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ICS0010.1177/1367877917750445International Journal of Cultural Studiesdu Plessis

International Journal of Cultural Studies

2019, Vol. 22(1) 175­–192
© The Author(s) 2018
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DOI: 10.1177/1367877917750445
https://doi.org/10.1177/1367877917750445
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Article
Prosumer engagement through
story-making in transmedia
branding

Charmaine du Plessis
University of South Africa, South Africa

Abstract
This article pertains to prosumer engagement, an important topic in academic research on media
consumption and branding. Increasingly, there have been calls in the branding literature for a
more audience-centred approach to making a deeper emotional connection with consumers
in an age when interactive media have become imperative for communication. Prosumers, who
both consume and produce media, have a different relationship with a brand to traditional
consumers, as they are more actively involved in the brand’s story. The participatory nature of
transmedia branding strengthens prosumer engagement through brand stories that enable an
active contribution in an immersive story world.
This article considers the rise in the use of transmedia story-making within the contemporary
branding environment by proposing a framework for prosumer engagement in transmedia
branding. Specifically, it examines how a leading transmedia brand, LEGO, has sought to engage
prosumers in an active community using elements of this framework through an integrative,
immersive and spreadable story.

Keywords
engagement, prosumer, prosumer engagement, social brand, social brand engagement,
transmedia, transmedia branding, transmedia story-making

Brands find it challenging to engage with audiences in a communication environment

saturated with different forms of media and in which audiences have more control
over their media experiences. The use of traditional models of consumption, such as

Corresponding author:
Charmaine du Plessis, Department of Communication Science, University of South Africa, PO Box 392,
Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.
Email: dplestc@unisa.ac.za
176 International Journal of Cultural Studies 22(1)

cross-media where a brand posts the same content once in different media, also
impedes engagement because of a potential information overload (see Freeman,
2015). The convergence of media, which evolved from the way we communicate in
the digital era, has been widely studied and explained (see Jenkins, 2006, 2014). In a
convergence culture, where media is everywhere and fluid, and consumers seamlessly
access, consume and produce content across various devices, screens and channels,
the media consumer and producer interact in innovative ways (Jenkins, 2006).
Furthermore, consumers not only control how they access media but also how they
consume it by using interactive devices for different platforms that manage and
empower their experiences – a distinct feature of the new media ecology. Research by
Labrecque et al. (2013) reiterates that consumers experience a psychological sense of
control when interactive technology affords them the opportunity to select and par-
ticipate in the information they consume.
Active participation in what the brand has to offer has thus become a deliberate con-
sumer choice, depending on how engaging they find the experience. In a sense we have
all become producers of content by leaving comments on a blog post, in social media or
generating data because of our participation in digital media. Consumer engagement,
however, is often passive and occurs when consumers use and share brand information.
Engagement becomes more active when consumers also create their own content to
enhance the brand (Ashley and Tuten, 2015). The notion of consumers actively partici-
pating in brand content and experiences has expanded the concept of prosumer which
was first introduced by Toffler (1980). Initially, a prosumer was seen as a new consumer
who participates in production processes (thus co-creating) for their own use. This view
has since evolved to rather see prosumers as consumers who create value for the organi-
zation by being innovative and sharing their work with others because of a relationship
that exists (Seran (Potra) and Izvercian, 2014). In addition, prosumers are also seen as
being motivated by their peers in a community to participate and provide value to an
organization and other members (Plouffe, 2008).
The shift in relationships that organizations have with consumers has thus gradually
‘blurred the gap between producers and consumers’ (Tapscott and Williams, 2008). As
digital media evolved we have also been encouraged to consume unusual and more com-
plicated interactive technologies such as video game consoles (Denegri-Knott and
Molesworth, 2010). Research confirms the existence of a ‘digital production inequality’,
where consumers with different backgrounds will either be more or less active when
producing online content (Schradie, 2011). To this end, Brake (2014) provides evidence
that online content creators mainly come from a privileged minority in the world. Apart
from a digital production gap, a study by Considine and Cormican (2017) also brings
awareness that consumers might become resistant to new digital technologies that do not
meet their particular needs.
A prosumer in the context of this study, therefore, is a consumer who is willing and
motivated to use more complex technologies for innovative creativity to benefit the
organization, others and themselves (see Seran and Izvercian, 2014). This view of a pro-
sumer coincides with arguments by Humphreys and Grayson (2008) that consumption/
production only becomes innovative when consumers assist an organization in becoming
more successful but also creating some ‘exchange value’ for the consumer.
du Plessis 177

