NOW MORE THAN EVER –
The digital revolution has shattered the traditional revenue models of many industries.
In my business. Entertainment. Specifically broadcast television. Our audience has fractured. Multiple channels. Multiple platforms. Consumers are no longer willing to just plop down on the couch and watch three hours of TV a night (Unless they’re watching CBS).
Modern audiences are demanding that content come to them on their schedule, and on whatever platform they have handy: TIVO. Internet. IPOD. Cell Phones. Video Game Platforms. Books. Toys. Manga. ETC.
For content creators to reach this fractured audience — a transmedia approach to storytelling is needed.
At HEROES we have embraced the transmedia approach. We extend our narrative across multiple media platforms simultaneously. Taking the characters, stories, and concepts from our broadcast show and expanding them via every platform we have access to. DVD. Websites. Cell phone games. Comic Books. Manga. Toys. And so on. Every piece of content that we create is designed to be a point of engagement for our audience, both a way for potential fans to discover the franchise, and for loyal fans to immerse themselves in the world of HEROES.
In the past, media companies and creators had looked at this kind of cross platform brand extension as an afterthought. Something ancillary to the core of the franchise. A way for the consumer products group to exploit the franchise and generate revenue without the input and participation of the storytellers. That approach is no longer sustainable and in fact has real drawbacks. The modern media audience is savvy. They know when they are being pandered to. They know when their favorite brand has sold out to an advertiser. And they don’t like it. In this world of transmedia brand exploitation, the chances of damaging a franchise increase with every new platform that franchise inhabits.
In the same way convergence culture has forced media companies to expand beyond their core business, driving broadcast television companies to take their content online, and beyond — so too has it affected the people that create the content.
It is no longer enough for a mass media content creator to understand storytelling for only one medium. For the current, and new generation of creators to survive, and build sustainable work, they must embrace the transmedia approach. They must understand the capabilities of technology to reach a vast audience, and adjust their storytelling to suit the way that audiences parse information differently on each platform.
While traditional entertainment models are collapsing. Transmedia entertainment is expanding. The need for new revenue streams is driving innovation. Character, narrative, and emotion are a proven way to engage consumers and create an audience devoted to both content and platform.
It is a very exciting time to be in the content business.
Great post, Jesse! Really eye-opening. I would love to see you write about how the transmedia approach brings in greater revenues. Is it simply that it brings a bigger and more loyal audience to the primary source of income (such as the on-air program) or is the revenue really spread out over the various media?
A rare pleasure to see the concept of transmedia so clearly described, Jesse. I agree with Teddy that one of the biggest questions I’m asked from potential partners and clients is about revenue channels and measuring the success of transmedia. It would also be wonderful to hear more about how transmedia planning and architecture is applied to HEROES.
Hi guys. Thanks for the comments. It’s tough to say EXACTLY how much money the HEROES transmedia content is generating for one simple reason — NBC does not share that information. As you both know — HOLLYWOOD ACCOUNTING is not generally the most open practice. A corollary challenge for aggregating the real value of transmedia content is that it generates revenue for separate divisions within the company. NETWORK. STUDIO. DVD. ONLINE. CONSUMER PRODUCTS. INTERNATIONAL. ETC. All compartmented. But there are several things that are undeniable — NBC and its various divisions want MORE transmedia content. And if they want MORE it’s because they are making money. TRANSMEDIA is well past the beta stage. It’s a proven revenue generator for media companies with exploitable IP. NISSAN, SPRINT, CISCO, and more are lining up to participate in our HEROES transmedia content. When companies are purchasing AD time during ON-AIR, they are also requesting that ONLINE be included in their AD buy. HEROES is about to launch a series of SPRINT very well funded webisodes — not to be confused with the NBC.COM funded webisodes that are currently online. There is only one undeniable way CONTENT CREATORS like ourselves, working within the established system, without access to the financial’s, can measure transmedia success — by our own employment. Thanks again for the comments!
