Thomas Scovell

In March 2009 I’ll be presenting at the Digital Media Summit in Auckland on behalf of my employer Shift.

Story telling is a timeless aspect of great media and indeed great marketing. The digital revolution has grown the ability of every person to tell and disseminate stories whether via text, photography or video. Brands are now learning to harness these creative consumers and work with them, not against them, to expand their own stories. In some cases this story telling is transitioning from co-creation to play – not only in the online arena but in physical environments. No longer restricted to nerds in basements or children in sandboxes – millions of people around the world are engaging like never before with media properties and brands through imaginative play.

• Case studies from Microsoft, McDonalds, BBC, Paramount
• Fan fiction and “the canon”
• Alternative Reality Games (ARGs)