8 Rules for Creating a Successful Transmedia "Storyworld"
8 Rules for Creating a Successful Transmedia "Storyworld" 03.25.2014 Once upon a time, life for entertainment marketers was simple: producers created a new show, and the marketing team developed a campaign to promote it and attract an audience. But with rapidly increasing competition for viewers, growing smartphone and tablet penetration, and the emergence of new platforms, marketing and creative teams are increasingly playing an important role in developing "storyworlds," experiences that bridge the gap between marketing and content and lay out the mythology, characters, setting, backstories, and events that drive a show. Red Bee Media's Andy Bryant laid out his eight rules for creating a successful transmedia storyworld at the 2014 PromaxBDA Europe Conference in London. Rule 1: Start Building Early "As the battle for viewers' attention becomes more and more intense, we're seeing marketing teams start to build their storyworlds earlier and earlier ahead of launches," Bryant said. A classic example he pointed to was HBO's "Game of Thrones," which began building anticipation for the premiere way back in 2011 by sending scents, scrolls and potions to influential writers, while staging "GoT"-themed food truck events in New York City and Los Angeles. SyFy's "Defiance" also got a jump start on their storyworld, launching a total takeover of Comic-Con nine months ahead of the premiere, and developing a cultural map that plotted major cultural events such as awards shows and allowed the "Defiance" team to plan their launch with "military precision." "Marketers are moving from a traditional campaign model to a semi-publishing model," Bryant said.
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