2000 Bubble: Raise at least $100 million in venture capital. Spend! Hire everyone (particularly sales people)! Get revenue by any means necessary! Go Public! Sell Your Stock! Run!

2011 Blubble: Drag blubbering angel investors into Series A rounds valuing your company at $6 million instead of $4 million. Hire engineers, lots of them, as many as you can. Don’t hire non-engineers or other overhead people unless you absolutely have to (thus the dearth of VP Biz Devs around). Balance fast growth with low burn (through cost controls or profitability). If you happen to have started Facebook, Groupon or Zynga, capitalize on your massive profitability by doing big late stage rounds that value you at something like 30x forward profits (which isn’t that crazy). If you’ve founded Twitter and have no revenue, capitalize on the massive worldwide cultural impact you’ve created instead.

But no one. Absolutely no one, is telling startups to raise and spend money as fast as they can. With the possible exception of Color. I have no idea what those guys are up to over there in crazy picture sharing land.

Image credit!

1. WHY? Results: Facts.
Why is ice swimming on top of water? Because it is lighter than water.

2. WHY NOT? Results: Possibilities.
Google didn’t ask: “Why should we have a slide come down in the cafeteria. The asked: Hey, why not, it’s fun!”

3. WHAT IF? Results: The future.
But Future has so many aspects, it is easy to get confused. The solution: Think about one aspect a time.

4. WHAT IF NOT? Results: Different perspective.
What if Harley Davidson is not a motorbike?
Answered by Jeffrey Bluestein, HD’s chariman: “We sell a way of life, and the bike comes for free!“.

When the book was published in 2008 there was hardly any word about transmedia. But there was product placement in movies and tv-shows. A huge market, that was $4,38 billion big in 2007! Lindstrom tells us the example of “American Idol”:

The 3 big sponsors of the show are Cingular, Coca Cola and Ford. They each spend a ridiculous fortune of $26 million a year to be allowed to appear on the show. Each brand has a different way of advertising on the show:

1. Cingular: Running Ads. Plus every time the viewers are asked to call in for their favorite candidate they are reminded, that they can text for free from their Cingular phones. If you have any other phone, you can only call by paying a fee.
Message: Only with Cingular you can mage dreams come true.

2. Coca-Cola: Running Ads. Plus every judge has a Coke cup in front of him that he sips out of. The backstage walls are painted Coke red, and the judges are sitting in customized Coke-chairs.
Message: Drink coke, and you are in the world of fame, succes and show.

3. Ford: Running Ads.
Message: ?!

What Lindstrom found after analyzing his brain-scan targets for brand memorabiliy was stunning.
The results showed that Coca-Cola was way more memorable than Cingular, and far, far more memorable than Ford. Ford not even performed poorly, his subjects actually remembered less about Ford after the show than before the show. In other words:

“Watching a Coke-saturated show actually suppressed subjects’ memories of the Ford ads.”

Why was Coke’s strategy so successful, while Ford’s wasn’t? The answer is simple:
Coke was fully integrated into the narrative of the show. This means, if brands don’t play an integral part of the storyline of a program, movie or where ever they advertise they are not remembered. Or do you remember the 23 Brands shown in “Die Another Day”, or the 103 Brands in Sylvester Stallone’s 117 minutes movie “Driven”? No, me neither. Because consumers are assaulted by advertising, banners, ads, messages 24/7, and their self protecting filtering mechanisms got stronger and stronger.

Consumers learned to filter stupid, uncreative pieces of irrelevant marketing messages without context. That’s the reality.

End of the book.

Now where is transmedia?

Let’s observe: Until recently the only way to put your products into context (a narrative) was to pay for product placement, so you can tell someone who wants to tell a story that his hero must drink Coke. Fair enough, otherwise the rest of the movie might never got made without the money. The product guys needed the story guys for support. And vice versa.

But things have changed.

The convergence of media is a nobrainer. But business in general is converging, too. Computer companies build phones with their own eco-system (Apple), blogs host their own shows (Engadget), car companies shoot their own movies (BMW, Mercedes, Audi). Everybody does everything that supports their core business. And for some (Apple) this pays out extremely well. Welcome to the century of the context.
Now these companies do not rely on the story guys anymore. What the most successful and  innovative companies today say is this:

“We are producing additional free content / services / narrative / etc. around our products to sell more of them.”

