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Narrative transportation and transmedia consumption experience in the

cultural field

Article in International Journal of Arts Management · January 2019

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 Narrative transportation and transmedia consumption experience in the cultural field

Dominique Bourgeon-Renault
Professeure des Universités en Sciences de Gestion (Marketing)
Enseignant chercheur CREGO EA 7317
Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
dominique.renault-bourgeon@orange.fr

Dominique Bourgeon-Renault is Professor in Management Sciences at Burgundy University.

Her research focuses on marketing of arts and culture with an emphasis on consumer
behaviour, strategies of arts and culture organizations and market research in the cultural
field.

Maud Derbaix
Professeure Associée
Kedge Business School - Cluster for Creative Industries
maud.derbaix@kedgebs.com

Maud Derbaix is Associate Professor of Marketing at Kedge Business School, France and
member of the Creative Industries Research Group. Her research interests have focused on
consumer behaviour within the context of arts and cultural activities including live
performances, events and heritage.

Élodie Jarrier
Maître de Conférences en Marketing
Enseignant chercheur GRANEM Angers – EA 7456
Université d’Angers, France
elodie.jarrier@univ-angers.fr

Élodie Jarrier is Assistant Professor in Management Sciences at Angers University. Her

research focuses on the influence of digital mediation on the cultural consumption experience
(museum visit experience) and audience satisfaction.

Christine Petr
Professeure des Universités en Marketing
Institut de Management, Université de Bretagne Sud
Enseignant chercheur LEGO Vannes - EA 2652
christine.petr@univ-ubs.fr

Christine Petr is Professor of Management at University Bretagne Sud (UBS). Her research is
on consumer behavior during leisure time. Her particular interests include the impact of new
technologies on consumption processes for tourism and cultural practices.

Résumé :
L’objectif de cette recherche est de mieux comprendre l’expérience de consommation
transmédia à travers le processus de transport narratif. En mobilisant ces concepts dans le
domaine des arts et de la culture, nous enrichissons les travaux des sciences de l’information
et de la communication qui s’orientent davantage vers la création et la conception de
dispositifs transmédia, ainsi que ceux des sciences de gestion qui ont plus souvent
appréhendé le transport narratif dans le cadre de la persuasion publicitaire. Au niveau
conceptuel, nous tentons également de décrire les différentes phases de l’appropriation d’un
dispositif transmédia, ainsi que les facteurs explicatifs du transport narratif et ses
composantes (entre autres, l’histoire racontée et les personnages). Une démarche
méthodologique qualitative est mise en œuvre. Elle est fondée sur des entretiens semi-
directifs menés auprès de professionnels (experts concepteurs de dispositifs transmédia), et
sur des récits introspectifs de publics récepteurs. Les résultats permettent de proposer un
schéma conceptuel de l’expérience de consommation transmédia qui met en évidence les
facteurs explicatifs d’ordre individuel, technique et situationnel, les processus (appropriation
et transport narratif) et les conséquences en termes d’engagement (envers l’objet de la
narration, le genre culturel et le dispositif).

Mots clés : narration transmédia, expérience de consommation, transport narratif, immersion,

engagement.

Abstract: Narrative transportation and transmedia consumption experience in the

cultural field
The aim of this research is to better understand the transmedia consumption experience
through the narrative transportation process. On the theoretical level, by applying these
concepts to the arts and cultural field, we broaden the existing literature (1) in information and
communication science, which is more focused on transmedia content and platform creation
and conception, and (2) in management sciences, which mostly apprehend narrative
transportation in the persuasive advertising context. On the conceptual level, we try to
describe the different steps in the transmedia device appropriation process, the determinants
of the narrative transportation process and its components (namely the story told and the
characters, among other components). A qualitative methodology is implemented. Semi-
directive interviews of transmedia designers and experts and users’ introspective narratives
were conducted. A conceptual framework focused on the experience is proposed and
highlights individual, technical, and situational factors, experience processes (appropriation
and narrative transportation) and consequences related to the individual’s commitment (to the
narration object, to the cultural category and to transmedia devices).

Keywords: transmedia storytelling, consumption experience, narrative transportation,

