Digital storytelling campaign
THIS DIGITAL CAMPAIGN WAS CREATED TO PROMOTE A NEW SUBCATEGORY FOR THE RED BULL BRAND BY USING A SIGNATURE STORY TO COMMUNICATE A STRATEGIC MESSAGE. A SIGNATURE STORY IS DEFINED AS, “AN INTRIGUING, AUTHENTIC, INVOLVING NARRATIVE THAT DELIVERS OR SUPPORTS A STRATEGIC MESSAGE CLARIFYING OR ENHANCING A BRAND VISION, CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP, ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES AND/OR BUSINESS STRATEGY. IT PROVIDES VISIBILITY AND ENERGY TO BRANDS AND PERSUADES CUSTOMERS OVER AN EXTENDED TIME” (AAKER, 2018, P.10). THE SIGNATURE STORY OF THIS CAMPAIGN IS RELEVANT TO THE RED BULL BRAND AND ITS CUSTOMERS BECAUSE IT ENHANCES THE BRAND VISION AND THEIR BUSINESS STRATEGY. THE SIGNATURE STORY GRABS THE AUDIENCE’S ATTENTION BECAUSE IT IS INTRIGUING AND PROVIDES HUMOR AND AUTHENTICITY. “AUTHENTICITY MEANS THAT THE AUDIENCE DOES NOT PERCEIVE THE STORY TO BE PHONY, CONTRIVED OR A TRANSPARENT SELLING EFFORT” (AAKER, 2018, P.11). THE AUDIENCE IS DRAWN INTO THE CAMPAIGN AND ITS MESSAGING BECAUSE IT IS INVOLVING AND EXCITING. THE USE OF HUMOR GIVES THE AUDIENCE ENTERTAINMENT, AND THE STORY WILL THEN “BE SHARED AND CAN EVEN GO VIRAL” (AAKER, 2018, P.126). BY USING ALL AVAILABLE MEDIA VEHICLES, THE STORY GAINS EXTERNAL EXPOSURE AND IS THEN PASSED ON THROUGH WORD-OF-MOUTH ADVERTISING. THE SIGNATURE STORY PERSUADES THE AUDIENCE BY REINFORCING THE AWARENESS THAT RED BULL IS SERIOUS ABOUT EXTREME SPORTS AND THOSE WHO SHARE THE SAME PASSION. BY DOING SO, THE RED BULL BRAND PROVIDES A CONNECTION TO ITS AUDIENCE AND OTHERS CAN RELATE. THROUGH VARIED APPLICATIONS, DIFFERENT PLOTS, AND DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES THE STORY GAINS DEPTH AND FRESHNESS (AAKER, 2018, P.30). THE DIGITAL CAMPAIGN PROVIDES ASSOCIATIONS OF EXTREME ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS THAT HELP POSITION THE RED BULL BRAND. AAKER (2018) CLAIMS, “ASSOCIATIONS CAN POSITION A BRAND TO PROVIDE CUSTOMER AFFINITY, DIFFERENTIATION, AND STRATEGIC GUIDANCE TO THE ORGANIZATION” (P.61). THIS ARTIFACT IS NOT ONLY INTRIGUING, AUTHENTIC, AND INVOLVING BUT IT IS ALSO CONSISTENT, COHESIVE, AND EFFECTIVE.
BASED ON MY PROFESSIONAL UNDERSTANDING OF IMC PRINCIPLES AND THEORY, I MADE THE CHOICE TO INCLUDE VISUAL ELEMENTS AND MESSAGING THAT IS COHESIVE TO THE RED BULL BRAND. THE RED BULL BRAND IS ADVENTUROUS, FUN, ENERGETIC, AND STIMULATING. THE MESSAGING THROUGHOUT THE CAMPAIGN ENCOMPASSES THESE TRAITS AND ALIGNS WITH THE BRAND VISION. THE VISUAL ELEMENTS INCORPORATED IN THE CAMPAIGN SYMBOLIZE THE PASSION FOR EXTREME SPORTS AND EVENTS TO ACHIEVE ORGANIZATIONAL OBJECTIVES AND PROMOTE THE NEW SUBCATEGORY.
THE RHETORICAL CONTEXT OFFERED IN THIS CAMPAIGN ARE THE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, THE PODCAST, THE PRESS RELEASE, AND THE BLOG THAT BROUGHT THE NEW SUBCATEGORY INTO THE PUBLIC EYE AND CREATED EXCITEMENT AND BRAND VISIBILITY. INCREASED BRAND VISIBILITY AND PUBLIC AWARENESS LED OTHERS TO PROMOTE THE NEW SUBCATEGORY AND TAKE ACTION TO BUY. AAKER (2018) CLAIMS, “THE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE MANY DOZENS OF STUDIES DRAMATICALLY SHOW THAT, IN COMPARISON TO DESCRIPTIVE PORTRAYALS OF FACTS, STORIES ARE MUCH BETTER AT GETTING ATTENTION, AFFECTING PERCEPTIONS, CHANGING ATTITUDES, BEING REMEMBERED, INSPIRING, AND ENERGIZING. NOT 20% OR 30% BETTER, BUT 200% TO 300% BETTER” (P.94). I CHOSE TO USE SIGNATURE STORY SETS WITH DIFFERENT PLOTS TO GAIN ATTENTION AND KEEP THE STORYTELLING FRESH AND INNOVATIVE.
ETHICS, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION INFORMED MY COMMUNICATION CHOICES BECAUSE I CHOSE TO PROMOTE THE NEW SUBCATEGORY TO A LARGER TARGET AUDIENCE THAN JUST MALES. THIS CAMPAIGN NOT ONLY PROMOTES ITS NEW SUBCATEGORY TO THE MALE AUDIENCE BUT FEMALES AS WELL. I CHOSE TO USE A FEMALE SPOKESPERSON IN MY PODCAST TO ATTRACT THE FEMALE AUDIENCE AND SHOW DIVERSITY IN EXTREME SPORTS. I WANTED TO MAKE THE RED BULL BRAND MORE INCLUSIVE BY ENCOURAGING ALL GENDERS TO JOIN THE BRAND COMMUNITY. I ALSO CHOSE TO INCLUDE IMAGES OF DIVERSE RACIAL BACKGROUNDS TO ENSURE MY MESSAGING WAS ETHICAL, DIVERSE, AND INCLUSIVE THROUGHOUT.
