.
63 Videos

11. THE METHOD.
- All content identified by the YouTube Ad leader board, Unruly’s 20 most shared pieces of content and
videos awarded Cannes Lions in the ‘Branded Content & Entertainment’ category were tabulated.
- For each listing, the following information was gathered…
N.B. Content has only been defined as a TVC where it self-identified as a TVC – either in the title or
YouTube description.
Quantitative Data Collected Qualitative Data Collected
- Agency, Brand & Title
- Duration
- YouTube Views*
- Facebook Views, Shares and Likes*
- Twitter Views, Likes and Retweets*
- Brand subscriber numbers for YouTube, Facebook
and Twitter*
*Data gathered across December 2015-February 2016
- Type of narrative identified
- Campaign observations

12. THE DISCLAIMER SLIDE .
- As a retrospective study, all content included is real.
- By focussing on best-in-class across 2015 specifically,
it represents an appraisal of content launched
recently.
- The study focusses on branded content at large,
unrestricted to any category.
- As a study, it focusses on best-in-class content
representing the best brands and agencies alike.
- With best-in-class defined by high view counts, we
are consistent with the notion of brand fame.
- There is an inherent bias towards one-off / hero
pieces of branded content defined by high view-
counts.
- Metrics such as view counts or shares are ever
changing. Here, data was gathered across
December 2015-February 2016. View counts here
may have since changed.
- In some instances, the retrospective nature of
the study prohibited the collection of content –
i.e. certain Twitter feeds could not travel as far
back as the date of the content’s launch.
DemeritsMerits

13. ?
SO WHAT
DID WE
OBSERVE

14. A PROLIFERATION,
YET SIMPLIFICATION,
OF NARRATIVES.
i.e. THERE’S MORE.
BUT THEY’RE SIMPLER.

15. “THE DROP”1
Characteristics:
• Viewers watch with foreknowledge or an understanding of what will happen at some point
• The viewing experience is marked by anticipation of seeing how that moment unfolds
• Viewer anticipation and foreknowledge is guided by video titles or descriptions
E.g. I await the kitten’s revival
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCnRqZw4WiE
E.g. I await the moment when JJ Watt appears
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPutao4yIBI
E.g. I await the moment Ronaldo is recognised
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H_DSErYUZk

16. “THE REPEAT”2
Characteristics:
• A serialisation of action, thought or sentiment
• There is an element of predictability and repetition throughout the content
• The narrative does not build emotionally in either direction, instead often remaining neutral
A series of lessons from one cat to another
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0Cd0xOHx7Q
A series of iPhone features
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBYWGjIzvyw
A series of comparisons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYTlvrEyAZQ

17. “THE ESCALATOR”3
Characteristics:
• A serialisation of action, thought or sentiment
• There is an element of predictability and repetition
• The action or drama is marked by becoming increasingly captivating as it develops
A series of dunks, each getting more sensational
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmPJlMajVi4
An increasingly dramatic series of “powers”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlOxlSOr3_M
Increasingly elaborate drama
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=316AzLYfAzw

18. “THE SHOCK”4
Characteristics:
• A serialisation of action, thought or sentiment
• There is an element of predictability and repetition
• The narrative doesn’t build emotionally in either direction, instead remaining neutral until the shock
• The content is defined by the surprise/shocking turn that often remains unresolved
Humorous near-misses of domestic cats takes a dark turn
http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/whiskas-wwf-9-lives-abbott-mead-
vickers-bbdo/1337457
An everyday car cam shocks viewers
http://www.canneslionsarchive.com/winners/entry/59459
9/mortal-timeline
The 11th and final snapchat shocked viewers
http://www.canneslionsarchive.com/winners/entry/5709
82/tinnyvision

