The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

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By Doug Zanger, Americas Editor

April 12, 2017 | 2 min read

“Storytelling” and “content marketing” have been the buzzwords du jour of the ad world in recent years, so much so that the latter was voted as the ANA’s Marketing Word of the Year in 2015. While both are favorite topics of discussion at advertising panels and events, a number of industry execs at the 4A’s Transformation conference in Los Angeles said that there needs to be less talk around storytelling and more doing.

“We’re living in a world of story doing,” said Rosemarie Ryan, co-founder and co-CEO of Co:Collective. “Work out what your story is and start actually doing it.”

Scott Donaton, chief content officer at DigitasLBi, said that the industry as a whole needs to change its mindset around content and storytelling, noting that advertisers should stop treating content as “this experimental side thing” and start “paying real attention and investing real money” into it.

Founder and CEO of Kargo Harry Kargman said that the industry needs to stop obsessing with data so much and focus more on “[bringing] art back to advertising.”

Hear more of what they had to say in the video above. To find out what attendees had to say on the topic of how the business of advertising should transform in 2017, click here.

4As Advertising

Other episodes in the series

Episode 1

Tina Brown, author of The Diana Chronicles, on what makes a great story

What’s the Story? is a storytelling video series dedicated to learning what truly makes a great story, told through the lens of the world’s talent and practitioners of the craft in entertainment, marketing and beyond.

Episode 2

Hip-hop icon Warren G and director Karam Gill on what makes a great story

What’s the Story? is a storytelling video series dedicated to learning what truly makes a great story, told through the lens of the world’s talent and practitioners of the craft in entertainment, marketing and beyond.

Episode 3

Glenn Gainor, Sony Pictures Screen Gems exec on what makes a great story

What’s the Story? is a storytelling video series dedicated to learning what truly makes a great story, told through the lens of the world’s talent and practitioners of the craft in entertainment, marketing and beyond.

Episode 4

Documentarian Cheryl Dunye on what makes a great story

What’s the Story? is a storytelling video series dedicated to learning what truly makes a great story, told through the lens of the world’s talent and practitioners of the craft in entertainment, marketing and beyond.

Episode 5

Sony Pictures Screen Gems exec, Glenn Gainor, on successful brand integration in film

After 25 years in the entertainment business, Glenn Gainor, head of physical production at Sony Pictures Screen Gems, knows plenty about great films and stories. He also knows what it takes to create successful integration for brands — and points to the seminal ET/Reese's Pieces hookup as the gold standard of integration.

Episode 6

Prop master Scott Bauer on how brands can drive a story

As a story unfolds in film and TV, there are plenty of those who help craft the work. Though writers, producers, directors and actors get the spotlight much of the time, the rest of crew plays invaluable roles in making it all come to life.

Episode 7

Sir John Hegarty on the best brand story he’s told

What’s the Story? is a storytelling video series dedicated to learning what truly makes a great story, told through the lens of the world’s talent and practitioners of the craft in entertainment, marketing and beyond.

Episode 8

Brand storyteller and film producer Tim Perell on great storytelling

What’s the Story? is a storytelling video series dedicated to learning what truly makes a great story, told through the lens of the world’s talent and practitioners of the craft in entertainment, marketing and beyond.

Episode 9

Amir Bar-Lev, Long Strange Trip director, on passion in storytelling

What’s the Story? is a storytelling video series dedicated to learning what truly makes a great story, told through the lens of the world’s talent and practitioners of the craft in entertainment, marketing and beyond.

Episode 10

PopSugar's co-founder, Lisa Sugar, shares what makes a great story

What’s the Story? is a storytelling video series dedicated to learning what truly makes a great story, told through the lens of the world’s talent and practitioners of the craft in entertainment, marketing and beyond.

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