|
PLAYING THE BOOK
The new paradigm in cutting edge fiction marketing represented by the Jeremy Nash Chronicles is called:
The Henderson Solution
The Henderson Solution represents a packaged product of book, promotion
and corporate sponsorship.
As with the Jeremy Nash Chronicles that are 'puzzles' that Nash must solve, The Henderson Solution is an Alternative Reality Game (ARG) that plays on the 'puzzle' theme of the Chronicles and will promote the new genre Jeremy Nash series of books.
The game will encourage players to become familiar with the world and characters of the Jeremy Nash Chronicles, forming an attachment to the stories encouraging them to purchase the novels.
This goal will be achieved by building a story around a few of the non-primary characters in the first book of the series entitled A Taste of the Apocalypse and drawing an attachment between consumers and those non-primary characters. This achieves a sensation and familiarity which will drive many of those involved in this experience to purchasing not only the first novel, but all within the series by pre-sensitizing audiences to future books.
The Henderson Solution will:
- Build awareness of the Jeremy Nash Chronicles
- Promote viral discussion of game and novels
- Attach players emotionally with the characters
- Encourage word-of-mouth evangelization of the novels
- Incorporate game with national media publicity, advertising campaigns and tie-ins to existing products and companies
Similar games have attracted 18,000 to 350,000 or more players in viral marketing/branding efforts.
According to the Harvard Business Review, ARGs are one of the top 20 breakthrough ideas of 2008.
This would be the first novel series to use an ARG experience to build the brand of the novel prior to release.
Game Story Concept:
- The Henderson Solution will revolve around the recent death of Dr. George Henderson (as referenced in the first novel’s Prologue).
- The first few weeks will involve Dr. Henderson’s grandson, Bryan Henderson, discovering videos and an encrypted journal in his grandfather’s safety deposit box. He'd be a blogger, not much of a video blogger; he would upload his videos of his grandfather to YouTube or another video site.
- The goal of the story concept itself will be to introduce players to some of the content of the novel, without giving away too much of the various plot devices within the novel.
- The conclusion of the game/story will revolve around Alyson’s kidnapping. Throughout the game she often videotapes her phone conversations with her brother Jeremy to eventually show him how much of a skeptic he is.
- Her final video (released through YouTube to help increase viral discussions) will show a dark figure approaching her from behind, placing a black bag over her head, and a struggle which concludes with her kicking her desk resulting in her camera falling and focusing on a book shelf that has several books including the cover of the first novel in the series and some of my books where the clues were.
- But the game doesn’t end there. To solve the final piece of the puzzle, gamers must buy the first book in the series for the final clues (Easter Eggs) that sends them back online. Those that solve the final puzzle that is the first story are entered into a drawing for the grand prize. This way, those that want to win must buy the book.
View the full ARG Marketing Plan
|