Some transmedia brands, for example LEGO, choose to focus on enthusiastic and
active prosumers who also create brand content and are eager to become creatively
involved. These prosumers not only share their knowledge with others but also with the
brand (Ziemba and Eisenbard, 2014). Marketers for transmedia brands hence face the
challenge to provide brand content that will entice prosumers who are willing to benefit
the brand with their innovative ideas.
In keeping with the need for more prosumer engagement, Gambetti and Graffigna
(2012) argue that marketers connect emotionally but also physically with consumers by
becoming part of their lives. Meaningful and authentic engagement, for example, is
encouraged when prosumers create brand content while at home and using Web 2.0
tools, for example, wikis, social media networking sites and blogs, to create, consume
and share content, sounds and images globally (Comor, 2011:2). However, Andrejevic
(2007) warns that this ‘networked interactivity’ results in consumers’ information becom-
ing more accessible and monitored while their privacy is at risk.
For the most part transmedia brands use storytelling to collaborate with prosumers to
actively consume and produce brand content and, in doing so, positively influence the
brand. The prosumer interprets brand experiences by being actively involved in different
content, which can be accessed at different entry points. By validating the important role
of prosumers, the brand facilitates rather than tells the story (Carmody, 2016). The inte-
gration of consumer production with consumption in the form of story-making is argued
to be a vital step forward for branding to overcome alienation in a cluttered media envi-
ronment (Comor, 2011). Adopting the transmedia concept in branding, specifically
through a story world, enhances participation by using prosumers’ collective skills and
techniques to deepen engagement (see Tenderich, 2014).
There is ample evidence and many success stories from brands that have incorpo-
rated transmedia stories into their branding strategies, for example Old Spice’s The
Man Your Man Could Smell Like (2010), BMW’s The Hire (2001), Audi’s The Art of
the Heist (2005) and Coca-Cola’s Happiness Factory (2007). However, there is not
enough data to support whether these campaigns have fully embraced story-making
and the increasing role of the prosumer to benefit the brand. The LEGO brand was
hence chosen to support a proposed framework for prosumer engagement in transme-
dia branding because it constitutes an example of a best practice where active and
motivated prosumers are concerned. It is one of the leading global transmedia brands
and may, therefore, advance our understanding of a prosumer engagement strategy in
transmedia branding.
The following section conceptualizes transmedia, prosumer engagement, transmedia
branding and story-making applied by the proposed framework for the analysis.

Conceptualizing transmedia, prosumer engagement,

transmedia branding and story-making
Kinder’s (1991) concept of transmedia is multidisciplinary, drawing from various aca-
demic disciplines, and became more prominent when Jenkins (2003) linked it to story-
telling. The concept of transmedia has the property of intermediality, which refers to the
interdependence of contemporary communication media, where story fragments are
178 International Journal of Cultural Studies 22(1)

spread across different media platforms and formats with different entry points (see Beil
and Schmidt, 2015: 73).
In keeping with the rise of the prosumer, branding has had to reinvent itself by embrac-
ing new engagement strategies as part of their overall strategy (Carmody, 2016). It is
important for brands to realize that today even amateurs are able to create, share or enter
stories in multiple modes such as games, video, text, images and audio because of sim-
pler technologies and software (Klaebe and Hancox, 2017).
Transmedia branding is put forward by Tenderich (2014) and Williams (2013) as a
new paradigm for marketing and communications to facilitate brand participation and
make brand content more appealing. This act of encouraging more audience participation
differentiates transmedia branding from traditional brand communication strategies, as
audience feedback is consistently incorporated into strategy.
Tenderich (2014: 16) defines transmedia branding as:

a communication process in which information about a brand is packaged into an integrated

story, which is dispersed in unique contributions across multiple media channels for the purpose
of creating an interactive and engaging brand experience.

Storytelling in transmedia branding paved the way for transmedia story-making. Over the
years, Jenkins’ (2009, 2011) work on transmedia expanded our understanding of transme-
dia storytelling to include many practices and perspectives outside entertainment contexts.
Consequently, transmedia storytelling is today also applied to a wide variety of non-enter-
tainment brands with the focus on consumer products (see Scolari, 2009). Jenkins’ (2010:
944) definition of a transmedia storytelling is still widely acknowledged; it is:

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. Ideally, each medium makes its own unique contribution to the unfolding of the
story.

In addition, Jenkins’ (2009) seven principles of transmedia stories, namely, spreadability

versus drillability, continuity versus multiplicity, immersion versus extractability, world
building, seriality, subjectivity and performance are highly cited and applied in different
contexts (see Table 1). In his work, Scolari (2009: 587) consolidated the different con-
ceptual perspectives about transmedia storytelling thus:

It is a particular story structure that expands through both different languages (verbal, iconic,
etc.) and media (cinema, comics, television, video games, etc.). TS [transmedia storytelling] is
not just an adaptation from one medium to another. The story that the comics tell is not the same
as that told on television or in cinema; the different media and languages participate and
contribute to the construction of the transmedia story world. This textual dispersion is one of
the most important sources of complexity in contemporary popular culture.

