Jeff Jensen in the latest issue of [praized subtype=”small” pid=”3273f7915f0576b2012bc817a11a7f683a” type=”badge” dynamic=”true”] takes the defense of the latest animated Star Wars movie, one that was universally panned by critics. In his article, he explains a concept which I had never heard of, “transmedia properties”:

“The movie is a small pleasure, which is only a problem when you expect huge things from a Star Wars film. Today’s kids have no such expectations. For them, Star Wars is a stream of content — books, comic books, toys, micro-cartoons, videogames, DVDs, and, soon, a TV series. This new generation sees no distinction between movies and their merchandise, and that’s just fine with them. Expect to see more of it. After all, the biggest movie franchise (Harry Potter) and the most-talked-about youth TV show (Gossip Girl) are literary franchise accessories. In Hollywood, the buzz phrase is ”transmedia properties,” where movies are but one of many separate conduits for a story. It’s a tricky, in-process idea, one that, if executed creatively and with integrity, portends an inventive new form of storytelling in its own right — and Star Wars is leading the way.”

What it means: if the Yellow Pages brand is seen as a “story”, then you stop thinking its a medium-specific product (i.e. only print directories). IYP, local search, instant messenger, voice, mobile, social media, Facebook, blogs, interactive television are all separate conduits for the brand “story”. But, the big question is: “What is the Yellow Pages brand story?”…