immersion, commitment

2
 Narrative transportation and transmedia consumption experience in the cultural field

Introduction

The development of digital technology has brought about far-reaching changes in the
practices of reading and writing (new formats) and it is the driving force behind major social
(the wealth and diversity of digitally enhanced social interactions) and spatio-temporal
transformations (mobility, changing hand gestures, ubiquity, instantaeneity and
simultaneity). Against this background, artistic and cultural organizations have been led to
revise their mission of transmission so as to improve their visibility and drawing power in
the face of a plethoric cultural offer. Digital technology is seen, then, as a lever for
differentiation and for renewal of experience in response to societal change. “Nowadays
existential experiences correspond mostly to interactive situations, whether in work or
personal life, in public or in private. […] Contemporary humans are mainly interacting
beings, constantly manipulating digital interfaces at home, at work, when travelling, in the
street, in privacy.” (Vial, 2013, p. 271-277)
Professionals in the cultural sector rely increasingly on experts in design to come up with
transmedia narrative devices that can provide an accessible, entertaining, immersive,
interactive and unique cultural experience so as to increase frequentation. Jenkins (2006)
pioneered the field of transmedia narration. He began studying the concept through his
analysis of the Matrix franchise, the writing of which tells of a universe shared among
several media (and not just one story in a single medium). He defines the terms “transmedia”
as «a process where integral elements of a fiction get dispersed systematically across
multiple delivery channels for the purpose of creating a unified and coordinated
entertainment experience. » (Jenkins, 2006, cited in Bourdaa, 2013, p. 7) Transmedia
narration calls on new forms of writing and reading, inviting users not just to plunge into the
narrative universe but also to participate in and co-construct the unfolding story (Phillips,
2012).
While first developed and studied in the universe of the cinema, TV serials, documentaries
and video games, transmedia has for some years now invaded the fields of museums,
heritage and the performing arts. Examples are the experiences proposed by the Musée du
Quai Branly (“Les Bisons”), Strasbourg cathedral (“The Builders’ Challenge”) or the
Théâtre des Champs Elysées (“L’Odyssée de Pénélope”).
Transmedia storytelling, however, is almost exclusively described and thought out at present
by designers and communicators. They direct their thoughts more at transmedia project
creation and content production than at understanding users’ consumer experiences. Yet,
beyond the cultural experience initially proposed by cultural organizations (visits to a
museum or monument, involvement in a play, etc.), transmedia devices aim to provide added
interest for audiences who are invited to immerse themselves or let themselves be carried
along by a fictional universe so as to live out various adventures and stories and meet
imaginary characters. It is in this way that narrative transportation seems particularly suited
to apprehending users’ transmedia cultural experiences. Van Laer et al. (2014), based in
particular on the work of Green and Brock (2000) and Green and Sestir (2017), have recently
studied this near immersion process in terms of consumers’ appropriation of the experience.
Narrative transportation is defined as « the tendency of narrative consumers to “travel” or
be mentally drawn into the reality described in a narrative. /…/ Transportation predicts the
persuasive impact of narratives, with transported consumers frequently displaying increases
in story-consistent beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. » (Green et Sestir, 2017, p. 1)
3
The prime objective of our research is therefore to better describe and understand the
transmedia experience of consumer-users in a cultural context and more specifically to better
apprehend this experience through the process of narrative transportation. A second
objective is to uncover the characteristics (specific to the individual or transmedia device
itself) that influence the process and the consequences arising from it in terms of engagement
or commitment.
Our contribution involves two levels. On the theoretical level, by mobilizing narrative
transportation in the context of a cultural experience, we enhance work in the information
and communication sciences that is directed more at creating and designing transmedia
devices and work in management sciences that apprehends narrative transportation in the
context of persuasive advertising (Appel and Richter, 2010; Phillips and McQuarrie, 2010).
We propose to analyse experience with transmedia devices through narrative transportation.
On the conceptual level, we also attempt to describe the different stages in the appropriation
of a transmedia device by users, the explanatory factors of narrative transportation and its
dimensions (including the story told and its characters).
The first part of this paper sets out the theoretical framework of our research with a focus on
transmedia narration and the concept of narrative transportation. In the second part, we
describe our methodological approach and data collection, which was done in two stages.
First we defined the characteristics of the devices that seemed to influence the user
experience through interviews with transmedia professionals. Second, exploratory research
with a focus on transmedia consumer experience was conducted among users and provided a
conceptual scheme. In conclusion, the theoretical and conceptual contributions of the
research are set out together with the managerial implications arising from the results
concerning the effects of transmedia consumer experiences in the cultural field.

1. Research framework

In terms of theory we draw on the experiential strand of research (Holbrook and Hirschman,
1982) and more specifically the concepts of “co-creational marketing” (Gamble and Gilmore,
2013) and narrative transportation (Green, 2000; Green & Brock, 2000; Green & Sestir, 2017;
Van Laer et al., 2014).
Narrative transportation is a process that implies empathy from the individual with respect to
the plotline and the characters of a fictional story, stirring their imagination and leading to a
loss of the sense of reality. This process depends in our research on a transmedia narration.

1.1. Transmedia narration as a strategy for co-creation of an experience

Transmedia narration has been the subject of many developments in the design of innovative
communication strategies. After setting out what it is that makes it original, the literature
review below emphasizes its relevance for the analysis of consumer behaviour with respect to
culture and more specifically analysis of the transmedia experience in the field of arts and
culture.

• Transmedia narration: a communicational paradigm

Transmedia narration is to be distinguished on the one side from cross-media narration which
consists in adapting the same content to different channels and from multimedia which is the
broadcasting of several separate contents through a single channel. Transmedia narration,
then, does not propose a duplication of contents via different channels but consists in creating
and developing a narrative content from a single universe across several channels. These
channels provide multiple opportunities for contact with consumers. Their originality resides

4
in the fact that it is no longer a question of telling the “same thing” (cross-media strategies)
but of proposing several stories that feed off each other and resonate together around a
broader fictional universe based, among other things, on brand. For designers in the domain,
the principle is to distil the components of the narration at different points, venues and times,
so that it is not consumed in one go but provides the opportunity for discovery, research and
play.
Transmedia narration is a similar strategy to integrated marketing communication. Both
strategies share in the search for differentiation by implementing bilateral and customized
communication between the brand and consumers via a range of points of entry. Integrated
marketing communication mixes internal and external communication through advertising or
promotional messages that are consistent across points of entry (cross-media), and
consequently the effects are measured in terms of agility, reactivity and return on investment
(Barker, 2013). Moreover, Jenkins (2006, 2009, 2010) argues that transmedia implies a
paradigm shift (from the digital revolution to the digitization of a convergence culture)
inviting us to think of the relation between cultural institutions, media and audiences in terms
of flows, of continually co-created de-mediatization and re-mediatization. For him this new
form of narration enables a shift from individual passive consumption to collective active
consumption, an approach towards which numerous cultural institutions have been tending for
years. Jenkins (2013) refines the definition of a transmedia narration through a set of
principles:
- spreadability and drillability: several contents are dispersed across platforms inviting
individuals to study them in depth;
- continuity and multiplicity: the coming together of the various elements of the intrigue to
form a coherent and plausible whole despite the existence of alternative universes to a parent
universe;
- immersion and extractability: the individual enters via a micro universe into the overall
fictional universe and then re-appropriates the various aspects of the story to give it personal
meaning;
- worldbuilding: the functional universe is built around characters and locations and is an
invitation to travel;
- seriality: the elements of information about the story are scattered across several episodes
and platforms;
- subjectivity: the individual reconstructs reality from fragments dispersed across time for
which it is important to know the identity of the emitter and receiver;
- performance: fans participate actively in writing the story and contribute to sharing their
understanding of the characters and plot on line.
In this way the diversity of entry points and the multiplicity of narrative extensions contribute
to the complexity of the fictional and immersive universe that is spread via additional media
platforms, the contents of which may be generated by users in a coordinated effort of
collective intelligence to create encyclopaedic knowledge of the narrative universe.
From the same perspective, Raybourn (2007, 2014) invites users to design a transmedia
device as an experiential system promoting fun-based and co-created learning. Transmedia
narration seems to promote the individual’s appropriation of the experience and is
apprehended as both a mental and physical mechanism characterizing the take-over of the
objects or space (imaginary or real) by individuals or groups of individuals (Carù and Cova,
2006).