When transmedia branding adopts transmedia storytelling as an engagement strategy

an integrated story becomes the focal point with different access points across media in
which the audience can participate more meaningfully. The brand becomes the story by
du Plessis 179

Table 1.  The initial structure to propose a framework for prosumer engagement in
transmedia branding.

Jenkins’ (2009) principles for transmedia storytelling Kozinets’ (2014) social brand
engagement framework
World building, immersion versus extractability and Research, understanding, listening
spreadability versus drillability posts, monitoring, early warning
World building: transmedia extension (not part of the Listening to continuous brand-
main story) that gives a much deeper portrayal of the related conversations consumers
world in which the story occurs have with one another Acting
Immersion: the consumer joins the story world on these conversations where
Extractability: the consumer takes away a part of the needed
story
Spreadability: the consumer wants to spread the
storyline by interacting
Drillability: being able to explore various story
extensions through captivating fiction
Seriality and continuity versus multiplicity and continuity Innovation, co-creation
Seriality: meaningful chunking and dispersion of the Shaping brand messages in social
story across media media by being deeply involved
Continuity: ongoing coherence of authorized with the brand and others, as
information which is accepted as part of the definitive well as adding new stories
version of a particular story; this ensures maximum
believability among all story extensions
Multiplicity: seeing characters and events with a fresh
perspective through retellings
Subjectivity Promotion, word-of-mouth
Story extensions that explore the main story from a marketing, influencing influencers,
new angle using different viewpoints commercials, advertising to add
different perspectives to the
story
Performance, immersion versus extractability and Purposively using social branding
spreadability versus drillability techniques to encourage
Performance: fans’ contribution to the story world engagement with all brand
Immersion: fans enter the story world content shared in social media
Extractability: fans can take aspects of the story away through comments, mentions, re-
to use in daily lives sharing and co-creating. Positive
Spreadability: spreading of ideas across media experiences influence others to
platforms also use the brand
Drillability: fans engage with the storyline

conveying its values through an integrated transmedia experience in a larger story world.
The brand story is divided into different ‘puzzle’ pieces on different media platforms,
which the audience(s) then recreate by integrating these pieces. In many instances, there
is also an anchoring medium which is expanded through backstories and places that
consumers can explore. The different pieces have new entry points into the story, sup-
porting stories and deep character development for more engagement. Integrating audi-
ence feedback is crucial for transmedia branding to shape brand experiences (Brieger,
2013; Williams, 2013).
180 International Journal of Cultural Studies 22(1)

However, the position of this article is that the principles of transmedia storytelling
could also be applied to story-making, with the focus more on the prosumer’s contribu-
tion in the story. Further shaping our understanding of transmedia story-making is
Pratten’s (2011: 2) work of transmedia storytelling, which addresses the consumption
and not just the production of the story while placing the audience in the middle of the
transmedia experience. He defines transmedia storytelling as follows:

Transmedia storytelling is taking the audience on an emotional journey that goes from
moment-to-moment.

Pratten (2011:3) also argues that there is a difference between transmedia and multiplat-
form storytelling in that the former creates ‘synergy between the content and a focus on
an emotional, participatory experience for the audience’. Therefore not all multiplatform
storytelling uses transmedia. Similar to Pratten’s (2011) views, transmedia story-making
is participatory, accessing the enthusisam of fans, random and authentic, and the brand
has to provide the necessary space to invite, accept and use prosumers’ contributions
(Carmody, 2016; Satija, 2016).
Recognizing the need for more audience participation, marketing, public relations and
advertising industries are increasingly adopting transmedia, moving beyond the concept
of cross-media where the same content can be found in different media (Buckner and
Rutledge, 2011). While numerous studies have applied transmedia stories to industries
such as entertainment (Fast and Ornebring, 2017), gaming (Davis, 2013) and learning
(Cronin, 2016), application in the branding and marketing fields has also become more
prominent (see Granitz and Forman, 2015; Scolari 2009). This is because transmedia
stories are seen as essential for brand survival owing to their immersive and engaging
nature, being able to connect more with the audience and creating value in an environ-
ment cluttered with different forms of media (Carmody, 2016). This article expands
application in the branding and marketing fields by exploring transmedia branding
through the lenses of prosumer engagement and story-making.
Applying transmedia to marketing has, however, elicited criticism from Corpuz
Breum and Midtgaard (2013) and Phillips (2012), who perceive it merely as a ‘gimmick’
to attract attention to the main product without providing any value for the target audi-
ence. Davis’s (2013) argument that transmedia branding is a commercial intermedial
practice was hitherto counteracted by Jenkins (2011), who regards it as creative storytell-
ing with no distinction between commercial and non-commercial tactics. In the same
way, Fuchs (2014), who is critical of digital prosumption, calls attention to marketing
and advertising, especially in social media, that create ‘artificial consumption needs’
which would otherwise not have existed. Terranova (2000), whose work on a digital
economy is widely cited, refers to ‘free labor’, and ‘netslaves’ where the best websites
are built by consumers who in a way sustain the internet.
While facing criticism, brands attempting to use transmedia have also struggled to
create eventful stories that can be distributed across media. Adoptive transmedia stories
are, therefore, more widespread among brands in that different platforms are adopted
purposively to augment a popular story. On the other hand, it is more difficult to achieve
native transmedia stories, that is, those that happen more naturally. Because of their
du Plessis 181

