Agency Strategic Planners: 3 steps to better connect with your target audiences using storytelling.

As a strategic planner, it is becoming increasingly difficult to stand out and make an impression in consumers' mind. As a graduate student in Northwestern University's Medill Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) program, I have been research making connections and have found two articles with key insights to consider".   

In a recent article from AdAge "Starbucks Launches First Brand Campaign 'Meet Me at Starbucks'", Columnist Maureen Morrison explained that the coffee giant made an unusual move by not directly featuring its products in the spot. Rather it used a slice of life technique to document a  day in starbucks lovers life. Shot in 59 different stores across 28 countries, the documentary demonstrated the broad appeal and universal community bond that Starbucks stands for. The touchy documentary also illustrated people from different background and different life path, but united by one single brand, and how they incorporate Starbucks as a ritual in their daily lives. The video offers a great content piece to connect its seemingly remote and unrelated customers around the world. Most importantly, with this movie, people identify themselves with others and embrace starbucks community. 

Similarly, Ogilvy & Mather New York did a stunning job in their ``A Ticket To Visit Mom” campaign for British Airways. Using documentary as the format of storytelling, the spot touched the heart of millions Indian migrants in North America by the imagery and sound of their childhood memory. The featured ad also went to won the Chiat Day award 2014. The key concept here is that British Airway did not just sell the product attribute of ``Most Frequent Fight To India From North America Than Any Other Airlines”. It told a story of reunion and love that evoked the deepest human connection in its target audiences. Such strategy produced a significantly favourable result that differentiates British Airways from competitors. 

Based on my assessment of above articles and draw from my experiences as a graduate student in Northwestern University Medill IMC program, here are three action items I recommend you to implement immediately to strengthen the connection with your key audiences:   

1. Trigger Emotions - As ad agencies are in the business of persuasion, there is nothing more important than triggering an emotion among consumers therefore create a point of difference in their mind. By making documentaries, in which nothing is staged or scripted but pure human emotions, brands connect individuals in a genuine way that every consumer can identify themselves with. This is especially true for global brand and category leader, documentaries provides a narrative that brand aficionados can reconfirm their own community and share the passion and enthusiasm they have alike the emotion embedded in the customer experience becomes the center of the conversation.

1. Think of Higher Level Needs - Michael Porter said that only cost leadership and brand differentiation create value for a company. Storytelling enables brand differentiation. Brands need to create sentimental value for the audiences - not only to satisfy their physical, emotional needs, but also spiritual needs. As members of the society, people desire peer recognition and community connection. They are in a journey of constantly redefining the brand and themselves - it is not a simple consumption relationship anymore.

1. No Hard Selling - The product should not be in the center stage but the people who interact with the brand and make their own story. In other words, tell the story through consumers words. The principle here is to create authentic, genuine emotions that will resonate with customers and not pushing the product directly. By helping customers to achieve their mission, brands will receive credits automatically.

All in all, consumers are looking for genuine connections that they can trust and rely on, rather than the conventional transactional relationship. In both Starbucks and BA commercials, the center piece is the customers personal journey. No more words needed to be explained, by the storytelling, the brand will be inked in their subconscious thus influence their future behavior.

Lynn Lin previously worked in global consulting firm Protiviti Inc. as a risk management consultant. Currently she is pursuing her Masters degree in Integrated Marketing Communications in Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. As a aspiring strategic planner, Lynn Lin specializes in brand management and digital marketing strategy. She also holds a Bachelor degree in Business and Management from Aston University in United Kingdom.
Questions and comments? Please contact me:Twitter @lynnlinimc  Linkedin 
Website: www.istrialin.com

Brand Managers, Stay Ahead of the Game by Watching the Shifts

Fueled by the ever-growing and expanding technologies and the web, consumers are now ever more involved as companies struggled to build their brand. Does your company understand consumers and their digital behaviors? Are you building brands around major touch points to really drive engagement? As a graduated student in the Northwestern Medill IMC program and a former account who had worked on both branding and digital campaigns at OgilvyOne, I suggest marketers to read the following two articles. 

The first Article is iConsumer: Digital Consumers Altering the Value Chain by Ewan Duncan, Eric Hazan, and Kevin Roche from Mckinsey & Company's Insights and Publications. It’s no news that consumers are migrating towards digital, but what are the trends exactly? In their report on the digital consumer behavior released on April, 2013, entitled iConsumer: Digital Consumers Altering the Value Chain, Mckinsey identified six overarching trends in consumer digital behavior. 

The first is a shift in device from PCs to mobile/touch devices. The second observation is that there's been a shift in communication, as consumers are going from voice to data and video(Ex: Vine, Snapchat). The third shift is bundled content is now becoming more and more fragmented. Another shift, albeit not as apparent to consumers, is social shift from growth to monetization. Also, there is been a video shift from programmed to user-driven content. Last, there's been a shift in retail from channel to experience.