That’s good. But I don’t think it’s good enough. The real hidden secret is this:

“If you don’t create free additional content / services / narrative / etc. around your product, and don’t put it into a relevant context, you are not only not remembered, but you will even lose market share to those who do.”

And this is a scientific fact.

Myth 1: Transmedia Storytelling refers to any strategy involving more than one media platform.

The entertainment industry has long developed licensed products, reproducing the same stories across multiple channels (for example, novelizations). Increasingly, broadcast content is also available on line. And many films are adopted from books (or now, comic books). None of these necessarily constitute transmedia storytelling. In transmedia, elements of a story are dispersed systematically across multiple media platforms, each making their own unique contribution to the whole. Each medium does what it does best–comics might provide back-story, games might allow you to explore the world, and the television series offers unfolding episodes.

Myth 2: Transmedia is basically a new promotional strategy.

Yes, many early transmedia experiments were funded through marketing budgets. Transmedia has been closely linked to the industry’s new focus on “audience engagement” and sometimes uses “viral” (or “spreadable”) media strategies. But, the best transmedia is driven by a creative impulse. Transmedia allows gifted storytellers to expand their canvas and share more of their vision with their most dedicated fans.

Myth 3: Transmedia means games.

The rise of alternate reality games coupled with mass media properties is part of what’s generating excitement here. Transmedia properties combine cultural attractors (which draw together a highly invested audience) and cultural activators (which gives that audience something to do). Games are a good way to give your fans something to do, but they are by no means the only model out there.

Myth 4: Transmedia is for geeks.

So far, most of transmedia has been designed for early adapters–folks at home with digital applications, with disposable time and income, and especially the 18-27 year old males who have disappeared from the Nielsen Ratings. So far, much transmedia content has targeted children through cartoons or geeks through science fiction, horror, and fantasy franchises. But, there are plenty of signs that transmedia experiences may appeal more broadly. For example, some believe transmedia strategies may be key to the survival of soap operas.

Myth 5: Transmedia requires a large budget.

Fans now expect transmedia content around blockbuster films and cult television series, but there are also many successes with using transmedia to build audience awareness around low budget and independent media productions–from The Blair Witch Project to District 9 to Paranormal Activity. It’s about developing the appropriate mix of media for the genre, the audience, and the budget of a particular production.

Myth 6: Everything should go transmedia.

Many stories are told perfectly well within a single medium, and the audience leaves satisfied, ready for something else. Transmedia represents a strategy for telling stories where there is a particularly diverse set of characters, where the world is richly realized, and where there is a strong back-story or mythology that can extend beyond the specific episodes being depicted in the film or television series. Transmedia represents a creative opportunity, but it should never be a mandate for all entertainment.

Myth 7: Transmedia is “so ten minutes ago.”

The first generation series to push transmedia, (Lost, Heroes, Ghost Whisperer, and 24) ended last season, and some of attempts to replace them–from Flash Forward to The Event–failed. But many of the big hits–including Glee, True Blood, and The Walking Dead–model new transmedia strategies to attract and sustain audience engagement. Transmedia storytelling is still about the stories and if the stories do not capture the imagination, no amount of transmedia extension can repair the damage. But, we will see innovative new approaches because transmedia as a strategy responds to a media environment that rewards being everywhere your audience might be and giving your fans a chance to drill deeper into the stories they love.

This is a post by Henry Jenkins on fastcompany.com

1. QUEST – the plot involves the Protagonist’s search for a person, place or thing, tangible or intangible (but must be quantifiable, so think of this as a noun; i.e., immortality).

2. ADVENTURE – this plot involves the Protagonist going in search of their fortune, and since fortune is never found at home, the Protagonist goes to search for it somewhere over the rainbow.

3. PURSUIT – this plot literally involves hide-and-seek, one person chasing another.

4. RESCUE – this plot involves the Protagonist searching for someone or something, usually consisting of three main characters – the Protagonist, the Victim & the Antagonist.

5. ESCAPE – plot involves a Protagonist confined against their will who wants to escape (does not include some one trying to escape their personal demons).

6. REVENGE – retaliation by Protagonist or Antagonist against the other for real or imagined injury.

7. THE RIDDLE – plot involves the Protagonist’s search for clues to find the hidden meaning of something in question that is deliberately enigmatic or ambiguous.