spontaneous nature, their only purpose being to use different platforms to tell and access
the story (Magro, 2014).
The idea that stories are produced across different platforms and that brands benefit
from each platform’s unique potential is attracting much scholarly attention. Tenderich
(2014), Williams (2013), Scolari (2009) and Buckner and Rutledge (2011) are still domi-
nating current thinking and the advancement of this emerging branding phenomenon.
The Annenberg Innovation Lab research group at the University of Southern California
(USC) currently consists of leading scholars who are advancing the notion of transmedia
branding. Tenderich’s (2014) design principles of transmedia branding, formulated as
part of the USC Annenberg Innovation Lab’s research project, capture the essential com-
ponents that enhance consumer brand engagement which could also be applied to pro-
sumers and story-making. Recently, Kozinets (2014) expanded the engagement concept
to the social brand, which ties in with Tenderich’s (2014) view of spreadability and audi-
ence engagement. The consumers not only communicate with the brand but also with
each other. Kozinets (2014: 10) writes in this regard:

Social brand engagement is meaningful connection, creation, and communication between one
consumer and one or more other consumers, using brand or brand-related language, images and
meanings.

Kozinets’ (2014) idea of social brand engagement is adopted for this study and extended
to transmedia branding. By adopting transmedia principles, the brand by design becomes
social through co-creation and innovation, communication, sharing, understanding and
accommodating consumer needs through feedback. Within a transmedia environment,
social brand engagement encourages word of mouth because of shared transmedia mean-
ings and experiences in brand communities.
Kozinets’ (2014) framework was hence also used as a starting point to propose a
framework for prosumer engagement supported by the LEGO brand’s transmedia brand-
ing efforts.

Towards a proposed framework for prosumer engagement

in transmedia branding
In the absence of a robust framework that accounts for transmedia prosumer engage-
ment, Kozinets’ (2014) social brand engagement framework deserves more research.
The proposed framework for prosumer engagement in this study in particular benefits
from the practice of social brand engagement as it skilfully encourages audience insight
and participation, which will gain from further description through this study. Kozinets’
(2014) work also addresses arguments by Buckner and Rutledge (2011) that ‘a transme-
dia story model should position a brand as a co-participant and collaborator by inviting
each member of the audience to participate personally in the story world’. This enables
consumers to understand the brand in a social context.
While the study of transmedia branding has become more focused on audience
engagement, some details remain unclear about how engagement could increase audi-
ence participation within the context of the prosumer. The initial structure depicted in
182 International Journal of Cultural Studies 22(1)

Table 1 was hence used as a starting point for the proposed framework for prosumer
engagement to address a need for more audience engagement in an online environment
cluttered with brand content. In addition, Kozinets’ (2014) social brand engagement
framework positions the consumer as also interacting with other consumers and not only
the brand, which is essential for branding efforts to succeed. The authentic and innate
connections between brand mentions and consumers sharing with others in social media
are essential (Kozinets et al. 2014: 27).
The initial structure also considered Jenkins’ (2009) principles of transmedia story-
telling which is relevant for Kozinets’ (2014) concept of social brand engagement as
depicted in Table 1.

The case: sources and empirical material

The case for this study is the LEGO brand which, as Kolowich (2015) explains, is a
family-owned business in Denmark, founded in 1932 and well known for its LEGO
brand toys of interlocking plastic bricks available in more than 130 countries. The
LEGO Group develops children’s imagination through creative play and learning
activities. The brand essence epitomises the idea that even in the current technologi-
cal environment meaningful creative play is possible. However, LEGO nowadays has
many versatile products that expand its brand beyond the building bricks, and a target
audience which also includes teens and adults. LEGO has its own products and
numerous brand extensions, and focuses on popular culture with products and brand
experiences for movie fans. Brand Finance, a leading brand valuation and strategy
consultancy, acknowledged LEGO as the most influential global brand in 2015, which
could also be ascribed to its transmedia efforts (DeMott, 2015). In 2017 LEGO also
ranks second globally for reputation in the Global RepTrak 100 brand index
(Reputation Institute, 2017).
LEGO follows a prosumer approach for its transmedia branding, with the brand as the
story and the toys as the storytelling medium (McNeilage, 2017). Several studies have
already examined the LEGO brand through different lenses, among others, as a transme-
dial phenomenon (Kalcher, 2012; Wolf, 2015), customer communities (Davidi, 2014;
Kalcher, 2012; Yun et al., 2012), video gaming (Wooten, 2013) and seriality (Norgard
and Toft-Nielsen, 2014). LEGO’s transmedia efforts are thus well documented and in the
public domain. This study uses the insight gained from these studies but focuses on pro-
sumer experiences with the LEGO brand in a natural setting while considering the initial
structure for analysis.
The analysis, in particular, focuses on LEGO Ideas, an online community-based plat-
form where motivated and active prosumers’ story-making contributions are not only
invited but also accepted, adapted and used by both LEGO and prosumers. When pro-
sumers’ LEGO ideas are accepted and produced by LEGO, prosumers receive a percent-
age royalty on sales. Members of this community also have an early opportunity to order
prosumer-created sets before mass production (LEGO, 2017). It will be illustrated
through the case that the LEGO transmedia approach is balanced, with both the brand
and prosumers taking the lead in more engagement in this story world where LEGO
facilitates the story-making.
du Plessis 183

