Brand storytelling is a marketing technique that uses new distribution platforms to provide consumers with personal and unique experiences. Recently, brand storytelling has been gaining momentum primarily due to the fact that the current market is oversaturated and noisy. Consumers are bombarded with brand messages and aggressive advertisement, which is growing increasingly annoying. Brand storytelling makes the human front and center of its strategy. By creating sincere and moving stories, brands are reaching out to wider audiences, keep them engaged, and emotionally thrilled. Brand strategists behind the Hunger Games knew that the book’s fans were passionate about its universe. For that reason, they created District Identification Passes on social media platforms. Users could reference the different districts in the film and become “residents” of Panem.
Transmedia, or transient media, storytelling is another marketing strategy that has recently become quite popular. Transient media marketing implies the use of various multimedia platforms to create a cohesive brand story. Evidently, each social media platform has its own quirks and particularities, which requires marketing specialists to readjust their strategy. Probably, one of the most telling examples of transmedia is the Audi A3 “Art of the Heist” campaign.
The reason for branching out and trying a new strategy was the latest car model’s concept and specifications. Audi was well aware that to boost sales, it needed to reach out to an audience that was not its core customer base, namely, highly affluent, tech-savvy young people. The company also knew that those individuals probably spent a good share of their free time online. For those reasons, in 2005, Audi launched an interactive story and engaged users in a drama that moved back and forth between the world of the Internet and the real world. The story revolved around a stolen Audi 3 and began with live footage of the car theft and signs asking for information on the vehicle. The campaign was a big success and went down in the history of the market as a very inventive and ingenious solution.
The marketing campaign for the Hunger Games was very different from traditional campaigns. Typically, bracketologists would focus on raising brand awareness through a variety of online and real-life media: radio, magazines, social media, and billboards. Apart from that, they would probably include in-person PR elements by hosting interviews and partnering with other brands and influencers. The centerpiece and the starting point of the Hunger Games marketing campaign were teaser billboards that appeared six months before the premiere. The billboards depicted the intricate fashion of the book’s universe, so-called “Capitol Couture.” They did not give much further information, so curious fans had to google the term. A google search would lead them to a Tumblr website, then to a Facebook page and other social media.
Tumblr played a central role in promoting the movie. In general, the platform is known for its aesthetics, engaging visuals, and talented contributors. Tumblr is a social media that does not appear to the “public” and that attracts creative people. For the Hunger Games campaign, the movie’s Tumblr profile was turned into a fashion magazine. The page did not cover the movie’s costume design; instead, it made the world of the Hunger Games seem real. Real-life writers penned engaging stories about arts, design, and fashion in the Capitol as well as the newest trends and advancements. Besides, Tumblr included links to other social media pages so that fans could learn more about the fantasy universe.