Digital Marketing's Transmedia Future

The Experiential Company- Journées  #49

It really should be no surprise to anyone who has been following this blog for the last 10 months, but I’ll spell it out for those that may be new here. I LOVE progressive people, the types of individuals on the front edge of the technology adoption curve, the innovative visionaries of the world. The types of people willing to take risks in order to push the envelope further into the unknown are the types of people I want to surround myself with. When I look into the mirror, I see myself playing that progressive role in society, so, if the shoe fits, wear it.

As I near the end of my road at Full Sail University, having earned my Bachelor of Science degree a little over a year ago and now wrapping up my Masters of Science in the next couple of months, I have had the opportunity to reflect a little about my experience. During my time at this institution (2009-present) I have come into contact with more of these progressive people than I have during all my other years combined.  It has changed my thinking and it has opened the doors in my mind about what is possible, but perhaps more importantly, it has shown me that making an impact in this world is not only necessary, but also doable.

My most recent observation of cutting edge design and implementation came from an article on the school page about a graduate of Full Sail’s Digital Arts & Design program, Dylan Roscover. Last year Dylan and his business partner Roynel Flores launched a fascinating business, The Experiential Company (TEC).

Based in Hollywood, CA, the founding duo at TEC “specialize in outstanding visuals across all media”.  This is an important specialty to keep in mind if you remember my last post that featured Principal Engineer and Futurist at Intel Corporation Brian David Johnson. In it, he talks about how screens and sensors will be everywhere and that media content will have to adapt across devices and beyond. 

Providing a glimpse into the future is TEC, which is laying the groundwork for this NOW with projects like Journées, an experimental animation project that showcases a trip to Europe. Journées is optimized for viewing on a 15-foot wall, but is still thrilling on my 15” MacBook Pro.

TEC’s expert use of light and motion captivated me from the moment I started perusing their projects and website, which by the way, is highly intuitive to navigate. Stick another feather in their cap for their obvious possession of a skillset that requires the delicate balance of creativity and logic. These guys are on point, and strategically positioned to become leaders in customized user experiences for businesses in any industry category.

So how does this all relate to transmedia?

Transmedia experiences are only beginning to gain some momentum, and marketing’s inherent nature requires vast amounts of data analysis and proof of concept, especially for blue-chip risk averse companies. The digital landscape is changing traditional models for advertising and marketing very quickly; to sit on the sidelines refusing to dip your toes in the water to test novel concepts now, certainly could lead to your more innovative competition to pass you by.

Transmedia experiences require fluency across devices to tell a story that specifically uses the various touch-points to their native strengths. In his excellent article about how transmedia storytelling is affecting digital marketing, Jason Thibeault quotes Forrester Research:

           

“Transmedia storytelling…is the technique of telling a single story or story experience across multiple platforms and formats using current digital technologies…From a production standpoint, it involves creating content that engages an audience using various techniques to permeate their daily lives. In order to achieve this engagement, a transmedia production will develop stories across multiple forms of media in order to deliver unique pieces of content in each channel.”

People, as consumers, expect these types of experiences from industry leaders, but what is the impact for the small or medium business that is able to capitalize on these concepts now rather than later? Could it be possible to create an engaging cross device storytelling experience for your brand or product that goes viral across social media channels, causing a nearly instant and exponential rise in revenue or at the very least substantial buzz? If done right, and remaining true to your brand, an outcome such as that has never been more possible. Moreover, experiences such as TEC’s Journées can and will be implemented in transmedia storytelling experiences for truly groundbreaking marketing campaigns for businesses.