• Transmedia narration in the cultural context

Unlike transmedia communication applied in areas of everyday consumption, the relevance of
transmedia narration in the cultural field rests on the point that it is the outcome of an artistic

5
approach to mediation aimed at creating a bond between the institution, the works and the
audiences via educational messages dispersed among different complementary entry points
the effectiveness of which is gauged in terms of learning and engagement.
In particular, transmedia narration enables cultural professionals to offer an interactive and
engaging fiction that researchers have been able to identify in the general framework (Ilhan,
2011; Simons, 2014; Balusseau, 2015). While some authors see transmedia narration as the
concern of cultural industries to propose “predetermed markings” (Maigret, 2013, p. 4),
“signposted traffic and controlled consumer involvement” (Balusseau, 2015, p. 163), others
consider it instead as a strategy promoting narrative transportation and co-creation of the
experience. From this perspective, Ilhan et al. (2013), in their study of the transmedia
consumption experience emphasize the importance of a better understanding of co-creation by
consumers of the transmedia universe and of their engagement with the narration. This
process of co-creation can then be analysed as a set of processes for appropriating the fictional
universe by mobilizing intertextual and media resources that make up the narration. As such,
the transmedia consumer experience must be thought out through the following four phases:
“mapping” (awareness of secondary texts, exploration of these elements so as to become
conversant with the characteristics of the narrative universe); “dipping” (consumption of
additional resources: summaries, synopsis, blog articles, etc.); “digging” (search for clues to
solve the puzzles and mysteries of the plot); and “stitching” (combining and piecing together
all the resources consulted to give personal and general meaning to the fictional universe).
In order to study the process of narrative transportation, we take up a perspective focused on
the transmedia cultural experience and propose to analyse, in a complementary manner, its
effects on the engagement of the participant, that is, the cultural consumer. While most
research examines the effect of transmedia narration on learning (Raybourn, 2007, 2014) that
may arise from comparing and contrasting different view points (Saldre and Torop, 2012), or
from public attachment (especially fans) for the cultural object (Jenkins, 2007; Balusseau,
2015), our research proposes to explore the effects of transmedia narration through the
concept of narrative transportation.

1.2. Narrative transportation and the transmedia cultural experience

The foregoing developments highlight the point that the context of transmedia narration is
particularly suited to the study of narrative transportation.

• Appropriation as a lever for immersion and narrative transportation

The process of appropriation may lead to immersion or even narrative transportation of the
individual in the context of the experience. Van Laer et al. (2014) claim that immersion is
primarily an experiential response (immediate or gradual) to aesthetic and multi-sensory
stimuli whereas narrative transportation relies more on the narrative including various
elements (theme, plot and characters) that are not necessarily present with immersion. It is a
process whereby individuals actively endeavour to escape from their everyday life and dive
into different stories in which they can experiment with another self and engage with the
characters in the story as “with true friends” (Batat and Wohlfeil, 2009; Gerrig, 1993). Appel
and Richter (2010) add that this process induces a change in individuals whose degree of
resistance to persuasion or to counter-argument declines and that this change varies with a
specific personality trait: need for affect. In this way, individuals who feel a high degree of
need for affect are liable to be carried by the story more than others (Appel et Richter, 2010)
because pleasure, stimulation or again positively identifying with the characters transcend
cognition and elaboration. In the field of persuasive advertising, Phillips and McQuarrie
(2010) also observe that the level of narrative transportation varies depending on whether the
print advert develops a “grotesque” or “idealized” aesthetic, with the former promoting

6
transportation into the brand universe more than the latter because it is easier to identify with
the characters. Lastly, narrative transportation also implies a certain empathy with the
characters of the story, activating the imagination of individuals or even a loss of sense of
reality. “Transmedia extensions can supplement and deepen a narrative universe” (Balusseau,
2015). Scolari (2009) identifies four strategies for expanding this universe. The first three
involve coming up with interstitial, peripheral and/or parallel stories, and the fourth making
available to the recipient a platform whose content can be fed. Consequently, this particular
form of immersion relies on participation by the individual and promotes their engagement
with respect to the subject of the narration.
The transmedia logic proposes to immerse and transport the user into a fictional universe via
various media, plotlines and characters. Appropriation of the fictional universe is enhanced
through the interactivity developed by these ties and opportunities for contact.

• Interactivity as a factor of appropriation of the narrative subject

Hoguet (2015) emphasizes the importance of interactivity in the design of transmedia
narration thereby contributing to narrative transportation. Interactivity invites recipients to be
more active, to implement appropriative practices and to commit themselves (Notebaert et al.,
2011; Bourgeon-Renault, 2014; Balusseau, 2015) and so promotes individual participation in
the transmedia device.
A device is perceived as interactive by users if it takes account of their actions in real time
(entry, information selection, exploration, etc.), provides answers quickly and enables them to
communicate with the device or other users (Liu and Shrum, 2002). When customized,
interactivity facilitates information processing and heightens the feeling of being socially
connected to others (Liu and Shrum, 2009; Dholakia et al., 2011).
The experience depends on the form of interaction that individuals wish to maintain with the
transmedia narration device. Ryan (2017) differentiates among external (between-documents)
or internal (within-documents) transient interactivity and permanent interactivity (production
of traces). External transient interactivity relates to the choice left to individuals among
different contents and platforms. Internal transient interactivity refers to users’ actions and
choices of participation within a specific document. Lastly, permanent interactivity implies
that the users’ choices leave permanent visible traces in the fictional universe (through
comments posted or the writing of a fan fiction).