19. “FRONT LOADED”5
Characteristics:
• Attention is captured very early on - either by surreal/absurd action or celebrity endorsement
• Viewer attention is retained as people await how the action develops
• Frequently leverages the equity of celebrities or known characters
• Narrative doesn’t tend to develop (proportional to the initial hook)
Squirrel is water-skiing by 11”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVfXF8O-lHw
Narrative fails to build beyond Liam’s reveal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC2qk2X3fKA
Characters of popular interest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IcGYHU8WBo

20. “THE NETWORK”6
Characteristics:
• Often representative of a causal movement
• Comprised of user-generated-content
• The viral and formulaic nature means viewers watch
with the foreknowledge of how the content will develop
• Viewers are often familiar with those starring
• Limited room for credible brand involvement
The ALS Association
The Ice Bucket Challenge
http://www.canneslionsarchive.com/winners/en
try/570904/the-ice-bucket-challenge
Cancer Research UK
No Make Up Selfie
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/mar/
25/no-makeup-selfies-cancer-charity

21. “THE MOMENT”7
Characteristics:
• Typically short-form content (<20”)
• Content is as interesting at the beginning as it is at the end
• Limited development of the narrative in sentiment (positive/negative)
Slow-mo bird
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwaV1pIJyZU
Slow-mo ladybird
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ3zxIX3UAk
Jamie’s decision
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAK-X4qt7_E

22. “THE HYBRID”8
E.g. “Turn & Escalator”
Characteristics:
• Hybrids are generally comprised of two aforementioned narratives
• They reflect the characteristics of the respective narratives they’re comprised of
• They are often associated with longer time-lengths, reflecting greater ambition
Turn & Repeat: The content takes a
dark turn with repeated reactions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2OcKQ_mbiQ
Turn & Repeat: The content takes a
turn with repeated reactions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nAfWfF4TjM
Drop & Repeat: We watch awaiting that
realisation and repeated reactions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea_xOqNvntA

23. And of course,
our four-part story.
AKA…

24. “THE TURN”9
Characteristics:
• Content is defined by our traditional three themes:
exposition, conflict (loss, displacement, adversity
etc.) and resolution.
• No signs of repetition from frame-to-frame
The absent father becomes present
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoyq9pcp4Cg
The displaced clothes find home
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijtjoFaORy0
The disordered world is given sense
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKqKDoIQ8f4

25. DATA-LED
OBSERVATIONS.

26. The Proliferation & Simplification
of Narratives
1
Whole Sample
(128)
27.3%
N Y
72.7%
Online Content Only
(92)
TV Content Only
(36)
79.3%
20.7%
55.6%
44.4%
We see that nearly three-quarters of
all 128 pieces of content across
YouTube and Unruly complied with the
9 narratives that we have identified.
And as this study is primarily one of
tracing how narratives evolve online,
it is evident that these percentages
are only exaggerated further when we
exclude TVC’s from the sample size.
This trend however is biased to online
content and as such, the same trend is
not evident among television
commercials.

27. Online vs. TV Storytelling2
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
The Drop The Repeat The Escalator The Shock Front Loaded The Network The Moment The Hybrid The Turn
The first telling observation is that
there is a greater spread of narratives
across online content than TV.
Whereas online content and TV share
an affinity with front loaded or hybrid
narratives, the percentages are
proportional to the respective sample
sizes.
More interesting to note is that there is
a marked difference in how prevalent
‘the turn’ is on TV while ‘the drop’ is
equally unique to online content. While
the former reflects the suspicion that
traditional TV narratives won’t always
translate across to online content, the
latter makes perfect sense when you
consider how integral titles and
descriptions are in the consumption of
that particular type of content.
Online Content Only
TV Content Only
Sample Size
Overall: 128
Online content only: 92
TV content only: 36

28. Narratives x Brand Fame3
TWO LENSES:
A. Identify the average number of views per narrative
B. Segment the view rates into quartiles (low-high) and
identify the % of narratives comprise each quartile.
SAMPLE SIZE: 122
Prevalence of established narratives?
Y N73% 27%
A
Narrative
Average
Views
89 33
0
5,000,000
10,000,000
15,000,000
20,000,000
25,000,000
30,000,000
35,000,000
The Moment (3) The Shock (1) Front Loaded (16) The Repeat (38) The Escalator (2) The Turn (14) The Drop (4) The Hybrid (11)

