STORYTIME FOR TODDLERS
If you're a parent of one or more toddlers, you know the struggle. It's been a busy day already, you're knee deep in work and/or chores and/or trying to maintain sanity... and your little angel demands an impromptu story about dinosaurs in space eating apples. "Aaaaand, GO!"
Storytime for Toddlers came to us with a beautiful product they knew could bring buckets of joy to families around the US via enchanting stories. There was just one story they didn't know how to tell... Their own.
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WHAT WE DID
COMMERCIAL STORYBOARD
Our initial concept was a charming 3D animation commercial, depicting a young girl struggling to go to bed on time (the excuses they think of, are we right?) Until that is, Mom discovers Storytime for Toddlers and turns bedtime into something to look forward to.
We realized though, the 3D animation was taking away from the very real-world problem the app addressed. And so...
THE PIVOT TO "LIVE" ACTION
Job One: Create a STINKIN' cute kid character, capable of effortlessly pulling heartstrings. Daniel was born. OK, generated.
We also developed "Real-World Mom" but she looks tired and miserable on her character sheet (by design), so we're only sharing Daniel here. We're all about keeping this website positive.
30-SEC USP COMMERCIAL
After a few rounds and back and forth on scripts and storyboards, we produced a 30-sec spot that perfectly explained the challenge parents face and how Storytime for Toddlers addresses the challenge in a fun and creative way that empowers toddlers to let their imaginations run wild.
A great concept, explained well, with some cute visuals and relatable humor thrown in.
THE RESULTS
IMPROVED JOURNEY
It was during our initial discovery stages that we uncovered a potential barrier to entry in the existing buyer journey from creating a free story to subscribing as a paying customer.
We were forthcoming in our observations and it led to a small but meaningful adjustment to the app onboarding process.
Since making the change, the buyer experience has been reportedly more enjoyable, with less friction between the free trial and the paid subscription model.
CLARIFIED STORY
The folks at Storytime for Toddlers already knew they had something special. But like many brands, they were struggling to explain the unique selling point of their product to their potential customers.
Writing and producing a high-quality commercial relies heavily on being able to accurately and efficiently communicate the problem your customers are facing and how your product solves that problem.
Through our iterative development process, we were able to create a powerful brand message that now echoes throughout the Storytime for Toddlers marketing.
PATHWAY AHEAD
Storytime for Toddlers is a product that could perform extremely well on CTV.
But full-scale commercials are a sizable investment that can cost brands a lot of money that they don't see coming back if their commercial tanks.
Through a process of micro-audience testing (promoting a commercial to small audiences on social media to gauge impact and collect feedback), brands like Storytime can find themselves much better informed when it comes time to pull the trigger on larger CTV campaigns.
MATT COLIN — FOUNDER, STORYTIME FOR TODDLERS
"When it came to advertising Storytime, I very quickly realized there was a difference between knowing what makes a good story and being able to articulate my own brand story. ZeroShot took my stream-of-consciousness explanation and distilled it into a single 30-second ad that perfectly communicated everything I'd been struggling to say for months! My wife and I got chills when we first watched the ad. There was a sense of relief at seeing our brand story told so well."