The prosumers in the LEGO Ideas community have different sociodemographic sta-
tus, ranging from younger to older fans across the globe. However, they are hard-core
LEGO fans who gain different pleasures from being part of the community and have
different motivations for engaging with it. Since these prosumers share the same interests
they construct their identities around their enjoyment in suggesting ideas for new LEGO
sets (see Duffett, 2013).
To propose the framework for prosumer brand engagement in transmedia branding it
was important to establish how prosumers make and participate in stories authentically
while talking to each other in a natural setting (see Kozinets et al., 2014: 27). Researcher
interference was hence not advantageous as is often the case with interviews or a survey.
Since I wanted to take a fresh look at the phenomenon, a constructivist Grounded Theory
approach was followed to analyse both LEGO’s and LEGO prosumers’ conversations
triangulated across four LEGO Ideas channels, namely Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and
the Ideas blog. Within a Grounded Theory approach, suppositions are developed induc-
tively from a corpus of data through a process of constant comparisons (see Charmaz,
2014). LEGO’s and prosumers’ conversations were collected and grouped into representa-
tive concepts through a process of open, axial and selective coding, writing theoretical
memos and constant comparisons with other incidents in the data until data saturation was
reached and no new concepts became evident (O’Reilly and Parker, 2013).
Representativeness and consistency of concepts were hence achieved through theoretical
sampling and a vigorous and continuous coding process (Breckenridge, 2009). With theo-
retical sampling, it was possible to build a theoretical explanation of the concepts, for
example, the circumstances that led to them, how they are expressed through LEGO’s and
prosumers’ action/interaction, the consequences that result from them and any dissimilari-
ties. The Grounded Theory study’s findings cannot be generalized to a larger population
of prosumers but that was not the aim of the study (Charmaz, 2014).
First, a total of 12,889 conversations on Facebook, 489 on YouTube, 6097 on Twitter
and 324 on the LEGO Ideas blog in the public domain were purposively collected, facili-
tated by the NVivo Pro 11 software programme and guided by the initial structure in
Table 1. During a process of theoretical sampling, the main concepts evident in 9914
conversations became reflected in four new ideas (see Table 2).
After theoretical sampling and when new suppositions became evident in the data, a
framework with four elements was proposed that conceptualizes prosumers’ experiences
in becoming and staying engaged in story-making. Instead of perpetuating prosumers’
engagement with the brand, I put forward a more integrative view of prosumers also col-
laborating with peers during story-making that may help guide future research.
The proposed framework includes new evidence from the Grounded Theory study
and Kozinets’ (2014) social brand engagement framework as depicted in Table 2.
The LEGO brand’s transmedia prosumer engagement efforts are evident in the pro-
posed framework as follows in the next section.

Creative guidance to explore a new world

Maintaining a close bond with prosumers is important and also deep-seated in LEGO’s
transmedia branding efforts; the LEGO Group achieves this by continuously tapping
184 International Journal of Cultural Studies 22(1)

Table 2.  Elements of the proposed framework for prosumer engagement in transmedia
branding.

Element 1: Creative guidance to explore a new world

Guiding and allowing prosumer co-creation
Understanding and responding to co-creation needs in online spaces that frame conversations
with and between prosumers
Inviting, accepting and using prosumer co-creation by giving opportunities for storylines
Guiding and allowing the prosumer to co-create the best story world experience
Element 2: Interactive innovation by creative support for storylines
Prosumers seek and give internal and external validation for co-creation storylines
Prosumers encourage new storylines
Prosumers are curious about new storylines
Prosumers engage others by learning from storylines
Element 3: Maintaining prosumer involvement with the storyline extension
Recommending new plotlines that may have existed before but were just never discussed
Prosumers vouching for new storylines
Sharing prospective new storylines with prosumers in social media
Prosumers expand storylines from their unique perspectives
Element 4: Amplifying prosumer co-creation experiences
Creating meaningful co-creation experiences
Deepening prosumer experiences with the brand and other fans
Maximum prosumer discovery and engagement
Finding ways to sustain prosumer interaction with each other through new experiences and
content
Prosumer co-creation amplification in social media

