3. group assignment progress (originality)

Storytelling is an important marketing tool for brands looking to ground their business strategy with messaging that is significant, emotionally engaging, and valuable. During past times, companies convey messages to consumers on a basic level which is through advertising. Even though this includes various methods like brochures, flyers, posters and advertisements in traditional media, it was only advertising. There was not much interaction involved. This kind of one-way street was effectively a monologue. Brands today need to be storymakers, no longer about broadcasting messages as a storyteller. In recent days, companies have started evolving the traditional marketing ways into a more advanced approach to digital storytelling and multimedia asset development. (Deans, 2016) It is called the transmedia marketing where the content can be offered through videos, blogs, ebooks, social networks, games, and more. Narratives were developed across various media in order to deliver unique pieces of related content via our chosen channels. "The contents are always up to date, in each platform. It is sort of a puzzle in which all the pieces integrate to complete the story. Users' interaction is involved by giving new information in each piece," explains Laia Vidal. (Sanchez, 2017) To work well as market potential, transmedia storytellers usually create interactive engagement by designing hooks and connections for content development. It is with the goal of developing the environment for story immersion.(Deans, 2016) 

Besides transmedia, prosumerism is also another key in today's brand marketing. Audiences and customers are not only merely consuming the product. It includes the idea where audiences can together participate in the remixing and re-making of the product. A digital author and futurist, Alvin Toffler, assumed that in today's transmedia era, customers should have both the ability to consume and produce content. These are also the reasons that affect brand storytelling and impact on the rise of brand story making. Prosumerism has changed our world's perspective from one-to-many broadcasting to many-to-many experience. (Carmody, 2016)

A transmedia campaign, unlike traditional one, is a campaign in which knowledge of a particular brand is conveyed through different mediums. One of the characteristics of transmedia campaigns is the interactivity with the public. As an example, where Fanta creates a campaign, Asalvajados which means gets wild. The purpose of this campaign is to reach young people with the same tone of hilarity and fun that characterises it. A social gym was created for participants to personalize cans, create own community and gain meetings with the collaborating influencers. To participate, players need to unlock exclusive content by following the tracks. This campaign managed to help Fanta grow their brand reputation with its consumers. (Elena, 2017)

Same goes to this project's campaign, "Unleash with H'ana", where the brand is reaching out to young adults who are growing into their own. The story was curated in non-linear techniques where events are revealed in chronological order. “There is always a beginning, middle and an end for a story, but not necessarily in that order.” – Jean-Luc Godard. (Cannistraci, 2016) The stories were first revealed as standalone narratives in different media. Towards the end, there are actually bits of clues and hints around for audiences to figure out that it was actually a story of one character's life. The purpose is to create interaction and suspense for audiences to piece the details together, like an unfinished puzzle. From one media to another, instead of using passive storytelling, an interactive storytelling is applied to welcome audience into the experience. A section was created in the web series for participants to guess the answer questioned at the end of story. Audience need to follow the tracks to collect details to the answer. Mobile applications with gameplay interactions are created to attract more audience, simultaneously to further introduce the product. Hence, the use of transmedia campaigns does create better avenues for brand companies to reach their target consumer.

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References

Deans, D. 2016. Commercial Transmedia Storytelling. [online] Medium. Available at: <https://medium.com/digital-marketing-journal/commercial-transmedia-storytelling-46863e2707c6> [Accessed 24 May 2020].

Sanchez, L. 2017. What Transmedia Storytelling Is And How To Apply It To Your Digital Campaigns. [online] Wearemarketing.com. Available at: <https://www.wearemarketing.com/blog/what-transmedia-storytelling-is-and-how-to-apply-it-to-your-digital-campaigns.html> [Accessed 24 May 2020].

Carmody, B. 2016. Transmedia Marketing Is The Future Of Brand Storytelling. [online] Inc.com. Available at: <https://www.inc.com/bill-carmody/transmedia-marketing-is-the-future-of-brand-storytelling.html> [Accessed 24 May 2020].

Elena, 2017. 6 Successful Transmedia Campaigns - I Love CPA Magazine. [online] I Love CPA - Magazine. Available at: <http://www.ilovecpa.com/magazine/en/2017/06/03/6-successful-transmedia-campaigns/> [Accessed 24 May 2020].

Cannistraci, E., 2016. What Is Nonlinear Storytelling? | Final Draft®. [online] Final Draft®. Available at: <https://www.finaldraft.com/blog/2016/04/07/what-is-nonlinear-storytelling/> [Accessed 24 May 2020].