• Narrative transportation as the trigger of engagement

Balusseau (2015, p. 161) explains that transmedia devices provide “multiplatform experiences
designed to offer viewers multiple opportunities for engagement within the same fictional
universe”. Commitment, for Garbarino and Johnson (1999), is the individual’s feeling of
affiliation and identification with an object (brand/organization) and their implication in the
relationship with that object. It is often seen as a factor of stability and maintaining the
relationship but also as a direct antecedent of loyal behaviour (Verhoef, 2003).
The individual’s engagement is one of the keys to the success of transmedia narration.
Busselle and Bilandzic (2009) define narrative engagement as the individual’s capacity to
understand the story, focus on it and commit themselves emotionally to it to the point of
feeling themselves to be present in the narrative fabric.
Participation is also a mainspring of transmedia narration. Mittell (2009) claims that content is
to be drilled and not spread. Narrative contents should encourage fans to drill deeper into the
narrative so as to understand the complexity of the story and its meaning and to discover ever
more features. Hoguet (2015) recalls that participation in the heart of the interactive approach
can take on very diverse forms and occur at different levels. Individuals have the choice of
being viewers, readers, actors or visitors of the transmedia narration device (Santini, 2017). It

7
all depends on the form of interaction they wish to maintain with the transmedia narration
device. Consequently, in more depth, individuals/users may be mere consumers of the
experience; they may also become commentators (individuals commit their image);
prescribers (individuals recommend the transmedia narration approach); contributors
(individuals engage in a creative act) or evangelists (they share, prescribe, create, etc.).
Engagement in a transmedia consumption experience, may take on many forms (feeling of
obligation, willingness to help, feeling of belonging) and concern several entities: other users
(the community of users of the device), fictional characters (depending on the level of
interactivity and scripting proposed), and the device animators (depending on the choice of
mediation versus the transparency of design organizations and their community and device
animators).

2. The methodological approach

The primary objective of this research is to describe and understand the transmedia cultural
experience of users through the narrative transportation process. A second objective is to
identify the characteristics (specific to the individual or the actual transmedia device) that
promote this process and the consequences that ensue in terms of engagement.
In order to achieve these objectives, we implemented a two-part methodological approach.
The first inquires into transmedia representations by professionals (designers) and the second
examines the narrative transportation of audiences (recipients).
We conducted semi-directed interviews with five experts on transmedia narration (table 1).
The interviews were in three parts: definition, objectives and use of transmedia narration
strategies (dimensions, objectives, target audiences, etc.); design of a transmedia narration
device (stages, degree of artistic freedom, allowance for audience, required skills and
expected results); and opinions on three transmedia narration devices proposed in the cultural
field in France (Léon Vivien, The Builders’ Challenge, Théâtre sans animaux). These
interviews, totalling about four hours in all, were fully transcribed and their content analysed
manually by themes. The epistemological stance is based on hypothetical-deductive
reasoning. A vertical approach then a horizontal approach to the interviews were adopted. The
horizontal approach to the corpus was used to identify recurring terms from one interview to
the next and were grouped into categories while observing saturation criteria (Vernette and
Giannelloni, 2015).

Expert interviewed Length of interview

Chair of Cluster Aquitain du Transmédia 41 minutes
Storytelling
Transmedia producer at Once Upon 48 minutes
(transmedia architecture workshop)
Author and designer of interactive and 70 minutes
transmedia works and author of various
books on transmedia storytelling
New media producer at Camera Lucida 44 minutes
(transmedia production company)
New mediation technologies officer at Musée 35 minutes
du Quai Branly
Table 1 - Semi-directed interviews with experts on transmedia narration
We confirmed the conceptual approach derived from the review of literature by questioning
French experts. The definitions of transmedia in the literature and the definitions of
professionals in the field all highlight the wealth of narration of a narrative universe that is

8
rolled out across multiple media in a coherent and coordinated way. However, in the
professional sector, opinions diverge as to the purpose of the transmedia project:
creators/designers see it more as a part of the cultural product in its own right (process that
supplements and improves it) whereas marketing professionals see it more as a
communication or mediation tool (strategy).

2.1. Representations of transmedia narration by professionals (designers)

The discourse of professionals of the sector brings out several fundamental components of
transmedia:
- the narrative universe, stories and characters;
- platforms, interfaces and entry points (or rabbit holes);
- timing;
- interactivity between audiences and platforms.

• Narrative universe, stories and characters

The central element of transmedia is the narrative universe and the different stories created
around that universe. “A device is a transmedia device when it enables a viewer or consumer
or listener to walk around the same story universe whether a true or fictional story … […]
There is no better way to tell a story today than transmedia, it sets to work an imaginary
world, the audience’s imagination…” (transmedia device producer). The initial transmedia
narrative universe may be from various sources and media (film, book, comic strip,
exhibition, play, etc.). The transmedia experience that derives from it does not “tell a single
story but several stories from the same universe” (author and designer of interactive and
transmedia works), each story, each content being separate from the other stories and
contents.
The drivers behind any story are the characters. Hoguet (2015) explains that “characters are
not just a physique or an occupation, they are a unique mix of motives, aspirations and
abilities”. Empathy towards characters supposedly arises out of an understanding of their
objectives and motives.

• Platforms, interfaces and points of entry

The narrative universe is disseminated over different media such as the Internet, television,
smartphones, tablets, etc. The chair of Cluster Aquitain (Transmédia Storytelling) mentions
different contents “that are to be shared over several media platforms, it could be the web, it
could be mobiles, it could be the real world, living things, street marketing for example, it
could be audiovisual through a film to be broadcast on TV, etc.”. To develop their stories,
cultural institutions must imagine different “entry points” to their universe so as to reach as
many users as possible. These entry points are called rabbit holes. Each content can therefore
be apprehended independently and they are all points of entry into the work’s transmedia
universe. The multiplicity of contents and of platforms is to “create an experience for users
that is richer when they consume one, two, three, four of these platforms” (author and
designer of interactive and transmedia works).

• Timing
The timing of a story refers both to the length of the narrative and the time at which it is
“consumed”. Time in a story can be drawn out, slowed down, stopped, it can be eluded,
wound back, destructured: “Some transmedia experiences are there to create moments in time,
others are there to last over time, there are those that propose only very fleeting things, others
that propose only very long-lasting ones …” (author and designer of interactive and

9
transmedia works). Experts, as a whole, also emphasize the difficulty in making transmedia
projects last over time.

