Exploring the Future of Brand Storytelling at Tribeca X

One Minute to Midnight Perspective

Tribeca X is a global festival focused on connecting brands and creators who focus on connecting with audiences through storytelling; a subject close to our hearts! We presented our research on the fusion of advertising and entertainment at the daylong event which gathered figures like Dianne Von Furstenburg, Seth Meyers, and Gary Vaynerchuck. Our work shared insights and challenges to brands on the subject of “Brand Storytelling,” an exciting industry with emerging potential. So let me take you back to the beginning of this ongoing journey.

We have come to a point where the competition for attention is as high as ever, and it’s getting harder to meaningfully connect to your audience through traditional forms of advertising. People want more honesty, true connection and less 'fakeness' in what they see from brands.

Given that, “brand storytelling” has evolved in recent years as a strong opportunity for marketing and entertainment. By enabling brands to deeply express their values, it creates a pathway to connect with audiences in more entertaining, meaningful and purposeful ways. Think, Drive to Survive’s massive entertainment success that resulted in a 53% increase in Formula 1 race viewership upon release, or John Deere’s upcoming film, Gaining Ground: The Fight for Black Land, a documentary addressing racial inequities of land ownership in America. Both examples share powerful stories that naturally amplify the brand’s core values.

This is an opportunity for brands to make a long lasting impact, but how will they successfully execute on it if there is no clear definition of what it entails and how one can measure the benefits?

Together with BrandStorytelling, an organizational body that advocates and connects thought leaders and experts in this industry, we are on a mission to provide nomenclature and measurement to correctly assess the impact these stories are having.

At Tribeca X we presented our initial findings and had a panel discussion with Megan Wells, an award winning director and filmmaker, and Cindy Weisskopf, managing director at Synchrony. We loved an open conversation with the audience and felt that there was a lot of support from the industry for the work we set out to do.

What’s next?

We are excited to continue the conversation at Elevate Sundance. We will conduct workshops with brands and film producers with a goal to finalize the definitive terminologies needed to progress to the measurement and impact phase. By involving stakeholders from both the brand and the production sides, we hope to establish communication guidelines that benefit both industries.

As thought leaders in this space, we’re excited to be at the forefront of helping brands continue their deep connection to their audiences through innovative new forms of brand storytelling.

From human to human,

Gabi