1. WEB STORYTELLING:
A NEW CHALLENGE FOR BRANDS AND MARKETERS
Joseph Sassoon
Partner at Alphabet Research
Associate partner at Open Knowledge
Milan, June 5 2012
Social Business Forum

2. What is Web Storytelling?
“The art and practice of developing content for online brand
communication which has symbolic depth, narrative value and ability to
appeal to people’s imagination”

3. Why is it important?
On the web too, nothing is as emotional and involving as narratives
(brand stories and stories of any kind)

4. We all know what a story is
But what makes some stories so much better than others?
And how can you make your online brand story as attractive as a great novel or movie?

5. Some tools may be of help
In particular:
Semiotics Screenwriting
Logical categories Applied art
Web storytelling analysis
Main reference: Main reference:
Jean-Marie Floch Christopher Vogler

6. Narrative structure: the actants
According to the French school of semiotics, the narrative outline of a story is based on six main
‘actants’:
Addresser Object of Value
Hero Anti-Hero
Helper Opponent
In every tale, these categories are very powerful.
In brand communication, the product typically covers one of these roles:
Hero, Object of Value or Helper.

7. Example in fairy-tales: a classic story
A king (Addresser) orders a prince (Hero) to look for the magic sword (Helper) to kill a dragon
(Anti-Hero) and free the princess (Object of Value).
Anti-Hero
Addresser
Hero Helper Object of Value

8. Example in movies: Cinderella
A king (Addresser) is ready to welcome Cinderella (Hero), but she has to meet some friends and get
a magic dress (Helper) to overcome her stepmother (Anti-Hero) and be able to unite with her love
(Object of Value).
Addresser
Helper
Object of Value
Anti-Hero
Hero

9. Example in advertising: Macintosh 1984
A girl (Hero, symbolising the product) runs with a heavy hammer (Helper) and is pursued by guards
without faces (Opponent).
She throws the hammer at a large screen where floats the face of a Big Brother (Anti-Hero), gaining
the freedom of the subjugated men (Object of Value).
Anti-Hero
Hero + Helper
Object of Value
Opponent
The product is Hero by
metaphor

10. Narrative sequence
According to semiotics, in the development of stories there are four fundamental steps and
three trials connected to them:
Addresser’s path
Manipulation Sanction
The king asks the Hero’s path
prince to free his
daughter Competence Performance
GLORIFYING TRIAL
QUALIFYING TRIAL DECISIVE TRIAL
The king gives the prince
The prince finds the sword The prince defeats the dragon
his daughter’s hand

11. American storytelling
Joseph Campbell and the adventure of the Hero
Call to adventure Elixir
Threshold crossing
Brother-battle Return
Helper
Dragon-battle Resurrection
Dismemberment THRESHOLD OF ADVENTURE
Rescue
Crucifixion Threshold struggle
Abduction
Night-sea journey Tests
Wonder journey
Whale’s belly Flight
Helpers
1. Sacred marriage strong influence
2. Father atonement on George Lucas for
STAR WARS
3. Apotheosis
4. Elixir theft

12. Christopher Vogler’s contribution
A smart adaptation of Campbell’s model to screenwriting:
ACT I Ordinary World ACT III
Separation Return
Call Return with the Elixir
Refusal of the Call
Resurrection
Meeting the Mentor
ORDINARY WORLD
Crossing the First Threshold Road Back
SPECIAL WORLD
Tests, allies, enemies
Reward
Approach
ACT II-A ACT II-B
Descent Ordeal Initiation

13. A new mix of principles
Intermixing Vogler’s approach with that of the French school:
ACT I Ordinary World ACT III
Separation Return
Call Return with the Elixir
Refusal of the Call
MANIPULATION SANCTION
Resurrection
Meeting the Mentor
ORDINARY WORLD
Crossing the First Threshold Road Back
SPECIAL WORLD
Tests, allies, enemies
COMPETENCE PERFORMANCE
Reward
Approach
ACT II-A ACT II-B
Descent Ordeal Initiation

14. Now, how can you apply those principles to
online communication?
Nike site is an excellent example of web storytelling.
Many athletes,
many stories,
but just a single meta-story.

15. Addresser
If you have a body, you are an athlete
just do it

16. Addresser

17. Heroes

18. Mentor

19. Helper

20. Qualifying trial

21. Preparing for the ordeal

22. Ordeal

23. Sanction

24. However, this is still relatively traditional, one-way communication
The fact is, the web and social media are dramatically changing the rules of
brand storytelling

25. Some of the big changes:
• Power and control
• Story types
• Conditions of credibility
• Budget logic

26. Power and control
Old rule
The brand has total narrative supremacy
Brand
Brand
New role
The control of brand storytelling is shared
with web users

27. Story types
Old rule
Brand stories have a beginning and an end
New rule
Brand stories are often non linear

28. Conditions of credibility
Old rule
People want to be persuaded
New rule
People want authenticity

29. Budget logic
Old rule
You must shout to be heard (big budgets)
New rule
You must listen then whisper (little
budgets)

30. In fact, with storytelling and word of mouth…
“people are claiming back a communication form which has always existed
and has been made marginal by mass media only for a limited and, after all,
quite short historical period”
Advent (or recovery) of user-generated content

31. Example: United Breaks Guitars
Great case of bottom-up storytelling
Went viral with 12 million views!

32. But how can brands deal with viral issues?
By keeping in mind that:
− of all possible kinds of content, the most likely to go viral are those that are
expressed in narrative form.
− some specific characteristics of stories have a big role in helping them ignite
a viral explosion.

33. Example: Will it blend? That is the question!
33

34. Example: Vinnie Jones and the British Heart Foundation

35. Example: The new Passat and little Darth Vader

36. Some analysts say that viral success is just a “happy accident”.
Yet, it is possible to increase the chance that your story will go viral by
sticking to a set of principles about:
• story form
• story structure
• relationship with context.

37. Here are some of those principles:
• Build your story on two axes of meaning
• Introduce unexpected final turns
• Try an inversion of Objects of Value
• Pursue logical or behavioral transgressions
• Play on contrasts
• Make sure that your story creates emotion
• Always tell a transformative story

38. Conclusion
Adopting the rules of web storytelling may allow brands to create and select their
messages more efficiently.
The final goal:
creating brand stories for the web that spread widely because a lot of people are
eager to share them with their friends.

39. THANK YOU