Storytelling’s Future: The “I’s” Have It

Article written by guest writer Kecia Lynn

What’s the Latest Development?

Latitude, a research consultancy, has released the first of a two-part study, “The Future of Storytelling,” that “asked ‘early adopters’ [of emerging technology] around the world how they wanted to experience stories and asked them to reinvent some of today’s well-known stories accordingly.” The study narrows down the answers to “four I’s”: immersion, interactivity, integration, and impact. Other findings indicated that users wanted more opportunities to become part of the story, and that real-world and digital data should be combined in ways that are both creative and complementary.

What’s the Big Idea?

For any person, team, or company that’s in the business of creating stories, whether for fun, for profit, or both, the study provides interesting insights into what sophisticated audiences are looking for. Latitude’s EVP/Managing Director Neela Sakaria says, “The emergence of new technologies means there’s a largely untapped opportunity to allow people to tie stories directly into their own lives…often through meaningful connections with characters. [O]ur hope is that content creators begin to embrace the idea that the desire for interesting cross-platform experiences isn’t as niche as some might think.” The first part of the study is available online now; the second part is scheduled for release later this year.

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