• Interactivity between audiences and platforms

Transmedia is intended to secure the participation of consumers who are plunged into the
heart of the narrative device. The experience then becomes participatory and immersive. This
enhances the story content through a degree of engagement and consumer interaction. Hoguet
(2015) defines transmedia as a “strategy of diffusion and user engagement”. He also
emphasizes the “emotional power” some transmedia devices may have over their audience. A
transmedia device producer speaks of it as “potential for spectator involvement”. For the chair
of the Cluster Aquitain (Transmédia Storytelling), “transmedia a more especially concerns
universes in which there is an audience that is already won over to the universe and active. If I
were to caricature it I would say an audience of fans…”. This reflects what Ryan (2017) too
highlights, namely that transmedia narration devices can nurture the passion of four profiles:
the detective, the encyclopaedist, the collector and the devoted fan. For the experts, it seems
therefore that transmedia is especially adapted for an audience that is already won over but
can also be seen as a way to get potential consumers to participate and become involved in the
cultural experience.
The exploitation of expert interviews confirms and enhances the literature review with regard
to the definition and component parts of transmedia. It is important now to question users to
analyse the convergence between what they have to say and what the professionals say, and
then to evaluate the impact of such transmedia devices on the experience lived by individuals.
More specifically, we try to better understand the phenomenon of narrative transportation of
individuals through the use of a transmedia device and its effects on individuals’ engagement.

2.2. Lived experience and narrative transportation of audiences (recipients)

We next collected data based on the discourse of transmedia device users: 36 introspective
accounts from postgraduate students (appendix 2), aged 21–42 years, female and male, who
tried out a transmedia device called “The Builders’ Challenge” (table 2).
We made two lexical analyses of the data: one vertical and one horizontal. Our
epistemological stance is based on hypothetical-deductive reasoning.
A theme-based analysis grid was elaborated from the literature review and user interviews
(appendix 3). It was constructed around the themes of narrative transportation and experience
with the transmedia device, and individual engagement with the subject of the narration and
the transmedia device (desire to continue the experience and come back to it). During the
analysis phase, precedence is given to the horizontal approach to the corpus to identify the
terms that recur from one interview to another. These terms are grouped into subcategories on
theoretical bases ensuring saturation criteria are observed (Vernette and Giannelloni, 2015).

10
 The Builders’ Challenge
Cultural genre Heritage
Subject of narration Strasbourg Cathedral
Context of transmedia Securing project funding
operation
1) Follow the stages of construction of the cathedral from the
Proposed theme and points of view of its five chief architects;
experiences 2) Become the contemporary architect of the second tower.

• A 3D film;
Proposed platforms and • A web documentary (with interactive game and
media possibilities for trying out the role of architect);
• A mobile application for touring the site (with the
possibility of viewing the creations of the interactive game
users).
Table 2 - Description of the transmedia device
The results from the introspective accounts bring out three major components in the narrative
transportation process at the heart of the transmedia experience. First, the individual, technical
and time characteristics influence the narrative transportation of the individual. Then,
narrative transportation presupposes entering the narrative universe, becoming lost in it and
co-creating the experience. Lastly, the influence of narrative transportation on engagement
works at three levels: the subject of narration, the cultural genre and the transmedia narration
devices.
• The explanatory factors of narrative transport through transmedia narration
The degree of narrative transportation of the individual depends on individual (propensity to
adopt technology), technical (related to content and ergonomics) and time (control exercised
by user over the length of use of the transmedia device) characteristics.
First individuals’ perception of platforms and points of entry is related to individual users’
characteristics. The lexical analyses emphasize the importance of the propensity to adopt
technology by the user in appropriating the device. This stable individual characteristic results
from factors that facilitate (enthusiasm, control) or inhibit (feeling of dependence and
vulnerability) the use of technology. These contrasted feelings are expressed by the users of
the “Builders’ Challenge” device and determine both the technical appropriation of the
platform and the mental appropriation of the narration. “It is essential to give everyone the
chance to be involved with such a project in the world we live in today where there is
increasing dependence on technology. It is through this kind of collaborative work that we can
glimpse the possibility for everyone to take back control of the tool, to think in turn and not to
leave all projects, of whatever kind, in the hands of experts.” (JS, male, M1 student).
Then the technical characteristics (multi-language character of the device, high-definition
pictures, ergonomic navigation) influence the narrative transportation the individual feels. The
first two criteria are favourably perceived by most users. “The Internet site can be used in
several languages (French, English, German, allowing broad participation / … / The site can
be accessed in HD and SD, so everyone has access to it.” (HR, female, M1 student)
Perception of the web documentary’s ergonomics by individuals seems to be more contrasted
and varies with the user’s propensity to adopt a technology. “The site has ergonomic
problems, it takes a few minutes trying it out before you can navigate easily.” (TM, male M1
student); “I found out that to unlock all the building content you had to go through the whole
of the web documentary. Ingenious. I thought the main thread and the transitions were well
put together. The content is rich and the finishing careful.” (HA, male, M1 student) The
11
videos filmed from a subjective viewpoint, designed so viewers can identify and empathize
with the characters do not always seem to produce the hoped-for effect. “When you begin the
webdoc, you don’t really know what to expect. The opening scenes try to involve the user by
filming in the first person. It didn’t really work for me.” (MA, male, M1 student) However,
this feeling of confusion tends to fade when the user navigates on the platforms. “Some items
become understandable as you navigate on the device. You understand you’re in the shoes of
an architect who has first to collect information on Strasbourg Cathedral so as to build its
second tower.” (MA, male, M1 student) The plausibility of the device and its content then
contribute to the narrative content felt by the user. “A degree of realism is created in the
situation presented: the pictures are good quality, the situation is credible /…/ the architect’s
office, and that leads us to discover a profession you don’t necessarily know about.” (MH,
female, M1 student)
Lastly the time characteristics also influence the degree of narrative transport of the
individual. The perception of the passage of time spent on the device is prominent among
individuals. “It makes trying it out take too long.” (MG, female, M2 student); “The didactic
content itself is quite well done, not too long, not too short, and it gets to the point.” (VB,
female, M2 student). Individuals also say they want to be able to control time through the
operation of the transmedia device. “Videos that can be paused, go forward or back.” (AM,
female, M2 student); “Most of the videos cannot be stopped once started, you can’t just watch
a part of it if you want / … / That bothered me all the time I was on the site.” (AW, female,
M2 student) In addition, the lexical analysis shows that individuals look to optimize the time
spent on the lived experience with the transmedia device. “I spent 45 minutes on the site. I
didn’t watch all the videos. / … / I didn’t want to waste my time.” (AM, female, M2 student)
On the other hand, users may feel cut off from the time that passes. “I spent a little under two
hours on the site discovering the thumbnails, listening, clicking on the questions. It didn’t feel
like long.” (AT, female, M1 student)