Source: iConsumer:Digital Consumers Altering the Value Chain

The second article that brands will find useful is Interbrand's "Branding in the Post-digital world" written by Interbrand’s Global CEO, Jez Frampton. As companies try to build brands in a highly digitized world, it is now evident to marketers that consumers and businesses co-create brands. In addition, consumers leave trails of brand opinions along the way as they go through their purchase decision journey, which will in turn affect the next consumer. The good news is, marketers now have the chance to be present at every touch point along the way. Digital should now be central to all brand building activities, as it is key to reaching and engaging consumers by making it possible to respond quickly. Both online and offline is now one ongoing experience that determines the company’s vitality.

Based on my analysis of the two articles and my observation of working closely with brands, there are three things that need to be implemented for brands:

1. Stay close to consumers - Changes may happen very quickly, be sure to stay close to consumers and invest in discovering insights such as the shifts mentioned in the first article.

2. Invest right - Ensure investments in channels and engagements are aligned with consumer behavioral shifts.

3. Make structural changes - Make changes within the company to align digital efforts.

Changes in the industry will happen very quickly and demand companies to strengthen their capabilities in order to continue to prosper in an all-digital world. Companies should also be investing in understanding shifts in consumer behaviors to build their brands and actions around their consumer understandings. Structural changes within the company should also be made accordingly so that digital efforts can be communicated and aligned across all sectors. When that’s all done, then your brand is ready to go.

Professional Summary

Janice Shieh

M.S. Candidate of Integrated Marketing Communications at Medill, Northwestern University. Double concentration in Brand Strategy and Marketing Analytics. A bit greedy so also on the Digital and Interactive Marketing concentration track. Previously worked at OgilvyOne Taiwan in the Account department. Specializes in Digital Marketing. 
Follow Janice on twitter: @janicew_shieh

Agency Managers: If You Don't Think Transmedia, You Will Miss Profitable Audiences

In the cluttered media space of today’s market, transmedia storytelling is becoming increasingly more important to attract—and keep—consumers attention on multiple platforms to create a mutually beneficial relationship for them and you. As a M.S. candidate in Medill’s Integrated Marketing Communications program much of our focus is on the consumer and how to best engage them in creating a beneficial relationship – sometimes done through transmedia storytelling. 

In “Seven Myths About Transmedia Storytelling Debunked,” author Henry Jenkins, discusses the hottest buzzword for producers and marketers alike – transmedia storytelling. While many companies are implementing new job titles like, Transmedia Producer, and laying claim to expertise in transmedia much of their knowledge is based on myth. Jenkins goes through the seven myths:

1. Transmedia Storytelling refers to any strategy involving more than one media platform.
2. Transmedia is basically a new promotional strategy.
3. Transmedia means games.
4. Transmedia is for geeks.
5. Transmedia requires a large budget.
6. Everything should go transmedia.
7. Transmedia is "so ten minutes ago."

This helps readers better understand and use transmedia. He believes that the core of transmedia storytelling is in the stories themselves and while some may disagree we see the most successful transmedia storytelling being done with hit shows like 24, Glee and True Blood – all great stories in themselves.

Source: Ogilvy Entertainment

A second interesting article came from Forbes who reported that Barbie was selling her Malibu Dream House for a mere $25 million and is setting off for bigger and better things. The whimsical “For Sale” sign was the start of a Mattel marketing campaign to unveil a new Barbie Dream House just in time for the holiday season. While this ‘pinktastrophy’ was more than entertaining what caught me most was Mattel’s excellent example of transmedia storytelling in a marketing setting. Mattel partnered with luxury real estate agent, Josh Altman, cast member of Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing and could find the listing and a virtual walk through of on Trulia.com. Social media campaigns also allowed fans to help decide where Barbie should move and what the house should look like and was complemented by traditional advertising. Mattel also released a YouTube web series, Barbie Life in the Dream House and will be tied together by a partnership with EMS Entertainment for travelling exhibition/experiential marketing campaign entitled, Barbie the Dream House Experience.

After reviewing these articles, there are three action items that you should immediately consider when creating a transmedia campaign: 

1. Platforms Matter: Not all platforms will give you the biggest 'bang for your buck,' decide what platforms best fit your marketing strategy.
2. Keep Their Attention: Consumers are in control and are not always in the digital space. Think of others ways to enhance your story outside of traditional realms. 
3. Tie It All Together: Use social media not as a basis for your story but as a way to tie all your marketing efforts into a cohesive effort to promote feedback.

While every agency and your clients offer a unique marketing experience, there are some commonalities we all share in wanting a compelling transmedia story. Whether your goal is to increase sales, increase brand awareness or increase customer retention, these three proven tactics will help you create a transmedia campaign that moves in the right direction. 

A graduate of the University of Iowa’s School of Journalism with a degree in entrepreneurship and a current M.S. candidate at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Communications and Integrated Marketing Communications. Lauren Pardun is an integrated marketing professional that specializes in creating dynamic and engaging campaigns across multiple platforms. 

Follow her on Twitter @lauren_pardun
LinkedIn: http://linkd.in/S2qRMA