into its many communities. LEGO has especially managed to establish an engaged
prosumer community for new LEGO ideas where the brand encourages storylines
with creative guidance in a new world. By doing so, LEGO has successfully stimu-
lated a prosumer-focused culture which is a vital participation strategy for engage-
ment. Through deeply engaged participation, prosumers are invited and guided across
various social media channels to submit ideas for LEGO sets from the perspective of
LEGO’s brand values. The LEGO Ideas project involves prosumers through a guided
process that includes a project page, idea review deadlines, a Review Board and
reviews outcome announcements managed by a dedicated team. Prosumers are
encouraged by LEGO and peers to vote for new ideas before the deadlines. Once
10,000 votes are acquired for an idea, prosumers become part of an Elite Club where
their ideas qualify for a review to become a potential official set. LEGO thus actively
allows prosumers to decide which sets have the potential to become new storylines
and creates anticipation and excitement about the results. LEGO, for example, encour-
ages prosumers through posts such as ‘Do you remember to engage with the commu-
nity to gather support for your LEGO Ideas projects?’ and ‘Share your ideas for LEGO
set concepts, get others to vote for your idea, and you might see your idea produced
as a real LEGO product!’ Prosumers often ask peers to vote for new ideas by either
sharing LEGO’s or their own posts, for example: ‘peek-a-boo! Here I am! Please vote
for me at @LEGOIdeas.’
du Plessis 185

However, not all LEGO ideas voted for inevitably become official sets, which is often
disappointing for some prosumers, for example: ‘Disappointing to say the least. A waste
of an Ideas set. This is either political or Ideas needs new judges.’ Many prosumers are,
however, happy for others whose ideas became official sets, congratulate them and respect
the review outcome, for example: ‘It does put a downer on the LEGO ideas process after
people spend hours weeks even coming up with a set aiming for the 10,000 goal putting
in a lot of hard work but LEGO decision is final and we have to respect that’ (sic).
In addition, the Ideas Project has specific guidelines which are often updated to ensure
that the LEGO’s brand values of ‘creativity, imagination, fun, learning, caring and qual-
ity’ are carefully included in stories, tone and themes. LEGO hence retains some control
because the brand displays an understanding of the essence of the LEGO story world for
its audiences. Although creative guidance to explore a new story world is perceived as
undemocratic by some prosumers, the importance of retaining brand consistency is well
documented in contemporary branding research.
LEGO furthermore shares its own and prosumers’ useful tips across social media
channels to elicit the best story ideas. While the majority of prosumers appreciate
LEGO’s active involvement in the process, others feel that the process is not always fair,
for example: ‘You need spell out exactly what it takes to pass the age barrier and start
rejecting projects before they even get posted’ (sic).
Some prosumers also do not always agree with LEGO’s updated guidelines. For
example, a new guideline that LEGO Ideas ‘will no longer accept new submissions
based on third-party licenses that are active in the LEGO Group’s portfolio’, elicited
much resistance from prosumers. One prosumer, for example, stated ‘my interest has
dropped to 0% I have no interest in creating non licensed themes & you own all the best
ones. Done participating’. LEGO acted on this conversation in this way: ‘We’re sorry to
hear that, although we do feel there are many other unique licensed properties out there
that have not been explored.’
Thus, similar to Kozinets’ (2014) social brand engagement framework, listening to
brand-related conversations and acting on conversations when necessary is important to
LEGO. LEGO ensures that prosumers understand the process to submit new ideas and
responds to questions and complaints quickly. The LEGO brand is able to engage pro-
sumers by allowing, understanding, monitoring and responding to their co-creation
needs for new storylines but without compromising brand values. On the negative side,
by guiding prosumers’ creativity, some prosumers inevitably become alienated and
choose to rather stay passive. However, prosumer engagement becomes possible because
LEGO provides the spaces that frame ongoing conversations about new storylines.

Interactive innovation by creative support for storylines

LEGO prosumers are active and innovative, and share with and support one another on
the different LEGO Ideas community platforms, an important feature of a social brand.
Many LEGO prosumers express themselves creatively while also using the brand.
Through prosumer-led engagement, fans share and question the fiction through new sto-
ries while still linking the toys to the main story. The LEGO brand becomes shared
because prosumers actively participate in the creation of the new story.
186 International Journal of Cultural Studies 22(1)