29. Narratives x Brand Fame3
TWO LENSES:
A. Identify the average number of views per narrative
B. Segment the view rates into quartiles (low-high) and
identify the % of narratives comprise each quartile.
SAMPLE SIZE: 122
Prevalence of established narratives?
Y N73% 27%
B
Quartile 1
Views: 252,915 - 4,213,343
Av. Duration: 01:18
Quartile 2
Views: 4,398,089 – 9,514,888
Av. Duration: 02:09
Quartile 3
Views: 9,752,684 – 18,951,240
Av. Duration: 02:29
Quartile 4
Views: 19,364,659 – 92,866,749
Av. Duration: 02:14
The Drop The Repeat The Escalator
Front Loaded The Hybrid The Turn
The Drop The Repeat The Shock
Front Loaded The Hybrid The Turn
The Drop The Repeat
The Escalator Front Loaded
The Hybrid The Turn
89 33
The Repeat Front Loaded
The Moment The Turn
It’s interesting to note that as our content becomes more famous by view counts, the narratives become increasingly ambitious and longer in duration.
Our fourth quartile for example is comprised of more content defined as ‘Hybrids’ or ‘The Turn’. Front loaded content in contrast is increasingly more
prevalent in the earlier quartiles. ‘The Repeat’ by contrast is far by far the most frequently employed narrative across the four quartiles.

30. Narratives x Brand Fame
& “Shareability”
4
ABOUT: Here we assess the relationship between brand fame on
YouTube (via views) and “shareability” (via Facebook shares) of
content that was simultaneously hosted on both platforms.
SAMPLE SIZE: 43
No. of videos hosted on
YouTube & Facebook.
Front Loaded
The Hybrid
The Drop
The Escalator
The Repeat
The Turn
9,494,188
3,957,087
72,949
16,419,340
3,612,156
2,589,853
185,452
36,860
417
431,788
68,474
41,844
.
.
.
.
.
.
Av. YT Views Av. FB Shares

31. Brand fame x Time lengths5
THREE LENSES:
A. Quartiled durations and average views
B. % of content timed <> 01:30 and average views
C. Average duration per narrative SAMPLE SIZE: 128
0
2,000,000
4,000,000
6,000,000
8,000,000
10,000,000
12,000,000
14,000,000
16,000,000
18,000,000
20,000,000
00:40 01:11 02:03 04:05
1 2 3 4
Quartiles / Av. Durations
Average
Views
Total Sample: 128
1st Half: 00:56 & 13,092,103
2nd Half: 03:04 & 14,902,714
Narrative Av. Duration
The Moment 00:15
Front Loaded 01:21
The Hybrid 02:02
Shock 03:26
The Drop 02:34
The Escalator 03:09
The Repeat 02:11
The Turn 02:13

32. SOME ASSOCIATED FINDINGS
• Some brands released teaser’s or short promotional films on Facebook prior to launching on either
YouTube or Facebook (e.g. Lexus)
• Some brands promoted their hero piece of content via multiple shorts (videos or GIFs) or even as
images as a way of driving traction across social media (e.g. DC Shoes, Dove and Nike Golf)
• Some content (2min+) has proved more popular on Facebook than YouTube (e.g. Air Jordan)
• More brands are beginning to leverage Twitter’s native video player (e.g. Nike & Extra Gum)
• PR and third party promotion still plays a crucial role in achieving brand fame (e.g. Unruly’s most
shared ad of 2015, “Friend Furever” wasn’t launched on the brand’s own Facebook page)
…

