Transmedia Storytelling

The following entry is in response to: “ Considering your textbook makes no reference to transmedia storytelling, write a blog entry that you'd like to see included in an update of the book.”

Transmedia story telling is the projection of a story across multiple platforms in order to engage with the largest amount of people. It mainly refers to the implementation of modern digital technology and aims to present a ‘unified experience’ (Jenkins 2011). The underlying concept is to leverage the story across multiple media channels, “communication where the storyline will direct the receiver from one medium to the next" (Hannele et al., 2004, 19). The image below is a visual representation of some of the platforms which are utilised in transmedia storytelling. 

Despite the fact that transmedia storytelling is not covered by Flew in his text, there is a section on creative industries which is relevant to transmedia storytelling. The creative industries examines the merge of the arts and creativity and their contribution to the production of new media (Flew, 2008, p23). The innovation stemming from the creative industries is seen as an economic driving force, as it disseminates throughout other business sectors (Flew, 2008, p171). Transmedia storytelling is an example of the innovation which has derived from the creative industries and is becoming a powerful way of engaging with receivers.

Transmedia storytelling is absolutely relevant and mandatory to the future of the Public Relations (PR) and Communications sector. PSFK, a trends and innovation company, recently posted a discussion on the future of PR and transmedia storytelling. Within this discussion, it is identified that PR companies tend to have the new media specialists in one department and the traditional media specialists in another. Stressed throughout the article, is the importance of not segmenting different media channels into departments, rather joining them, as the consumer does not segment them (Fulton, 2011). The article also highlights that transmedia storytelling uses different channels to follow the receiver throughout their day, thus enforcing, “different channels to tell different parts of the same narrative” (Fulton, 2011). It is vital to the success of PR that consultants keep up to date with the shifts in technology, in order to effectively gage with their audiences and enforce the intended message across multiple platforms.

An example of a highly effective PR campaign, which utilises transmedia storytelling is the Antwerp Zoo campaign, by Boondoggle in Amsterdam. Boondoggle followed the story of a pregnant elephant for eight months and used the baby elephant as their “mean conversion machine” (De Maagt, 2009). Boondoggle was hired by the Antwerp Zoo in order to promote the zoo as a family day out and consequently increase numbers of visitors to the zoo. They provided followers with daily updates of the elephant’s pregnancy, through multiple interactive platforms and they continuously gained media attention in both digital and traditional channels. Ultrasound photos were posted on buildings in the main streets and the public were called upon to name the baby elephant. The zoo website was highly interactive, updated daily and incorporated a countdown at the top of the page. Social media sites such as; Flickr, Facebook and Youtube, featured updated photos and videos of the elephant’s progress. Subscribed followers received an SMS when the elephant went into labour, and finally, the birth of the baby elephant was broadcasted live. This resulted in 559, 824 Belgians watching the live birth of the baby elephant from their computers, 1.2 million people visiting their website over the birth weekend and an increase of 200, 000 visitors to the zoo. 

Zoo Antwerp | Boondoggle | Baby Elephant | WE LOVE AD

In a short space of time, the innovation of transmedia storytelling has already evolved and become an increasingly popular strategy in both communicating and engaging with receivers. Evidence is proving transmedia storytelling to be a huge part of the future and particularly necessary to success within the creative industries. Given that transmedia storytelling encourages receiver interaction with the product/ story, it is an extremely effective way of both communicating promoting the given message. Transmedia storytelling and the direction it is taking, paves and exciting future within the PR and communications industries. 

References

Baby Elephant Clip. Retrieved 19 October, 2011. From http://www.welovead.com/en/works/details/4cdBhpox

De Maagt, P. (2009). Transmedia storytelling and other slang for ‘create stuff wirth sharing.‘ Retrieved 19 October, 2011. From http://www.populatedigital.com/online-pr/how-to-use-transmedia-storytelling-in-online-pr/

Flew, T. (2008). New Media: An Introduction (3^rd edition). Melbourne, VIC: Oxford Press

Fulton, C. (2011, August 4) The future of PR: Hollistic transmedia storytelling. Retrieved October 18, 2011. From 

http://www.psfk.com/2011/08/the-future-of-pr-holistic-transmedia-storytelling.html

Hannele, A., Kangas, S. and Vainikainen, S. (2004) 'MGAIN Project: Three views on

mobile cross media entertainment' [TTE4-2004-17], VTT Information Technology, Research Report. Retrieved October 18, 2011. From http://www.vtt.fi/tte/rd/multiplemedia/show/crossmedia_entertainment.pdf

Jenkins, H. (2011, August 1) Transmedia Storytelling 202. Retrieved October 18, 2011. From http://henryjenkins.org/2011/08/defining_transmedia_further_re.html

Jenkins, H. (2007, March 22) Transmedia Storytelling 101. Retrieved October 18, 2011. From http://www.henryjenkins.org/2007/03/transmedia_storytelling_101.html

Images

Transmedia diagram image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ohx_SwksoOaZEtnIZtx2UFFj_qDn9Mm6lYDuMwpHPdB0In6gjbdlcdvWme5UzNh6HHT6JUgAxZB8EV3_LTZW7YqyxN_2BUMo0irPR_je5o1TL_lroqLmTWmtGapMio_djJV3uCXaVz-b/s1600/transmedia_storytelling.jpg

Ultrasound on building image: http://www.bornoncloud9.be/img/general/kmda/baby-elephant/img2.jpg