rules of brand fiction from @bettydraper and @roger_sterling

session hashtag = sxswbf

@BettyDraper aka @AdBroad

@Roger_Sterlingaka @Bissell

what is brand fiction?

• participatory entertainment in service of a brand

brandfictionfactory.com

brands used to tell stories that ended when the commercial was over

image from AMC’s Mad Men website

invitation to participate = the new ad

created by Deep Focus for AMC

brand fiction inspires consumers to fanatically spread the brand story

proliferated by Deep Focus for AMC

participation=the new metric

self-portrait as Mad Woman via MadMenYourself

gets results

• 1 million unique visits• 600,000 avatars created, “advartising”• 3.3 million tuned-in to season premiere

stats courtesy Ian Schafer, CEO Deep Focus

Mad Men on Twitter

TV characters began leading parallel lives in the twitterverse

Paul Isakson

giving audience a new way to connect with the show

building engagement

keeping up excitement between episodes, seasons

attracting new audience among potential fans around the world

remaining rigorously consistent with character

expanding to other social media channels

brandfictionfactory.com

brandfictionfactory.com

We began to create opportunities for deeper audience interaction

brandfictionfactory.com

inviting others to become part of the fictional universe

enabling them to create stories of their own

brandfictionfactory.com

fictional world was expanded by fan-invented characters

Budd Caddell

this added dimension to the universe

Sabina Maschi

extending it beyond the life of the show.

David Benardo

We went on to play with the time-space continuum

“tweaser” timed for Season 3 premiere

• an hour before Season 3 premiere

• a twitter event titled “Mad Worlds Collide”

• story: Mad Men on Twitter characters attend movie premiere of “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World” which premiered 1963

• inclusive concept designed to accommodate all who wanted to participate

we prepared the venue

brandfictionfactory.com

set the stage

brandfictionfactory.com

We promoted event via tweets & blog

brandfictionfactory.com

“sold” tickets

which allowed us to collect names and email of ardent fans

which provided eligibility for snazzy Mad Men-era prizes

vintage Radio City Playbill

copy of signed Mad Men script

1960s Radio City Music Hall Pin

As showtime approached, we drew up timeline so we could synchronize our

(winding) watches

then launched our experimental improv theater

the audience had as much fun as we did.

brandfictionfactory.com

we ensured the event endured beyond the fleeting life of search.twitter.com

brandfictionfactory.com

the payoff

• deepens audience engagement with show• builds new audience• goodwill for brand• keeps show alive between episodes, seasons• provides deeper profiles of most ardent

supporters (stats of great interest to advertisers who no longer settle for age, income demo)

brandfictionfactory.com

Mad Men on Twitter was first fan-based campaign recognized for its branding power

every brand has a story

stories add warmth to frozen dinners

and make drinking soda an even happier experience

• coke happiness

just think if nescafe spots ran today

brandfictionfactory.com

foursquare | match.com | facebook | twitter | craigslist

so what are the rules of brand fiction?

1. content is king

• success depends on quality of creative• appoint a dedicated brand fiction manager• design a Brand Fiction Canon:

• highly detailed account of characters, settings, vernacular rising from central story

2. maintain continuity across platforms

• it’s not an alternate universe, it’s one universe.

3. be authentic—content must embody brand values

brandfictionfactory.com

4. be relevant to your audience

• know your brand fans• what distinguishes your story from others in their

minds?• consumer and programming insights enrich the

experience• the medium changes the message

5. share

• let fans engage• respond, retweet, relationship

6. don’t trust a zombie. your bot will show.

brandfictionfactory.com

7. Don’t dilute the brand

brandfictionfactory.com

7. Don’t dilute the brand

8. campaign assessment or the Scheherazade factor

• Monitoring• Engagement• Redirecting/Harnessing• Tracking• Archiving

9. Don’t underestimate time/effort necessary for success.

“The high-complexity nature of Digital programs makes it the most labor-intensive medium in the advertising industry.”

--A Marketer's Guide to Understanding the Economics of Digital Compared to Traditional Advertising and Media Services

report published 3/09 by The 4A’saaaa.org

10. Have fun

Lady Gaga brand fiction by former creative writing student

Stefani Germonatta

to speculate further…

Helen Klein Ross

helen@brandfictionfactoryMichael Bissell

bissell@ conquent.com