From speech given at FC Labs in NYC on 03/29/12.

1. Storytelling & Emotive
Digital Strategy
Jessica Quillin, PhD
Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder, Atelier 36
jessica@atelier-36.com
atelier-36.com

2. The Story about Story
• Today’s digital storytellers need to create
transmedia experiences.
• Companies must engage with consumers
rather than at them with a brand authentic
story.
• The measure of success with brand
storytelling is about appealing to a
consumer’s emotions.

3. Consumers Love Brand Story
• Consumers respond to a brand’s vision and
story when they buy things.
• A company’s story is a powerful part of
brand identification that can create
consumers for life.
• Consumers are interested in quality,
craftsmanship, and provenance.

4. Brands Write Their Own Story
Companies need strategy and story to achieve maximum ROI.
Brand
Messages Fans “Talk” News Feed
Build Brand
Reach about News Content Maximum
Story;
Consumers Feed Spreads to Reach; ROI
Get Fans
through Content “Friends”
News Feed
1. Cut-Through II. Engagement III. Amplification
• Source: Michael Lazerow and Linda Abraham, “How Social Media Influences Consumer Behavior,” http://www.slideshare.net/lazerow/how-social-media-
influences-consumer-behavior

5. Engage...

6. Make the Leap ...
Get People Involved
• Consumers who engage with brands over
social media demonstrate a deeper emotional
commitment to the brands.
• While the average billion-dollar company
spends $750,000 a year on social media, many
big companies invest significantly more.
Source: Bain & Company, “Putting Social Media to Work,” 12 Sept 2011, http://www.bain.com/publications/articles/putting-social-media-
to-work.aspx

7. Engage at All Levels
•

8. It’s All About Social Currency

9. Digital “Storytelling”
• “Storytelling” refers to taking a story-specific
approach to marketing, as opposed to a
message- or product-driven one.
• “Story” is about establishing an authentic
brand voice and a strong unifying concept.
• “Transmedia narrative” refers to a consistent,
brand-identifiable story across all digital media
platforms.

10. Digital Storytelling Techniques
• “Plot” or storyline – i.e., a course of action or
series of events – that can be developed
across different media outlets.
• Intriguing “characters” or actors (whether a
person, product, or idea) to carry out the
action.
• A simple, pervasive way to tell different parts
of the story across various media outlets.

11. And the Moral is...
• Use social media as a part of a strategic plan
to articulate and grow your brand story.
• Don’t be afraid of mini-narratives or focused
storytelling to tailor efforts to key
consumers.
• Watch, measure, understand, and respond to
learn what makes your consumers tick.