A content format called Storyworld

Note: The interview tour with Timo Wäschle through Zurich - from the Niederdorf to the Limmat to the Bellevue via the Sechseläutenplatz to Lake Zurich - is available either as a video (above) and in the following written...

 

Advertising Week: Where exactly are we?

Timo Wäschle: In the middle of Zurich's Niederdorf. I grew up 100 meters from here. This is where Corpmedia, my agency for storytelling and film production, is based. Content marketing was born on these square meters, but not by me.

 

From whom?

Huldrych Zwingli and Christoph Froschauer. Zwingli had his message, much like my clients today. Froschauer had the medium, just like we do at Corpmedia today. He printed Zwingli's Bible translation, later banknotes, and finally Orell Füssli emerged from it.

 

In 1522, the legendary "Fasterbrechen" took place here, when courageous citizens of Zurich ate sausages during Lent. What role does courage play in your life?

Courage played an important role when I explained to people that platforms like YouTube and MySpace were on the rise and it made little sense to just produce DVDs. Both I and the companies had to be brave to try the new and see if it lasted.

 

The splashing of the fountain here in Froschaugasse that you just drank from, fed from your own source, in the middle of Zurich. What do you draw your creative energy from?

All of life is a source of inspiration for me. I like to be inspired by the energies around me and by the ideas of my clients. The best stories and strategies often emerge from these inspirations.

 

You are the son of an artist and an architect. Where do you see yourself more: in your mother's originality or in your father's structure?

Both communication strategies and films need a certain structure, hence the name "information". But creativity was born in my cradle. It literally bubbles out of me.

 

We now take line 4 from the Rudolf Brunbrücke stop to the town hall. What are your three most important private stations in life?

I grew up in Zurich's Niederdorf, attended media and moderation studies in Hamburg and, of course, the birth of my son and my wedding. Okay, that's four now.

 

We've now changed to line 15 and are heading to Stadelhofen. Two stops, enough time to find out about your three most important professional stations?

I would say journalist and presenter at 24 and Energy, then Station Voice at MTV and Viva, and finally in 2008 the founding of Corpmedia, the first storytelling and content marketing agency in Switzerland.

 

What was it like when you hired your first employee?

That was a moving moment when Maximilian Speidel, now a renowned director, started working for me. But with 15 permanent employees, it was almost too much. Now I am happy that we are very successful with five employees and a large network. We have won film awards and communication efficiency awards. It's really great fun.

 

Do you sometimes get loud and passionate?

Of course, in film production and working with our clients, you have to share ideas and collaborate. Two creative minds together often produce more than the sum of their parts. That can make things lively.

 

We are standing here in the most beautiful weather on the wonderful Sechseläutenplatz in front of the Opera House, a place where Circus Knie regularly celebrates its premieres. You are also someone who loves premieres, as I researched in preparation for this interview?

Timo Wäschle: That's an interesting question. There are some firsts that have come about quasi-accidentally. One example is when a caller from New York asked, "What do you call this?" We had created a Flash banner, added my voiceover, and made an animation out of it. I replied, "We call it Explainer," to which he said, "Congratulations, you just won your first prize." Or when Google called and said we had created the first YouTube ad that really worked. They invited me over, and there were pictures of people all over the walls. I asked who they were, and they replied, these are the people from other cities who are watching you now. I had never seen video phones before. Another first was the introduction of modular movies.

 

That sounds like an exciting experience. We are standing in front of the opera house. What was the last opera you attended?

Timo Wäschle: That was "La Traviata. A wonderful piece.

 

We have now arrived at Lake Zurich, where legend has it that Ueli Prager, in search of a name for his revolutionary gastronomic concept in 1948, is said to have observed a seagull swooping down and pecking a fish out of the water of Lake Zurich. That's how the name Mövenpick came about. Why did Ueli Prager come to mind when I thought about Timo Wäschle?

I'm honored by this connection, of course. Mövenpick is indeed a good fit, because nowadays people want to choose their content the same way you choose a snack. When we started, most people still wanted to watch long movies. But in today's fast-paced world, people just want to "pick." So in 2013, we started making modular movies. You can think of it like a chocolate bar with predetermined breaking points:

If you're hungry, you can eat it whole, or you can take just one piece, if you need a boost, then another, or maybe two together. Or let's take a burger. Some might want just a lettuce leaf, others just meat or bread. With our Storyworld, where we create a modular system in a day that can be distributed through the sales funnel, you can always put together something new from each film segment. Like a new burger or a chocolate bar. Or you can use just one segment as an amuse-bouche to lead people to your landing page or microsite. This way, you'll always keep your finger on the pulse, up-to-date and flexible. You can create content that is much smaller and longer lasting.

