HOW DO I SELL THIS IDEA TO MY CLIENT?(spoiler alert... it’s hard)

I’m going to role play a scene between me and a fictional client. I will play the role of the Strategist and my co-star, the Client will be the Screen behind me.

Transmedia planning is a communication model, derived from the ideas found in the book “Convergence Culture” that former MIT professor, now current Provost at USC, Henry Jenkins

coined.

THAT GUY SOUNDS SMART,

I’M LISTENING.

(voice of a fictional client)

In this model, there will be an evolving non-linear brand narrative.

I SAW THE SHOW ‘LOST’

IT WAS HARD TO FOLLOW

(voice of a fictional client)

Different channels will be used to communicate different, self-contained elements of the brand narrative that build to create a larger brand world.

WORLD BUILDING SOUNDS EXPENSIVE...

(voice of a fictional client)

Consumers then pull different parts of the story together themselves.

COPY TESTING SHOWS CONSUMERS HATE COMPLEX STORY LINES...

(voice of a fictional client)

Since there would be more elements to the narrative than any single person could consume, people come together to share elements of the narrative – driving word of mouth and creating

communities.

GIVE CONTROL TO CONSUMERS...

I’M NOT SURE ABOUT THIS

(voice of a fictional client)

END SCENE. You can see how easy it is to say no to Transmedia, but the clients that are saying yes are coming from the Entertainment sectors and what we have seen over the years is

that movie marketing has a way of changing how everyone does marketing over time.