• Narrative transportation and lived experience

Analysis of the findings highlights the influence of narrative transportation on the lived
experience by individual users. The lexical analysis of the introspective accounts of users
points out the salient dimensions of the narrative transportation. Such transportation requires
the individual to have first appropriated the transmedia narration device by exploring it,
searching for information and interacting with the characters and other users. Carù and Cova
(2003), taking up the definition of appropriation from Fischer (1992, p. 91), assert that the
concept is a “fundamental psychological process of action and intervention in a space to
transform and customize it; the system of taking hold of places encompasses the forms and
types of intervention in space that are reflected in relations of possession and attachment”.
Consequently, appropriation is not a state but a process that changes over time. Appropriation
of a transmedia device by a user supposedly favours first their narrative transportation then
enabling them to act and interact with the fictional universe.
Narrative transportation, which corresponds to a particular form of immersion, promotes entry
into the narrative universe and stimulates the imagination of individuals who may then feel
empathy for the characters. This may lead them to lose the sense of reality, strengthen the
appropriation of the device and elicit their engagement with the subject of narration and the
device.
o Entering the narrative universe through the imagination
People who try out the device generate vivid and precise images of the story being told. “I
imagined the builders of the time, the constraints they must have encountered, their joy at
seeing the cathedral rise from the ground, their anguish when building was stopped.” (SB
female, M1 student) The capacity of the transmedia device to stir the imagination of the users
12
may contribute to them identifying with the character they embody and to projecting
themselves into the narrative proposed. “I feel directly concerned and involved in the project /
… / I can see my office, my journey.” (MG, female, M1 student) Consequently a feeling of
being part of the team and the community of builders may develop, favouring appropriation of
the device. “You are around a table with the boss, /…/ me /…/ and two assistants. /… / It is up
to us to take up the running.” (GC, female, M1 student); “really wanting to succeed in the
mission entrusted to us. Without wanting to, you almost put pressure on to win the contract!”
(AC, female, M1 student) However, some respondents report with regret that they had not
been carried away by the story told, especially because of the difficulty in identifying with the
character the device proposed they should embody. “I did not feel caught up in the story in
fact, whereas I would have liked to be, to identify with the characters and head off with them
to discover new things.” (AsC, female, M1 student) This lack of identification with the
character seems to be a curb on developing the recipient’s imagination and empathy, the
necessary condition for losing the sense of reality, a further characteristic of narrative
transportation.
o Losing oneself in the narrative universe through immersion
Green (2008) and Van Laer et al. (2014) claim that, once transported into the story,
individuals lose the sense of reality in terms of time but also physiologically. This immersion
engenders a loss of the sense of time especially in relation to the fun character of the device.
“You can soon lose track of time.” (VB, female, M2 student) “I spent a good hour and a half
navigating on the device without really realizing it … I think it is because of the building of
the tower.” (MA, male, M1 student) Narrative transportation goes beyond just losing the
sense of time and can be manifested by physiological reactions. “At some point I nodded and
I realized that when at the beginning I’m in a meeting with the boss, the model-maker and my
assistant, I was sitting up more on my seat as if I were taking part.” (JC, female, M1 student)
The accounts about the hedonic and sensorial dimension of the lived experience previously
emphasized that the use of the transmedia device can, for some individuals, be a source of
specific sensations. These may be due to the loss of the sense of reality. “This gap involving
several levels of reality /…/ was not pleasant at first. Then the tendency to be ‘drawn into the
screen as a real world in itself’ then dispelled my ‘anxiety’ and I was surprised by the
immersion that went on.” (LA, male, M1 student)

o Collective co-creating the narrative universe

The narrative universe can be co-constructed creatively, collectively and actively. In the
context of the transmedia device under study, the subject of narration (the cathedral) is co-
created in two stages: users must first unlock elements by activating the interviews of
specialists and by participating in the “chat” with the characters who embody their colleagues
and subordinates to then use the attachments. Users can take these so as to design the second
tower through the interactive “Tower Builder” game. This collective and active co-creation is
something some users enjoy. “You have the impression of becoming an actor in the project”
(TM, male, M1 student). However, individuals are often only partly transported by the story
and remain aware of the fictional nature of the narrative universe. “Through the ‘fake’
mission, the ‘boss’ gives us the job of doing the necessary research on the cathedral from
which to ‘create’ a second tower in the end.” (MV, female, M1 student) Collective co-creation
may cause cognitive and sensorial over-stimulation. “I find the instant conversation thumbnail
particularly pointless and cumbersome.” (LM, female, M1 student) Collective co-creation
may even be perceived as a form of intrusion in the user’s private life. “When the people in
the chat send attachments, we have to go online to open the attachments, which is a pity
because we don’t necessarily want to give our e-mail address.” (MG, female, M2 student)

13
“We have to set up an account to record our progress and share our creations, but I don’t want
to be sent advertising or e-mails about this.” (MG, female, M1 student)
Consequently, little or no narrative transportation and a negative experience could be
explained by a lack of involvement by the individual with the subject of narration, by
technical problems (not having a smartphone), by a lack of propensity to adopt a technology
(“I am not much into technology, I prefer the real world” (LM, female, M1 student)), by lack
of realism of the device (“The game is not developed enough, it’s still too false” (MC, female,
M1 student)), by anxiety about using computers (“I was a bit intimated by the number of
possible interactions” (LA, male, M1 student)), or by a feeling of intrusion (“It reminds me of
pop-up windows that open without our consent” (VB, female, M2 student).

