the new era of content
In an era of passive and voracious consumption of information, we see the emergence of a new type of content based on narrative density, emotion, long-form storytelling, and enriched storytelling.
preface:
Zapping, doomscrolling, binge watching, bored watching… in an era where content is an ephemeral and unlimited consumable, our brains, inundated from all sides, involuntarily absorb an infinite amount of information without truly paying attention. The Covid crisis and the rise of telecommuting have also contributed to this phenomenon by increasing exchanges and interactions. In our daily lives as well as in the heart of the business world, we are now saturated with short, emotionally devoid messages that fail to engage and clutter the space. Brands, by engaging in immediate communication tactics, are not exempt from this trend: they remain tactical instead of being distinctive.
In this age of passive and voracious information consumption, we see the emergence of a new type of content based on narrative density, emotion, long-term engagement, and enriched storytelling.
Welcome to the era of storytelling that engages, stands out, and truly tells something.
from ephemeral content to content overload
The short format has long been the prerogative of brands seeking easy visibility. Eight seconds – that’s the attention span of today’s consumer, overwhelmed and weary from the editorial cacophony they’re both victim and perpetrator of. Eight seconds to change everything. Or change nothing at all. Amidst the noise-makers and storytellers, some brands have lost sight of the essential: the message and the coherence of their vision. By succumbing to the allure of the ephemeral, the superficially beautiful, the agitation, the urgency, the noble art of storytelling has been forgotten.
The one that stirs us. The one that awakens us. The one that challenges us.
Today, taking the time to explore is the mark of greatness. Snack-content is dead; long live slow-content and the return of emotion!
when “Slow Storytelling” Revitalizes Brands
The idea is simple: move away from mass content creation to produce high-value, enriched, and generous content over a longer period, where the brand promise is no longer diluted. Content becomes useful and more easily understandable. It becomes immersive and not just entertaining. It evokes emotion rather than indifference. Above all, it meets a visceral market need for involvement, commitment, transparency, and sincerity from brands, many of which are now perceived as lacking authenticity and involvement. From ROI to ROE!
Slow Content starts with the message to find the best possible narrative, regardless of the channel used. Podcasts, articles, branded films, web series, documentaries, games, mini-sites… reductionist communication is put aside, making way for editorial and journalistic exploration. The challenge is significant: to catch up with the already weary user by creating a conducive transmission context for active and engaged listening.
This is the case of the French industrial company SOMFY, specialized in connected home equipment, which, alongside the communication agency Gardeners, is shaking up the usual codes to address the very serious but often tedious subject of cybersecurity among its 6,500 employees. Its activation “Keeping the Hacker Out!” is now considered a reference among communication professionals, who widely rewarded it in 2022 (Ours de la com, Grand Prix Stratégie, and Com-ent Or). Four thrilling podcasts, playing with the codes of thriller and docu-fiction, follow Jack Stone, a formidable hacker, from the depths of his cell to the discovery of his greatest hits.
The objective? To capture attention, raise awareness, and inform about the good practices in digital security in a playful and immersive way. An innovative communication setup, a real departure from the norm to address a subject that is often overlooked, but above all, an original and creative way to convey messages within the heart of the company.
“Today, storytelling has more importance than ever. We aim to surpass the limits of traditional channels to create moments of active listening,” emphasizes Patrick Maison, co-founder of Gardeners Agency.
The industrial group TEXEN, a leader in packaging for the beauty and spirits markets, is now embracing the role of explorer by envisioning the future of packaging to better reflect its raison d’être. On the agenda is an immersive digital platform about the future of packaging, enriched with journalistic investigations and prospective articles, as well as a complete magazine designed in collaboration with the Usbek & Rica team, a reference magazine for future exploration and foresight. Behind this campaign lies an ambition: to make tangible the brand promise of “transforming matter into experience, virtuously” to concretely reinvent the future of plastic and its impact on the planet. An ode to innovation, introspection, exploration. A long-term engagement to engage, question, and reveal a new face that goes beyond the usual industry codes.
Corporate social responsibility, commitments and major challenges, employer branding, products and/or services… every aspect of the company is concerned by the new narratives, which stand out thanks to fundamentally unique and reasoned content (carefully selected), deeply sustainable (and rooted in long-term thinking). Finally, to nourish the myth of the brand.