Fulford Creative |

Interview with Pete Fulford (by Pete Fulford)

Posted on January 21, 2011 by fulfordcreative

Q. What makes you tick?

A. Really? You start the interview with a question like that?

Q. What’s the matter with that question?

A. It’s just sort of a shallow cliche, don’t you think? What makes me tick? What the hell does that mean? Are you asking me about my interests? My internal biorhythms? Can you be any more specific?

Q. What’s your favorite thing about your line of work?

A. Ok, that’s better.

Q. Glad to have pleased you.

A. Hey, easy with the tone. I know that tone.

Q. What tone?

A. There was some tone there. You threw out a tone, and I’m not having it.

Q. Just asked a question.

A. Then you made a snide comment.

Q. An observation.

A. You always do that. You say these slightly sarcastic remarks that are meant to injure.

Q. Injure?

A. Yeah, not a bad injury, but a small one, like a torn cuticle. Those hurt like hell.

Q. So that’s what I am to you? A torn cuticle?

A. When you say those little sarcastic comments…yes.

Q. I’m sorry to have injured you.

A. There it is again.

Q. Now you’re being ridiculous.

A. Am I? Can you just stop the mini-sarcasm? Please.

Q. Ok. If it bothers you that much.

A. There it is again. Are you joking?

Q. Ok, I’ll stop.

A. For real?

Q. Yes.

A. Really?

Q. Yes.

A. Alright, thank you.

Q. Not a problem.

A. What?

Q. I said not a problem.

A. So you had a problem?

Q. No, I said not a problem.

A. By saying not a problem, you’re inferring that you had a problem.

Q. Ok, now listen…

A. No, you listen. The saying “not a problem” really means “I took what you said under consideration, and while I could’ve made this a problem, I just decided to let it go this time. So what was possibly a problem, is now…not a problem any longer.”

Q. I apologize. I will speak straightforward with no ulterior motives or references from now on.

A. That sounded a little sarcastic, but I’m not sure.

Q. Can we just get on with the interview?

A. Yes. Of course.

Q. Are you ready?

A. Yes. Let’s do this.

Q. So, tell me, what makes you tick?

A. You f-ing asshole!

On Transmedia Storytelling

Posted on January 4, 2011 by fulfordcreative

What if Aunt Jemima stepped off the syrup bottle and into say, a video game? What if she wrote a cookbook or even a novel? Perhaps we could see her with her own TV show? At the very least she could blog, Twitter, and have a Facebook page. Aunt Jemima as a brand has been around for 115 years, how cool would it be to learn about all of Aunt Jemima’s trials and tribulations, triumph’s of the sprit, love affairs and adventures she’s experienced over the last century. I’d bet a heaping pile of flapjacks that Aunt Jemima would be a star.

Transmedia storytelling tells narratives across multiple forms of media with each element making distinctive contributions to a viewer/user/player’s understanding of the story world. Each media format serves as an entry point to the story and narrative lines come at you in many different ways (blogs, webisodes, articles, books, games, microsites) to create a completely immersive story world.

Transmedia Storyteller Jeff Gomez defines it as “the art of conveying messages themes or storylines to mass audiences through the artful and well planned use of multiple media platforms.” This type of storytelling is found in the movie “The Matrix” (movie, comic books, video games all providing bits and pieces of Neo’s story). It could be found with Aunt Jemima too (if I have any say about it).

Check out Gomez’s company Starlight Runner. Their 2009 project is creating a world of characters and storylines for the Coca-Cola “Happiness Factory” campaign.

The Need for Brand Storytellers

Posted on January 4, 2011 by fulfordcreative

I think it’s great that everyone thinks of themselves as a writer these days. There are now MILLIONS of content creators out there on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, making videos, writing blogs, developing video games, commenting on articles, and on and on. It’s great people are expressing themselves, but therein lies a problem – more chatter equals more noise. And let’s be honest, most of what’s out there is loud, annoying and just plain crap.

It’s easy to spot good content quality – it’s creative, it’s moving, it’s hilarious. It’s this. And this. And this.

Now, to stand out today, businesses have to create content that rises above the muck. They do this with GOOD STORYTELLING.

Companies that employe good storytellers onto their creative team are one step ahead. This storyteller could simply be a subject matter expert. According to the 2010 Edelman Trust Barometer, people are increasingly viewing subject matter experts as trusted authorities. These folks are a good start, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg, the easy way out.

Marketing guru Seth Godin says: “…if I were trying to invent a mythic brand, I’d want to be sure that there was a story, not just a product or a pile of facts. That story would promise (and deliver) a heroic outcome. And there needs to be growth and mystery as well, so the user can fill in her own blanks.”

Businesses need to have their online communicators (subject matter experts included) equipped with a compelling narrative. This narrative should be going on at a dozen places at once (if possible), all with a common theme, an intricate branded web that stretches as far as it can, hits as many relevant eyeballs as possible. It should be thought through with the entire creative team, and implemented by communicators (writers, video makers, subject matter experts, etc.) who know how to tell good stories, what mode to tell these stories (text, video, images, audio, games, etc.), where to place those stories on the Web so as many folks can see them, and do by keeping the main marketing or benefits message close to the narrative.

This type of storytelling is the future of business marketing. Companies who develop a good story and a plan on how to distribute that story will rise above the noise of the masses.