• Engagement of audiences (recipients)

Once individuals have lived an experience through a transmedia narration device that
transports them, their engagement is strengthened in accordance with the following factors:
(1) the subject of the narration, (2) the cultural genre and (3) the transmedia narration devices.
With regard to the subject of the narration, Strasbourg Cathedral, it is a question of learning
more about it or even going to see it. It would seem that the experience of the device fosters
an interest in the history of the cathedral. “We want to know more about the cathedral and its
architecture, its history” (CM, female, M1 student) and about its future. “The only thing about
the website visit was that it made me curious. What will become of the cathedral?” (MA,
female, M1 student) Narrative transportation may make respondents want to discover the
monument in situ. Respondents said they would go to see it at the first opportunity. The
reasons for wanting to see it are driven by curiosity sparked by this first experience. “I now
really want to go and see the cathedral with my own eyes, now that I know its history and the
exceptional aspect of its spire.” (HA, male, M1 student) Respondents would like to see in real
life what they have seen, discovered and understood virtually. “That will give us not a virtual
but a real idea of the cathedral itself, its size, its shape, etc.” (MV, female, M1 student)
because the virtual experience, although realistic, is not considered as an experience of reality.
“The story told makes me want to go and see Strasbourg Cathedral to see what it looks like.”
(MG, female, M2 student) Overall it would seem therefore that the experience with the device
makes the subject of narration (or the narrative universe) interesting. “With all the
information collected on the site, it’s now more interesting to go to the cathedral.” (M.V.,
female, M1 student) The experience also prompts a desire among the more interested
respondents to go on a visit.
With regard to cultural genre (monuments and heritage), respondents refer primarily to
readiness to learn about the same type of monuments (cathedrals), but also other types. “It
made me want to learn more about cathedrals in general but also other imposing buildings
constructed down the centuries, about building techniques in particular. For example, how
were the pyramids of Egypt built? How is it they are still standing?” (SB, female, M1 student)
This experience of the construction of Strasbourg Cathedral serves as a catalyst for interest in
the cathedral in particular and in the subject of narration put forward: building, architecture,
etc. It will be noted incidentally that, in accordance with their own concerns, respondents
wonder about the potential of this type of device to support actions in favour of a renovation
project for example. “I think it may make some people want to invest in renovating a
monument.” (MA, female, M1 student)
Lastly, when the experience of the device has been positive, respondents say they are ready to
use others. This engagement rests either on a feeling of curiosity, “This experience made me
curious about trying out new devices” (MV, female, M1 student), or on a desire to discover
another cultural genre on another transmedia device, “I would like to try out other devices of
this type” (MG, female, M1 student). There are many comments about the value of this type

14
of device that can make the experience more interesting and fun. This device format is
thought to alter the representations people have of culture. “[This type of transmedia device]
can change prejudices people might have about documentaries or history being boring.” (MV
female, M1 student) Conversely, when the experience of the device has been found
unsatisfactory, participants express their non-intention to reuse this type of device less clearly
and they are then highly critical. “I was already sceptical about [these devices] at the time and
this experience merely confirmed my opinion. I find that the device only works for very few
projects, often detective ones (where it’s about conducting investigations), or more abstract
projects, initially devised not to be linear.” (AD, male, M1 student)

Figure 1 summarizes the main findings of this explanatory research and proposes a conceptual
framework for studying the transmedia consumption experience in the cultural field.

[FIGURE 1]

Conclusion
The objective of this research was to better understand the transmedia cultural experience and
explore the ways in which recipient audiences can appropriate a transmedia device, be carried
away by a narrative (through the narrative transportation process) that is liable to promote
their engagement with regard to the subject of the story and the transmedia device.
In theoretical and conceptual terms, the paper makes various contributions. By mobilizing the
concepts of transmedia consumption experience and narrative transformation in the field of
arts and culture, we enhance work in both the information and communication sciences
(Jenkins, 2010; Ryan, 2017), which is directed more at creating and designing transmedia
devices, and in management sciences which has more often apprehended narrative
transportation in the framework of persuasive advertising (Appel and Richter, 2010; Phillips
and McQuarrie, 2010). In conceptual terms, we have identified various phases of
appropriation of a transmedia device (exploration, search for information and connection with
other users) and the explanatory factors of narrative transport (propensity of the individual to
adopt technology, ergonomics of the transmedia device, degree of plausibility of contents,
degree of control left to users, etc.) and its components (imagination and empathy, immersion
and loss of the sense of time and reality). More particularly, semi-directive interviews with
professionals (transmedia designers and experts) have made it possible to refine the definition
of transmedia and highlight several salient components: the narrative universe, the story and
the characters; the platforms, interfaces and entry points; timing; and lastly interactivity
between recipient audiences and platforms. Moreover, the analysis of introspective accounts
of audiences underscores that the positive experience of the transmedia device requires the
individual to appropriate it. This appropriation implies that the user explores the fictional
universe, seeks out information through the contents spread over different platforms and
interacts with the characters and other users. When receivers appropriate the transmedia
narration device, their lived experience is characterized by an aesthetic pleasure and fun, a
feeling of freedom and/or nostalgia, enhanced attention, improved learning, a different
perception of the passage of time (rapidity or even a loss of the notion of time). This positive
experience arises from the appropriation of the transmedia device by individuals, promotes
narrative transportation, especially through stimulation of their imagination and the
emergence of a feeling of empathy towards the character(s), which may lead to a loss of the
notion of reality both in terms of time and physiologically. Conversely if individuals
appropriate the transmedia narration device to very little extent or not at all, then they may
have a negative experience. This may be related to sensory and cognitive over-stimulation

