Marketers Studio - David Berkowitz's Marketing Blog

Join the Webcast on Storytelling vs Story Making

What's this storymaking stuff all about? I've been blogging about it and presenting on it, but let's have a real conversation about it. That's the plan for my webinar coming up with Sally Falkow on Tuesday at 1pm ET, hosted by CommPRO. 

Register at the above link, and be prepared to ask some great questions, as we hope to keep it very interactive. 

 

4 Technologies Powering Storymaking

Originally published in Ad Age

The shift from storytelling to storymaking is well under way.

I first wrote about storymaking in a DigitalNext columnlast year, describing how marketers can tap into stories people are sharing with each other, as opposed to the broadcast approach of storytelling.

Storymaking isn't a tactic in its own right, but various technologies can bring it to life. Here are four technologies that are powering storymaking and how brands can use them:

1. Video streaming: Mobile video streaming has been around for years, which is why the keen interest in Meerkat and then Periscope took many by surprise (myself included). The magic of both of these apps is the social integration. While streaming technologies can be used for broadcast purposes (it's common enough to see people using them to stream TV shows), it's a far more interesting experience when the person or brand doing the streaming starts responding to the audience, and even changing the flow of the footage.

That's when a Periscope stream, for example, shifts from being yet another video to a personalized and memorable experience. It can even add a modicum of suspense, where no one can predict exactly what will happen -- even the video producer. The audience then becomes part of the story, and viewers can make it their own.

2. Wearables: Wearable devices are ripe for storymaking. After all, data is generated from people's bodies -- their heartbeat, their gait, their circadian rhythms, their brainwaves. Take two people running the same lap at the same pace -- their physical activity data will show subtle differences. Even when biological data isn't involved, these devices are personal, as they're practically extensions of one's body.

As more brands partner with, incubate, or acquire wearable technologies, those marketers will want to avoid storytelling as much as possible. It's not how the brand's technology makes someone live better; it's about all the specific ways each individual's life has improved. My Pebble smartwatch made sure I never missed my wife's messages and calls in the weeks before our first child was born. Compare my story to any story the brand could tell you, and you decide which is more powerful.

3. Virtual reality: Immersive creative experiences such as those possible through Oculus Rift, Magic Leap and other technologies could be very controlled and rigid, or they could be totally different for each person every time. Even more straightforward approaches like touring a distant hotel property or getting backstage access at a concert could turn into stories that are co-created with participants.

The best way to think about the potential of virtual reality is to consider the difference between watching a video and playing a video game. Each time you play a game, you're actively creating a new story. With virtual reality, the only way for the novelty not to wear off will be to incorporate elements of game play each time.

4. Messaging apps: Messaging apps typically deliver generic branded experiences that are the same for all users. On ESPN's channel in Snapchat, the content is the same for everyone. But that's rapidly changing. Several messaging apps allow marketers to offer branded stickers and other content that can lead to more customized experiences. For example, NBC News created a chat bot within the messaging app Kik so people can request stories on topics such as politics and technology.

These technologies alone don't shift the focus to storymaking, but such apps and platforms are evolving quickly. The biggest opportunity for storymaking today is by appreciating how these apps are all about two-way communication. Let followers' responses drive a lot of your marketing there and adapt to what they're talking about.

The most successful uses of technology will make the technology itself invisible, and the storymaking itself may go unnoticed. Your audience will just appreciate that your messaging speaks to them in such a relevant way that it's a springboard for creating their stories.

Why the New Design? #Mobilegeddon!

It turns  out that as much as I've been talking about where mobile media, marketing, and technology are heading, I haven't exactly been eating my own dog food. 

Thanks to a Facebook post by Jeremiah Owyang, I found the Google tool to assess if a site is mobile-friendly. Mine wasn't. At all. It was terrible. 

Now, I didn't exactly design my site myself. I used a template from TypePad. So I searched for info about making TypePad sites mobile-friendly and discovered this post from a few weeks ago that I missed about some responsive design themes. To TypePad's credit, these designs exist and TypePad is adding more of them. To its discredit, why aren't all of TypePad's themes mobile-friendly by now? They're doing a great disservice to users by having any designs that don't work well on mobile.

This is all spurred by Google's "Mobilegeddon," where sites that aren't mobile friendly will be penalized in Google's search results. So yeah, you'll want to fix your site. Test it. And adapt.

I'm sure I'll make updates to the design. But at least, for now, I've survived Mobilegeddon. So can you.

 

See you at Ad Age Digital or CoInvent Summit?

Happy event season.

I've got a couple fun things that I'm moderating this month. If you're going to either of these, drop me a note.

First, this week is Ad Age's Digital conference with a who's who of brand CMOs, agency CEOs, and other leaders. Here's my session, Tuesday at 2: 

The Story Makers

For too long, marketers have been focusing on how they communicate on digital platforms through the wrong lens—thestoryteller’s lens. As a result, today’s marketers run the risk of talking at people instead of with them.  But some leading brands are shifting away from traditional storytelling models to more of a story-making approach. In a recent Ad Age column, MRY’s David Berkowitz explains that story making is “where the brand facilitates and taps into the stories people are creating and sharing with each other.” We’ll take an inside look at some of the best story-making campaigns from the leaders behind them.

Chris Curtin

‎Chief Brand and Innovation Marketing Officer, Visa

Eric Hirschhorn

CMO, Burger King

Ashley Kaplan

Head of Content, Fullscreen

Ann Lewnes

CMO, Adobe

Moderator: David Berkowitz

CMO, MRY

Then I'll be joining a really exciting and innovative group (including my former colleague and coconspirator Christine Peterson) at CoIvnent's NYC Media Summit on April 22. Here's my session, and check out the others. 

Drafting The Best Content Strategy In A Digital Age

• Paul Kontonis - SVP, Strategy @ Collective Digital Studio
• Christine Peterson - Managing Director, Investments @ Initiative Media
• David Berkowitz - Chief Marketing Officer @ MRY
• Alexandra Lutz - VP, Business Strategy @ Huge
• Lyndsey McFail - Web and Social Media Producer @ NBCUniversal, Inc.

Let me know if you'll be going to these or even if you have questions that you think I should ask these incredible speakers.