Toward a cross-platform brand storytelling model: bridging transmedia, narrative, and marketing discourses

This major research paper investigates the practice of cross-platform brand storytelling by applying principles of narrative, transmedia, and marketing theory to a case study of American eyewear brand Warby Parker’s content marketing campaigns. The following questions guided the study: Which elements of transmedia theory, narrative theory, and marketing theory can be used to effectively analyze and plan cross-platform brand stories? Which elements of digital brand content establish compelling “storyworlds” that aim to create a sense of consumer identification? A multimodal approach was used to analyze the narrative, transmedia, image, text, and interactive features of two content campaigns distributed on Warby Parker’s Instagram account and corporate blog. The study led to the creation of an adaptable framework that can be used to plan cross-platform brand storytelling. The study also informed suggestions for further research, which could improve understanding of how users interact with and experience content marketing.