8. RIVALRY – plot involves Protagonist competing for same object or goal as another person (their rival).

9. UNDERDOG – plot involves a Protagonist competing for an object or goal that is at a great disadvantage and is faced with overwhelming odds.

10. TEMPTATION – plot involves a Protagonist that for one reason or another is induced or persuaded to do something that is unwise, wrong or immoral.

11. METAMORPHOSIS – this plot involves the physical characteristics of the Protagonist actually changing from one form to another (reflecting their inner psychological identity).

12. TRANSFORMATION – plot involves the process of change in the Protagonist as they journey through a stage of life that moves them from one significant character state to another.

13. MATURATION – plot involves the Protagonist facing a problem that is part of growing up, and from dealing with it, emerging into a state of adulthood (going from innocence to experience).

14. LOVE – plot involves the Protagonist overcoming the obstacles to love that keeps them from consummating (engaging in) true love.

15. FORBIDDEN LOVE – plot involves Protagonist(s) overcoming obstacles created by social mores and taboos to consummate their relationship (and sometimes finding it at too high a price to live with).

16. SACRIFICE – plot involves the Protagonist taking action(s) that is motivated by a higher purpose (concept) such as love, honor, charity or for the sake of humanity.

17. DISCOVERY – plot that is the most character-centered of all, involves the Protagonist having to overcome an upheavel(s) in their life, and thereby discovering something important (and buried) within them a better understanding of life (i.e., better appreciation of their life, a clearer purpose in their life, etc.)

18. WRETCHED EXCESS – plot involves a Protagonist who, either by choice or by accident, pushes the limits of acceptable behavior to the extreme and is forced to deal with the consequences (generally deals with the psychological decline of the character).

19. ASCENSION – rags-to-riches plot deals with the rise (success) of Protagonist due to a dominating character trait that helps them to succeed.

20. DECISION – riches-to-rags plot deals with the fall (destruction) of Protagonist due to dominating character trait that eventually destroys their success.

(Note: Sometimes #19 & #20 are combined into rags-to-riches-to-rags (or vice versa) of a Protagonist who does (or doesn’t) learn to deal with their dominating character trait). For an in-depth look at these plots, read the excellent “20 Master Plots and How To Build Them” by Ronald B. Tobias.

For an in-depth look at these plots, read the excellent “20 Master Plots and How To Build Them” by Ronald B. Tobias.

Simplicity is the key to brilliance.

Showing off is the fool’s idea of glory.

To hell with circumstances. I create opportunities.

If you want to do your duty properly, you should do just a little more than that.

Take things as they are. Punch when you have to punch. Kick when you have to kick.

If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves. Moving, be like water. Still, be like a mirror. Respond like an echo.

2. Ask yourself the hard questions. Why will anyone care? Is this the best way to tell the story? What appears to be a simple question is a key to designing an impactful transmedia experience.

3. Let go of a single POV. It is easy to think of extending the characters of your film but is that the most engaging way to tell the story beyond the film? Surely, there are other backstory elements or themes that can be mined to great effect and also be freeing at the same time.

4. Consider how you can show, not tell. This becomes even more important within a story that has many touch points. The show is also directly linked to someone experiencing and interacting with your story. Also, be prepared for the audience to show you things that you had not considered.

5. Make it easy for your audience to become collaborators. There are three C’s: Context, Content and Community. If you have clear calls to action, simple ways for audiences to understand where they fit within the experience and a reward for their efforts, you will be amazed at how passionate people who feel they are part of something can be.

6. Don’t let the world get in the way of the story! Just because you can build something does not mean you should. Do not let the hype around transmedia distract you from the story you want to tell.

Source: CULTURE HACKER: A STORYTELLING PANDEMIC | The Filmmaker Magazine Blog.

It’s not enough to know everything about the tech and trend aspects. These are only the vehicles. What always lies underneath is the behavior of people. And still you won’t be able to predict what they are going to do. So what should you do?

Since the transmedial approach to communication is fairly new in mass media creation we have to assume we know nothing, and try to understand everything. Gary Hayes created a wonderful graphic comparing Maslow’s hierarchy to a transmedia experience and the needs of your users.