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Digital is redefining what makes a story compelling clone

Dinesh Joshi, Head – Communications, HP India

The emergence of digital communication platforms has enabled corporates to quickly sense changing market trends and continuously evolve in response. It has also fueled their imagination to accelerate innovation and discover new possibilities.
Abhishek Sinha, Director, Digitales spoke to Dinesh Joshi, Head-Communication, HP India on how businesses are creating a robust digital ecosystem that delight customers.
  1. As an industry veteran, how have you seen digital communication evolve over the last decade?

In the past few years, the emergence of digital platforms has prompted brands to take their communications online. Social, digital, and owned media platforms are becoming preferred sources of information not only for consumers, but also for the media. Digital has also led to the emergence of bloggers, social media influencers and other content creators. As a result, brands are now striving towards building a strong online presence to generate awareness, establish trust and create unique interactive ways of communicating with the end consumer. This means that the role of communicators is also changing. Hence, they are expected to re-skill and up-skill themselves to keep up with the demands of this evolving industry.

  1. What are your key observations on digital storytelling?

Digital storytelling is emerging as a pathway through the noise and points to a higher success rate for thoughtful, content-focused propositions. Growth of content marketing, digital and social channels, increasing consumer awareness, has dramatically reshaped the communication landscape. Content is king, but the consumption of that content has changed, which has transformed the way we communicate. Effective storytelling through innovative formats is now the key to engage with audiences. We are now in an era where integrated communication strategies will take centerstage, as new platforms of engagement emerge.

Beyond the essential core of strong content, we are witnessing increasing trends in consumer behaviors across the web. For instance, visually appealing “snackable” content boxes and animations engage and deliver content in the short form many digital natives demand.

Content is king, but the consumption of that content has changed, which has transformed the way we communicate. Effective storytelling through innovative formats is now the key to engage with audiences.

  1. Every brand of struggling to defend its turf on search engines. What can they learn from your experience?

Online browsing has given rise to some serious competition among the brands. Failing to keep up with search engine basics can lead to being edged out by even the younger, less well-known brands with more sophisticated SEO.

Communicating compelling stories online has grown incredibly complex. Digital requires new storytelling formats and distribution channels. Crafting an engaging story that resonates with modern affluent consumers while remaining true to a brand’s traditions is not easy. Younger consumers, for example, scroll through their social media feeds more quickly when on mobile devices, making it difficult for the brands to capture and retain their attention. Hence, leveraging digital channels is particularly important to narrate a successful vertical story and grab your audience’s attention.

  1. How do you use digital platforms for information and knowledge management?

Communication industry is adapting itself to the changing demands and information consumption habits of the consumer. Since the digital platforms are more prevalent these days for knowledge consumption, brands are investing more in becoming digitally strong to build a deeper connect with the audiences. However, I feel that the narratives will need to become crisp to strike the right chord and create appeal among the audiences. Integrated communication strategies that combine both traditional and novel techniques will drive story telling in the future.

Since the digital platforms are more prevalent these days for knowledge consumption, brands are investing more in becoming digitally strong to build a deeper connect with the audiences. However, I feel that the narratives will need to become crisp to strike the right chord and create appeal among the audiences.

  1. Your top five recommendations for the communication professionals to ace their game in digital storytelling?

Brand storytelling is not a new concept; we have told stories through the ages. Years later, we still remember how these stories made us feel — how they stirred our emotions, awakened our senses, and captured our imagination. But Digital is redefining what makes a story compelling. There are now more ways than ever before of delivering content. Hence it is imperative to:

  1. Craft a robust content strategy to provide a seamless brand experience across all touchpoints
  2. Tailor the content to the audience and adapt to their narrative in order to provide a consistent brand experience
  3. Shift from crafting messages to creating experiences that work across every device
  4. Analyze consumer’s stories of how the products and services fit into their lives. Only then, the brands can gain valuable insight into their needs and desires
  5. Not overshadow the message due to the medium of digital platforms and tools available