Transmedia Storytelling

In order to understand Multimedia and Transmedia, you have to understand how they work individually and how they collaborate with one another. We participate in a profit driven economy, in which making a lot of money is the main objective. The larger the amount of people who gain interest in your product the larger the income opportunity is. Understanding the relationship and difference between Multimedia and Transmedia can help you properly market your product. In order to understand the differences and the way they interact. I will give examples of different stories, products and themes that have been successful through Multimedia and Transmedia.

 Content connected through Transmedia Storytelling

Multimedia is the form in which your product is displayed, text, audio or video/film/commercial. An example of Multimedia includes Apples billboard advertisement for their new product, the 30-second commercials on television or Youtube, articles in newspapers and magazines. Apple focuses on the simplicity of their ads and their product in their advertisement. The Picture like billboards is a testament to how they “transmit culture by the way they show it, and which emotions they stir” (Pavlik and Mclntosh).

Samsung has been making a push for consumers within the last couple of years. Their approach of Multimedia advertisement has been against their major competitor, Apple. “Samsung continues to devote an embarrassingly large amount of their advertising not to their own products but to Apple's” (Ritchie). Samsung is sending a message that they been doing what apple is starting to do now, which the launch of their new Iphone 6, in the attempt to validate them selves and win over Apple consumers. 

There use of Lebron James as an Advocate for Samsung is an example of Transmedia. Samsung is attempting to reach more audiences through the popularity and views that Lebron James attracts. Apple and Samsung use different approaches when advertising their products, in order to evoke emotion and creation consumption for their products. It gives their projected audience an image of them as a company, as a story and the community they’re being a part of as they purchase these products.  

Harry Potter 

Transmedia is presenting a story or products through different media platforms, like: television, social media, books, movies, and comics, etc. A story that is presented through these different platforms is an example of Transmedia Storytelling.  “A Transmedia story unfolds across multiple media platforms, with each new text making a distinct and valuable contribution to the whole” (Jenkins 98) Jenkins explains that the story is able to reach different audiences that use different platforms. The story or product may also reach the same audience but displayed differently in a different Medium. Harry Potter is excellent example of this Phenomenon. The Story of “Harry Potter” lives through different platforms, but all represent the same content. There are Books, Movies, Games, An amusement park, online communities, etc. This allows the story of Harry Potter to live and be shared through these different platforms. Which also allows Harry Potter to remain relevant and ultimately apart of our culture. The goal of any Trans Media marketing campaign is to remain as popular and relevant as possible.

Fans Waiting on line for new Harry Potter Book Release 

Fans Reacting and Purchasing new Harry Potter Book

Using Multimedia and Transmedia successfully will allow a story or product to be a marketing success. The benefit of using Multimedia is that you are projecting your product to possible consumers through a specific advertise form. By incorporating Transmedia Storytelling your product is reaching different audience through different media platforms. Many of these platforms are: Facebook, twitter, blogs, movies, books, television, comic books, costumes, toys etc. Spreading a story through these different platform gives fans/viewers a place to interact and share there likes and dislikes about show. This leads to creating a community of fans around the Transmedia story. Fans of popular television shows can interact on Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Websites, etc. Jenkins argues, “viewers get even more out of the experience if they compare notes and share resources than if they try to go it alone” (97). 

Football vs Breaking Bad

This form of fan participation is key to keeping a shows relevant and their fans loyal.  With the variation of DVR, it’s quite a demand for shows to command viewer’s immediate loyalty. Many shows are judged on the turnout of viewers they create during the release of their new episodes. And with DVR they have to compete with different forms of entertainment that may be showing at the same time. It’s all about the amount of viewers you can attract and maintain loyal.

Understanding Transmedia Storytelling and Multimedia is essential for anyone who is trying to get their product viewed and purchased.  Different marketing campaigns have different goals and therefore target different audiences. An up and coming filmmaker, author, storyteller has to consider how their stories content and grow and be expanded through the different media platforms. Marketing campaigns need to understand the advantages and disadvantages of using the Multimedia and Transmedia.

Citation:

Ritchie, Rene. "Samsung Tells Everyone IPhone 6 Plus Is Here, Can Dump Their Galaxy Notes and Switch over Now." Imore.com. 15 Sept. 2014. Web. <http://www.imore.com/samsung-tells-everyone-iphone-6-plus-here-can-dump-their-galaxy-notes-and-switch-over-now>.

Pavlik, John V., and Shawn McIntosh. Converging Media: A New Introduction to Mass Communication. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2011. Print.

Jenkins, Henry. Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York and London. 2006.