Finding STORY - A Case Study in Transforming a Brand
I was recently invited to consult with a company that was shifting their focus from a consumer products company into an entertainment company. Their business was based on a beloved seasonal character that had blossomed into a global consumer products business and the team knew that story needed to become the foundation of their business expansion. It is a bold evolution when a company changes their primary focus to ensure further growth. Yet this management team was small and nimble and hungry for expansion and their excitement to evolve into an entertainment company was captivating.
My goal was to craft a storyworld, the epicenter of a brand ecosystem, that could not only support a larger foray into entertainment but one that was built to support the consumer products efforts already in motion, as well as additional consumer touch points planned for the future.
I began working with one of the founders on the story and lore to expand the IP, in order to create a foundation for further entertainment development. The creator had done a lot of thought leadership on the backstory for the character and defined what could and couldn’t be explored, which was incredibly helpful and insightful. My initial focus was to talk through and streamline the linear story while also building out the tangential story ideas in support of this main narrative.
As we worked further on story development I was asked to develop storylines for entertainment; features, series and kids concepts. I absolutely love developing story concepts, it is something I have done my whole career across many mediums. One notable success that I truly enjoyed crafting was the storyline of Will in the Upside Down for the Dark Horse Stranger Things comics, an example of story development that is an exciting complement to the series. For this consultation, I had done the work to understand the origin story surrounding the main character, and brainstormed about how to streamline the main narrative therefore being asked to expand on this content was seamless because I had the core building blocks, the beginnings of a storyworld. I conceived almost 20 high concept storylines that were faithful to the primary narrative while also expanding the IP world and serving the business needs.
When consulting I’ve found that gaining a broad understanding of all aspects of my client’s business, essentially as much as they are willing to share, is a big ask but consulting from an informed place truly yields the best results that really move the needle for my clients. Gaining this knowledge allowed me to achieve my next task, which was to craft a truly compelling brand story, both factually and visually that spoke to the heart of the IP and even more importantly its connection to consumers around the world. I developed a focused pitch deck for the brand and business that visually presented the appeal of the property while highlighting key business successes thereby showcasing future potential. It prioritized the IP history, the engagement, the success and the future for the brand...in a format that built success upon success for a truly unforgettable presentation. One that caused the head of film at one of the big three agencies to say “this is exactly what we need...this is amazing!”
The company was able to create a competitive offer scenario and now have an overall deal with a major studio. The management team are the heroes in this story, and I’m excited that I was able to frame and highlight their successes and vision to support their move into this next chapter of business expansion.
How I see an IP Ecosystem…multiple entry points into the IP that amplify your success.