Developing transmedia platforms has never been a problem for me with The Black Tower interactive webcomic series. The problem I’m having, Jesse, is trying to get marketing and promotion execs to see the value in product placements cleverly incorporated into an online creative platform (webcomic/YouTube videos etc.). I’ve approached execs at multi-billion dollar companies (music, computers, cars, phone and electronic gadgets, clothing and shoe manufacturers etc.) as well as much smaller companies with annual revenue in the $500,000 range and only a handful of employees. Every single one of them has turned me down, or ignored me altogether, when I tell them about the value of having their products and services featured in a webcomic, which has (or will have) live-action YouTube featurettes staring famous actors. It’s like these people are so ignorant and afraid of the Internet and all its magnificent possibilities that they would rather just stick to magazine ads and TV commercials. It’s safer.
I’m glad HEROES is doing so well with all its various transmedia projects, Jesse. But you have to be careful about oversaturation. Having so many outlets to tell HEROES stories can create confusion when these stories start to conflict and contradict each other which, I’ve learned from past experience, angers the fans to the point where they get frustrated and stop watching the show. So many balls up in the air, so many potential mistakes. I just hope all of the folks involved in bring the HEROES universe to life can manage the chaos without dropping a ball.
Well put Kelly. Having too much transmedia content out there can have catastrophic ramifications for any brand. The trick is maintaining creative control. Without a structure that empowers the content creatives to direct the transmedia team, on a single vision — disaster is assured. I think as we see a more Creator/Producer system emerge, outside the established media company models, it will be easier for name brand (Whedon, Kring, Abrams) transmedia creator/producers to maintain control over their content, and to develop relationships directly with ad agencies and companies. Thanks for the post!
My question is whether you think the transmedia approach is something that can be used outside of sci-fi or fantasy oriented titles. For example, could a children’s title be truly transmedia and embraced by the audience that is out there? I’d argue right now that in the children’s space (an current area of interest) there isn’t much extension of the narrative – it’s much more about repurposing. Can transmedia go mass, with something like childrens media? This is the fundamental question. Also, while putting together and considering transmedia titles, I am realizing that having a successful title in one form of media – e.g. television – gives you much more negotiating leverage to earn more from the DVD, book, film, etc. because you have the established sales and audience. Nonetheless, transmedia titles seem to be getting more acceptance by audiences but will it go mainstream or remain niche? Thanks for all your work in this space, Jesse.
Alistair –
I think transmedia content designed for younger audiences can be even more effective than for adults. Many book publishers are trying to figure out how to get their content online in new and interactive ways. Take a look at this one…
http://www.the39clues.com/
And I’d consider Pokemon, Bakkugan, and Chaotic, transmedia brands.
Jesse – thanks for the response. Your examples are great and useful to see. I am curious as whether a transmedia “brand”/”property”/”title” can be something which isn’t sci-fi/fantasy. Can it be something more accessible while still retaining the depth and multi-platform capabilities that your examples represent? For example, a really really rough semi-example, Disney’s Pixie Hollow and real world items working in conjunction with the virtual world. Also, you mention book publishers looking towards transmedia. Any of them leading the pack that have caught your eye recently?
To toss in my 2 cents, Alistair, I worked on FAIRIES transmedia for Disney and although there were some bumps in the road during the first couple of years (e.g., a disparity in continuity between the books and the original version of the feature, which has since been largely scrapped), the various silos have pulled together for what’s looking like a pretty good hard launch next month. Of course, the animation will become the driving platform for the property, though I dare say the book line will continue to operate as its narrative engine. Disney is currently examining the possibility of launching other properties through its publishing division as transmedia. As far as genre is concerned, I’m a firm believer that transmedia is a form of expression, which makes it open to an array of narrative forms. Consider soap opera, or a sprawling Dickensian drama; consider a musician or performance artist looking to expand his or her vision across platforms in concert. The possibilities are as exciting as they are limitless.