 

Can you give an example of a current customer?

One example is Swisscom. They want to address a specific topic in their communication. In the past, they probably would have implemented this with a classic film, be it an image film, a report or an explanatory film. However, to communicate this topic effectively, you need a lot of content that people can select, much like we "pick". You only get this content if you produce a certain mass of content. In today's communication world, it's all about scoring points with a lot of approachability and an abundance of content. So it makes sense to do this in a single shoot and a single effort.

 

That went pretty fast now with Storyworld....

Timo Wäschle: Okay, Storyworld is actually quite simple to understand. Imagine you produce a wealth of small pieces of content in a single day of shooting. That includes films, photos, making-of shots, behind-the-scenes material and much more. That's because today's communications world demands a large amount of content. AI systems like Meta and Google are also interested in using this content to create intelligent applications. And we can actually do all of this in just one day.

 

That sounds impressive. How is that possible?

Timo Wäschle: Yes, that is indeed possible, and we usually do it together with the employees and customers of the company in question. In empathetic and journalistic preliminary interviews, we get to know the people, their views and enthusiasms, promote their special talents, offer on-set camera coaching and show them how they can best tell their stories. On the one hand, this is about who they are, what makes them tick, but also what they value about their employer or their products. In addition, they often thank their best customers. This not only provides them with content for their marketing or employer branding, but also for the after-sales area.

 

How do customers react to this approach?

Timo Wäschle: Customers like the Schulthess Clinic, the Swiss Red Cross, the Canton of Zurich, Swisscom, Jungheinrich and many others are thrilled with this concept. Because they don't just get a film like in the past, gathering dust on a platform or YouTube somewhere. Instead, they have versatile little individual pieces that they can work with in the long run. People who had their first Storyworld created back in 2014 or 2015, for example, are still using it in 2023.

From Storyworld: Work for the Jungheinrich company, full movie

From the Storyworld: Work for the Jungheinrich Company, "Behind the Scenes

From Storyworld: Work for the Jungheinrich company, vertical formats for social media.

 

That sounds like an extremely sustainable approach.

In fact, I see this content still being shared every day on these platforms. Some of them even have several hundred individual publications. This makes the whole system extremely durable, as it can fill the entire sales funnel.

 

"Funnel" - an interesting keyword.

That's right, it's top-of-funnel on the external touchpoints, such as the social media platforms. This is followed by the mid-funnel on the website or landing page. Finally, there is the lower-funnel, which leads to the after-sales. WhatsApp is also often used there, which is very effective. With the AI capabilities we have today, we can play this out and optimize it in an automated way. It's like a Lego kit system that you and your employees can keep putting together. If you need a call-to-action, you just create the appropriate piece in Canva. Then quickly assemble it with CapCut for mobile and export it. You'll have new content in no time. That way, the system grows with you, your people, and your creativity. For many customers, this makes sense.

 

What are the next steps for the development of Storyworld?

The next steps are to make the entire concept even more small-scale, intelligent and strategic. We will also make greater use of AI technologies, especially in the playout of content. Much of what was previously done manually can now be automated. AI offers many more opportunities. We will work in an even more refined way in terms of content and use the new technical possibilities accordingly.

 

What's for dessert at the end of our tour?

Since we're on the subject of Mövenpick: Do you know the "ice cream effect"? It's not just about something being finished, but about the moment of enjoyment in the doing, the so-called "Kando". When you create content, you become part of the content. You should enjoy the process. That's what we always want to achieve with our clients: Enjoyment in doing.

 

Very nice. But now you should eat your ice cream before it melts.

Exactly. This is the Ice Cream effect. Simply fantastic. Thank you very much.

 

Latifah, you accompanied us during our tour. What was your role?

Latifah Belhiba: I created the behind-the-scenes footage for the social media platforms.

 

You've heard a lot about Corpmedia and Storyworld. What can you do as employee say about it?

I have to say I've worked at different places, but the energy and atmosphere at Corpmedia are unique. You feel comfortable and look forward to working, which is very important. It's great to transfer that energy to the sets and the clients. We want them to see how well our approach works and how it can support them on their journey.

 

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Timo Wäschle is a Zurich-based journalist, presenter and founder of Corpmedia, a content marketing agency. His innovative approach to content production addresses an important need for companies, and he stresses the importance of modular content and the introduction of Storyworld to drive creative flexibility and diversity in content creation. Wäschle's company, Corpmedia, is housed in the home of revolutionary letterpress printer Christoph Froschauer on the lane of the same name in Zurich's Niederdorf district.