15
together with feelings of frustration, annoyance or boredom, loss of attention, less readiness to
interact with the environment and lastly a desire to control the length of the experience or
even interrupt it. This negative experience (unpleasant sensations) and the low level of
narrative transportation of the individual (difficulty in identifying with the character) may be
related to individual characteristics (anxiety about computers, low propensity to adopt a
technology) or techniques (poor ergonomics, lack of realism).
In managerial terms, this research encourages professionals in the sector of arts and culture
(heritage, museology, performing arts, etc.) to use transmedia devices that promote co-
creation of the experience through:
- better understanding of the cultural subject;
- easier access to the subject through the feelings of pleasure, fun and aesthetics
triggered by narrative transportation (importance of entering the narrative
universe);
- better appropriation of devices (via a degree of empathy or even identification of
the characters in the story);
- their engagement with the subject of narration.
These factors could trigger cultural consumption and as a consequence better access to the
cultural subject (theatres, museums, etc.).
In terms of method, this research has certain limits because of its exploratory nature. We have
used only a few expert interviews and the introspective accounts were collected from a
convenience sample.
However, there are many limitations. First, we acknowledge that a social desirability bias may
have been included in our methodological approach. We addressed audiences in culture
without checking their level of familiarity or expertise in the field.
The field too has its limitations. It proposes above all interactivity (through playing a game)
that Ryan (2017) refers to as transient and included in a top-down logic. It promotes little
creative activity, or even design activity, or permanent interactivity, in response to a bottom-
up logic: the various features of the transmedia device rest only on a 3D film, a web
documentary (experimenting the role of architect and the possibility of playing an interactive
game), a mobile application for visiting the site (visualizing creations of users of the
interactive game).
These limits open up new avenues of research, though. A first one could lead to putting in
place a new collection of data (semi-directive interviews) from two groups: one
experimenting with a different transmedia device from the “Builders’ Challenge”, further
promoting creative, design and collective activities, and the other (control group, “consumers”
of the subject of narration, who do not try out the device.
A second avenue of research would be to study the links between the characteristics of the
individual (age, familiarity with the cultural object, propensity to adopt technology) and those
of the transmedia device (ergonomics) and the degree of narrative transportation felt by the
user. Moreover, more far-reaching exploitation of the accounts might generate items for the
purpose of subsequently proposing a French measurement scale of narrative transportation in
order to evaluate its influence on the lived experience.

16
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 FIGURE 1
CONCEPTUAL SCHEMA

TRANSMEDIA EXPERIENCE

CO –CREATION & INTERACTIVITY

Appropriation of the transmedia

device
Propensity to adopt new Exploration
technologies Information search
Connection to others users

Narrative transportation Engagement with

Perception of the device’s Imagination and Empathy - The object of narration
technical and time characteristics Immersion and - The cultural genre
Loss of sense of time and reality - The device
APPENDIX 1
GUIDELINES FOR INTERVIEWS WITH PROFESSIONALS (DESIGNERS)

Could you tell us in a few words about your education and training? Your occupation? Your
main activities at present?

I. DEFINITION, OBJECTIVES AND USE OF TRANSMEDIA

1. How would you define transmedia? What are the main components of a transmedia
device?
2. In what contexts or sectors is transmedia mostly used? Could you give us a few
concrete examples of firms that have called on your expertise/services?
3. What are the objectives set by firms looking to use or already using transmedia? [Do
they target a particular audience? Is transmedia fully a part of the firm’s global offer or a new
communication/positioning tool? What is the relationship with the target audience?]
4. Why do you believe transmedia should be used nowadays?
5. More specifically, is the cultural sector (theatres, museums, etc.) suitable for using
transmedia devices? Why? Why not?
6. Could you cite and explain a few examples of transmedia devices designed for cultural
organizations?

II. DESIGN OF A TRANSMEDIA DEVICE (CULTURAL FIELD)

1. How do you set about designing a transmedia device? What are the main stages (from
the invitation to tend to setting it up)?
2. What freedom do you have when designing a transmedia project? For example, do you
decide on the scenario(s), tools/media to be used?
3. When designing a transmedia device, do you think at some point about the use the
consumer/audience will make of it? If so, at what point? How do you integrate it?
4. Do consumers/audiences need any particular (technical) skills for the devices set up
and their use? If so, which ones? In that case, is transmedia accessible to everyone? (Explain)
5. Do you think about the experience the consumer/audience will have with the device?
If yes or no, why?
6. As designers, what are your expectations in terms of results further to the set up of a
transmedia device? (Explain)

III. OPINIONS ABOUT THREE TRANSMEDIA DEVICES IN THE CULTURAL

FIELD
1. Do you know the following: Léon Vivien, The Builders’ Challenge and Théâtre sans
animaux?
2. What are the strong points and weak spots of these devices? Why?
 APPENDIX 2
STRUCTURE OF THE SAMPLE AUDIENCE

Initials Sex Year of study Age

M.A. Male Master 1 23
H.A. Male Master 1 22
L.A. Male Master 1 24
M.C. Female Master 1 21
A.C. Female Master 1 20
K.-S. C. Female Master 1 26
A.C. Female Master 1 21
A.D. Male Master 1 24
M.F. Female Master 1 23
L. G.-P. Female Master 1 24
A.G. Female Master 1 21
M.H. Female Master 1 22
F.L. Female Master 1 23
D.L. Female Master 1 22
L.M. Female Master 1 23
E.N. Female Master 1 21
E.P. Female Master 1 21
H.R. Female Master 1 23
J.S. Male Master 1 21
A.T. Female Master 1 23
A.W. Female Master 1 21
M.A. Female Master 1 24
S.B. Female Master 1 32
J.B. Female Master 1 25
J.C. Female Master 1 27
P.C. Female Master 1 23
G.C. Female Master 1 27
F.D. Male Master 1 42
M.G. Female Master 1 21
P.H. Female Master 1 23
T.M. Male Master 1 23
M.V. Female Master 1 21
V.B. Female Master 2 25
B.C. Male Master 2 26
M.G. Female Master 2 23
A.M. Female Master 2 23

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 APPENDIX 3
GUIDELINES FOR INTERVIEWS WITH AUDIENCES (RECIPIENTS)

After exploring the Internet site and the mobile application for “The Builders’ Challenge”
freely and without any time limit, you are invited to report your experience addressing the
following two themes.
Mention everything that comes to mind and everything you feel when recalling the
experience. Thank you for your participation.

I. YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE “BUILDERS’ CHALLENGE” DEVICE

1. Tell us about your experience with the “Builders’ Challenge” device.
2. How did it go? (for you and in terms of the environment, and time and space)
3. Describe what you are thinking about? What does the story told evoke for you?
4. What positive feelings did you have during your experience with the device? What negative
feelings?
5. Does anything about it disturb you? If so, which parts and in what way?
6. Overall, what do you get out of the experience? What did you like the most (or the least)?

II. READINESS TO EXTEND THE EXPERIENCE OR RETURN TO IT

1. Does trying this device and the story told make you want for anything in particular?
2. Do you want to go further with the experience, know more about the story told? If so, how?
3. Would you talk about it to your entourage?
4. Do you want to try out other devices of this type?

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