33. BRIEF
CONCLUSIONS.

34. 1
2
3
4
5
6
The evidence indicates that online content
increasingly conforms to a number of
narratives defined by their simplicity.
The findings suggest that more ambitious narratives
comprise the longer time-lengths and represent a greater
chance of realising view counts worthy of true brand fame.
Moreover, the traditional narrative is still
dominant in content that self-identifies as a
TVC, which serves to confirm that marked
differences occur between the two mediums.
Time-lengths proved a negligible variable when assessing brand
fame. Indeed, evidence pointed to the contrary. Brands should
be wary of thinking that effective online content equates to
short-form content.
The most viewed content on YouTube was equally the
most shared content on Facebook. Agencies should
therefore be wary of exaggerating the differences
between Facebook and YouTube.
With social media awash with third-party sites, the role of
public relations and promotion on third-party sites has
arguably never been greater in the pursuit of brand fame.

35. IF THE MEDIUM DOES AFFECT THE MESSAGE,
PERHAPS IT’S NO SURPRISE .
“LP sales of 100.5 million
contrasted sharply with those of
singles, which broke records for the
fifth year in a row”
As the technology evolved, so too did the way we consumer music. Not only do we now value
convenience over the quality of sound reproduction but we select the tracks that we’ll download
rather than buy album. Here, the medium is effecting the message.

36. THE LION IN THE ROOM .
Despite identifying Cannes Lions as one of three key
data sets, I didn’t draw on this research in the
subsequent analysis. The reason for this is that the
sample size of 63 videos were not only merited
largely on their success as campaigns (as opposed to
individual one-off pieces of branded content) but the
winners were largely characterised by how they had
challenged the very notion of digital.
E.g. “Holograms for Freedom” or “The Berlin Wall of
Sound”
Only 27/63 content pieces were available on YouTube
in their original form.

37. STILL, THERE’S
MORE TO EXPLORE .
A new category for 2016: Entertainment
“The Entertainment Lions celebrate
creativity that turns content into
culture. Entries will need to
demonstrate ideas that are
unskippable…”
https://www.canneslions.com/awards/2016_lions/entertainment/
Pending 2016 winners

38. Thank you.

39. References
- ‘Adverts: Structure and Style’, Ellie Buchan: http://www.slideshare.net/elliebuchan9/adverts-structures-and-styles
- ‘Advertising structures’, Hannah Knipe: http://www.slideshare.net/hannahknipe5/advertising-structures
- ‘Album sales slump as singles dominate’, The Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/9775844/Album-sales-slump-as-downloads-and-
singles-dominate.html
- ‘Animation: The Story’: http://people.uncw.edu/pattersone/resources/notes/narrative.pdf
- ‘Classical Narrative Structure: Exposition, Climax & Resolution’, Critical Commons:
http://www.criticalcommons.org/Members/jbutler/commentaries/classical-narrative-structure-exposition-climax-resolution
- Francis Glebas – Critical Opalescence, ‘The bigger 4-part structure’: http://francisglebas.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/the-bigger-4-part-picture.html
- ‘Story Structure, Part 1: Three Act Structure’, Title: http://scriptboutique.co.uk/news/story-structure-part-1-three-act-structure
- ‘Story Structure, Part 2: Freytag’s Pyramid’, Title: http://scriptboutique.co.uk/news/story-structure-part-2-freytag%E2%80%99s-pyramid
- ‘Story Structure, Part 3: Syd Field’s ‘The Paradigm’’, Title: http://scriptboutique.co.uk/news/story-structure-part-3-syd-field%E2%80%99s-paradigm
- ‘Story Structure, Part 4: Robert McKee’s central plot and the quest’, Title: http://www.scriptboutique.co.uk/news/story-structure-part-4-robert-
mckees-central-plot-and-quest & http://davidiyya-robertmckee.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/robert-mckees-central-plot-and-quest.html
- ‘The :03 Second Audition – Creative considerations for Facebook video ads’, Facebook [Supplied]
- ‘The argument for more effective short-form ads’, Nielson: http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2014/the-argument-for-more-effective-
short-form-ads.html