In particular prosumers’ ideas for new storylines are authenticated by seeking and
giving internal and external validation for their co-creation efforts. Within the LEGO
Ideas spaces across different social media channels, prosumers encourage, praise and
criticize others’ storylines while others are grateful for the support. Prosumers are also
curious and want to learn from others’ experiences. For example, prosumers posted:
‘how do you get inspired for your LEGO Ideas project?’, ‘How do you go about promot-
ing your LEGO Ideas project?’ and ‘Hi Robert, what was the biggest design challenge
with this particular set?’
Prosumers also do not hesitate to criticize new storyline ideas, for example, ‘Kinda a
boring set …’ and ‘It’s a stupid set.’ Many praise others’ ideas: ‘awesome work mate love
it’, while others value the support system in the community, for example: ‘And a huge
thank you to everyone who supported my ship in a bottle, without your support I wouldn’t
be having such an awesome day :) and of course thank you LEGO ideas for the
opportunity!’
In this regard, Kozinets (2014) states that social brand engagement does not happen
in isolation but is a ‘social act full of culture, meaning, language, and values’. Either the
LEGO brand or prosumers take the lead in an ongoing dialogue on different platforms
that balance the needs of the brand with those of prosumers.
User-generated innovations have thus expanded the LEGO brand experience that
encourages deeper prosumer engagement because of ongoing creative support. LEGO
prosumers stay engaged because they want to become as successful with new storylines
as others, for example: ‘I’ve just started a lego ideas sea animals project and am looking
for 10,000 people to support my project and it could be made into a real set!’
With the numerous social media channels that the LEGO brand is using, targeted
monitoring is important. However, the LEGO brand provides prosumers with enough
opportunities to engage with one another to make their co-creation efforts more mean-
ingful. With this in mind, ongoing stories in the form of new storylines are added, shaped
and reorganized by LEGO prosumers as a whole.

Maintaining prosumer involvement with the storyline

extension
The LEGO brand has what Pratten (2011) calls an ‘open story world’, where a large
number of secondary characters tell non-linear stories as part of the brand’s core story.
The open story world is ‘layered over a traditional linear story’ and the audience can
access or participate in these stories in any order to discover information. As the audi-
ence discover pieces of the story by talking with characters or visiting scenes, their expe-
riences of the different stories are always linear because of how they construct meaning
from the adaptations. For this reason, regardless of how fans enter the LEGO story world,
they ultimately become involved in the story.
Particularly, prosumers discover and expand others’ ideas for storylines in the LEGO
Ideas community’s different social media channels. For example, prosumers often make
helpful suggestions to expand ideas: ‘1950’s diner is a nice set with some nice color set-
tings, but I would bring it also in the creator line’, and ‘now I have read the intro, it is
supposed to be a planetarium? Looks like an observatory to me’ and ‘A fitting Lego
du Plessis 187

launch tower would be awesome too.’ However, prosumers often also do not hesitate to
reject others’ new storylines thereby trying to uphold the brand’s values, for example,
‘Zombies in a city-setting: inappropriate product.’
Tying in with the expansion of secondary characters, Kozinets’ (2014) framework
suggests that a brand should initiate communication with its target audience through
promotion, word-of-mouth marketing, commercials, advertising and influencers, which
are referred to as social branding. For prosumer engagement, this enables different points
of view on the same story in the brand’s story world. These points of view are then recip-
rocated through word of mouth, where prosumers pass on information about favourite
characters to others who might share their own perspectives on characters and stories.
This results in prosumers recommending new storylines that may have existed before but
were just never discussed, for example, a prosumer asking: ‘If there was anything at all
you could change about the finished product, what would it be?’
With this in mind, the LEGO brand maintains prosumer involvement with new sto-
rylines by sharing their ideas across different social media platforms. For example,
LEGO often encourages prosumers’ expansion of storylines: ‘Maybe Ryan’s next LEGO
Ideas project should be a hospital!?’ Prosumers in return, share, like and enhance these
storylines through their different points of view. LEGO’s expansion of secondary char-
acters’ stories is consistently prosumer driven to allow their unique perspectives.

Amplifying prosumer co-creation experiences

LEGO deepens prosumers’ connections across social media channels through amplifica-
tion of their new storylines. In so doing, LEGO creates opportunities for dialogue and
continuously improves co-creation experiences and interactions with the brand and among
prosumers. For example, the brand regularly shares ‘staff picks’ for models in the ideas
stage across social media channels. Similarly, interviews with all prosumers who have
gained 10,000 votes for an idea are shared, while also providing social media mentions for
all prosumers who have received 1000 votes for their story ideas. These include high-
lighted story theme posts and describing the most outstanding feature of the new story, for
example, ‘amazing, classy, beautiful, American, crime-fighting, dark, detailed, charming,
cozy, elegant, dancing and dimensional’. Prosumers who have received mentions by
social media influencers on Twitter are also encouraged to display the mentions on their
project pages, for example, ‘If a popular Twitter user mentions your project, add a link or
screenshot to the tweet on your project page’, which will add more credibility to their new
ideas. Prosumers comment on and share these new ideas with other prosumers and their
social media followers, and in return also amplify the reach of LEGO’s social media posts.
LEGO thus famously encourages seamless experiences in a variety of digital channels
where prosumers talk with the brand and others, share ideas, and recommend and pro-
mote new story ideas to family, friends and peers. Examples of LEGO’s posts are: ‘Check
out how creative one LEGO fan got with the LEGO Ideas 21310 Old Fishing Store –
from models to story’, ‘The Secret of Monkey Island – The Scumm Bar project received
an official comment for achieving 1,000 supporters!’, ‘This week we’re highlighting
models that fit the movie theme’, and ‘Today’s Staff Pick Modular Old Winter Villa by
Namirob will make you feel warm and fuzzy when it’s freezing outside’.
188 International Journal of Cultural Studies 22(1)

