The Relationship Between Transmedia Storytelling and Semiotics

Transmedia Storytelling refers to different pieces of content that are shared through several media platforms; each of these pieces is a story, but all the parts combined form a storyworld (Jenkins, 2006). Therefore, from a perspective of semiotics, Transmedia Storytelling can be considered a supersystem formed by many sign systems; the supersystem is the storyworld and each of the sign systems (story, experience, platforms, audience, business model) is a component of the story; in addition, each of those systems is composed by subsystems (Gambarato, 2012).

Carlos Scolari holds the view that Transmedia Storytelling is a narrative structure that expands through different media platforms using different types of languages such as text, images or symbols. It also expands through different forms of meaning, such as verbal and symbols and also different forms of media, which allows the story to extend and differ from the traditional approach of developing one single storyline on several platforms.

In Transmedia Storytelling, consumers can seek for information in each media platform to make their own connections (Jenkins, 2006) and give the story continuity and meaning. In stories that involve multiple platforms a dynamic cycle occurs when users interpret the semiotic signs that are being given to them through different media, thus generating a meaning from them. These must be used carefully in a Transmedia Storytelling setting considering that “we interpret the presented visual content differently because we align its meaning with that of the presented content of the accompanying text” (Lemke, 2011, p.577). Therefore, semiotics is the part of TS that links the meaning of the elements it contains.


My Research: Transmedia Storytelling. Creating Online Brand Engagement through the use of Semiotics in Multiplatform Stories.

Transmedia storytelling (TS) is a narrative structure that involves the development of a story through different platforms by using diverse types of languages, such as: text, images or symbols.In a time where consumers can search for information to make their own connections, the nature of TS can allow users to experience content and ultimately generate engagement with the audience or consumer. 

During my research I identified that there is a relationship among engagement and the use of semiotics in a TS strategy, so I developed the following relationship model to explain it:



The elements of the triangular “relationship model” are considered important pillars for the creation of a TS strategy; and I believe that having an understanding of these elements can lead to a deeper understanding of Transmedia Storytelling, and as a result, the creation of successful Transmedia strategies. 

Your Own Interactive Biography

Looking for original ways to create a new resume, an easy online website or just looking to improve your personal branding?

There is a powerful site that can help you create an interactive biography, it is perfect as a new way to show you skills or as an addition to your resume.

The website is called Vizify and it allows you to connect different accounts in order to obtain your information and create a fantastic visual image of your online presence, and it is very easy to do!

First, it will ask you to connect the social networks that you wish to include in your page:


Then, it will show you what your biography page will look like and there is an EDIT button where you can move and arrange every part:



After you check that all the content you want is appearing on the page, you can look at every section and arrange the content there too.



Personalize your biography, change colors and add new sections:



Then, you are ready to share your biography on your social networks! Take your personalized URL and paste it on Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, it is that simple! 

Enjoy! and don’t forget to share your bio URL on the comments below.

Here is mine:





Wastelander Panda, A Transmedia Story

A new transmedia story has arrived and it has people all over the world talking and hoping for more!

It is the story about the last remaining mutant panda and a human girl in a post-apocalyptic era, the new online series is called Wastelander Panda.

Due to the success of its trailer published online (watch here), the creators have so far elaborated three episodes, but they are using crowd-funding methods to be able to make more episodes.

This transmedia storytelling project currently has presence on the Wastelander Panda Website, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Vimeo and YouTube (Epic Films, 2013) and it is starting to develop an immersive story world by providing background on the characters and the wasteland; an interactive map of the wasteland is also available on the website (



When Fans Become Advocates

We live in a connected world, and it only takes a few seconds to share with everyone in your network something you really liked, whether it is through a facebook like, a share or another action on social media that will show your friends your devotion to this product or place.

With that said, it is also important to consider that we have become more restrictive about the type of content we share. We only share/like/post content that we want to be associated with and brands need to consider this when planning their marketing strategy.

Lets take as an example a well know brand such as Toms shoes. Toms donates 1 pair of shoes to a child in need in the poorest countries whenever someone purchases a pair. The concepts that consumers associate with these brand are altruism, charity, awareness, etc. If these concepts agree with the image i want to portray to my friends i am more likely to share their content, eventually purchase their products and become a loyal customer for years to come.

But before going as far as the purchase, lets focus on the stage of “sharing their content”, whenever I share a video or a photo that the brand has posted on their social networks I am exponentially growing their possible customer base, however this does not mean they will all run out and buy a pair of shoes. But, if the content that the brand shares has continuity, it agrees with the image i want to portray and encourages me to share it, then i will continue to do so through time and the brand would have gained an advocate.

An advocate is much more poweful than a simple share or a like, it is someone who will continue to publicize your brand and even take the brand influence offline. An advocate is a true believer in the brand values and the product attached to them and will encourage those in his close network to become customers of your brand too.

So, brands…do you really value your advocates enough?

Transmedia Storytelling

This term has been around for a few years now, but recently it has been constantly used by media agencies to describe multiplatform strategies. As this topic caught my attention recently and became the main focus of my MA dissertation,i decided it was important to include it in my blog.

Firstly, lets define what transmedia storytelling is, according to Jenkins (2006) it is the art of world making and to fully experience this world, the consumers need to assume the role of hunters where by chasing pieces of information across different media channels and collaborating with each other a richer experience can be obtained. In his book CONVERGENCE CULTURE: WHERE OLD AND NEW MEDIA COLLIDE, Jenkins approaches different movie franchises that have applied transmedia storytelling to enrich the experience of the fans.

A transmedia story is developed in different platforms, where each one of those media platforms makes an independent contribution to the story, yet the content of all platforms makes a whole story.