Within Kozinets’ (2014) framework, participation is extended to include conversa-

tions with the brand and others on social media, leaving comments, generating new con-
tent and providing additional storylines. LEGO’s social media presence provides value
to prosumers who are already engaged with the brand and their social media posts gener-
ally receive thousands of likes, comments and shares. LEGO, however, also receives
negative comments on posts, for example, ‘Who cares. @LEGO_Group already has a
contract with @Marvel so its automatically disqualified,’ and ‘I definitely see some
dubious connections and parts that couldn’t make it into an actual set (Modulex, any-
one?).’ LEGO replies to questions and complaints on social media in the form of cus-
tomer care. Their caring attitude on social media also deepens their relationship with
prosumers by creating trust, for example, a comment by a prosumer: ‘Keep up the good
work Lego.’ Additional experiences are made accessible to prosumers who also post
images on social media spaces to display their new LEGO ideas, generating more likes
and comments.
In essence, the LEGO brand finds ways to sustain prosumer participation and interac-
tion by sharing customisable content, which prosumers feel compelled to distribute to
others. This enables different levels of depth of involvement and a consistent message,
where each piece of the story always contributes to the entire story and dialogue with
prosumers.

Conclusions
In this article, a proposed framework for prosumer engagement in transmedia branding
has been applied to an active LEGO community with hard-core prosumers, with the
aim of enhancing our understanding. I have also addressed the need to study transme-
dia branding from a social brand perspective to include the collaborative properties of
transmedia to benefit a transmedia branding strategy for story-making. With the lines
between transmedia brand storytelling and story-making becoming increasingly
blurred, the practice of allowing prosumers to shape brand messages signifies an
important shift in consumer empowerment while connecting on a deeper emotional
level. As such, it may imply that the practice of transmedia branding from the perspec-
tive of consumer-led engagement will allow prosumers to make the brand story by
remixing it as part of the core brand story. By doing so, prosumers also produce benefi-
cial relationships with peers, create knowledge, information and commodities. LEGO
prosumers are involved in all processes of story-making, including monitoring, refor-
mulation and implementation. However, LEGO facilitates the story-making by setting
the terms of prosumer participation which alienate some prosumers and which makes
the entire process less independent. Nonetheless, a collaborative approach to story-
making, as is evident in the LEGO brand’s transmedia branding, could enhance a psy-
chological sense of control among prosumers in enabling them to select how and at
what point in the story they want to become involved. LEGO prosumers have only a
certain amount of autonomy for creative input but by using and acknowledging their
collective skills, they may propose stories in the interest of society. In line with the
LEGO brand’s strategy, using audience feedback is essential to make the brand content
more appealing and accessible.
du Plessis 189

While brands might struggle to create and sustain transmedia stories and thus find
transmedia branding difficult to attain, prosumer-led engagement could become a vehi-
cle for reconceptualizing the space in which to extend and disseminate eventful and
native transmedia brand stories. Brands could provide their prosumers with online spaces
to express creativity collaboratively while still upholding brand values. Prosumers’ col-
lective inputs could benefit not only the transmedia brand’s credibility but also society
through innovation and dialogue because of delegated power. Ultimately, from the
LEGO case, it is clear that the role of the plugged-in, active prosumer has become essen-
tial in the ever-changing online media landscape where the sincerity of marketing efforts
are often criticized or challenged.
Although some theorists remain critical of potentially exploiting consumers in a digi-
tal environment, prosumers who make brand stories in effect change their own passive
behaviour by allowing others to benefit from their creative inputs. At the same time, they
feel empowered by contributing to meaningful experiences. Prosumers could, when used
appropriately by a brand, become informed partners who make original contributions in
a society with unlimited potential.
Even if not representative of all prosumer experiences, the proposed framework for
this study could guide future audience research to assist transmedia brands in treating
prosumers as partners in a mutually beneficial innovative process.

Funding
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or
not-for-profit sectors.

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Author biography
Charmaine du Plessis is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Science at
the University of South Africa, Pretoria. She specializes in marketing communications and has a
particular research interest in digital brand communication. She has co-authored book chapters and
published in journals and conference proceedings on the topics of branding, content marketing,
social media communication, advertising and marketing communications.