• by Hank Kim , November 1, 2007

In Google's hands, will YouTube become a neutered, sanitized and, thus, ad-friendly shell of its heretofore rollicking self? Will Hulu.com be leveraged with more imagination than as just an online repository for "Heroes" and "American Idol"? Will brands and programmers really love the Internet?

With all of the chatter about user-generated-content, the vast majority of brands has steered clear of the unbridled chaos and First Amendment anarchy that is YouTube, MySpace and other open-source free-for-alls.

While a number of brands have exercised absolute caution so far, some companies like Unilever have experimented with online branding initiatives that combine "structured and guided" fan creativity and community with A-list Hollywood supervision.

Recently, the Suave-sponsored Webisode series "In The Motherhood," told funny, insightful tales of the joys as well as tribulations of raising kids. The stories were based on contributions from real mothers.

Supplying the technological platform and creative drive for this promotion is FanLib, a Los Angeles -based company that's hustled during the past five years to convince both Hollywood and marketers that allowing consumers into the creative process generates a deeper level of affinity for one's brand.

"Our commitment is to what we like to call 'participatory entertainment.' That's our sweet spot," says Chris M. Williams, cofounder and CEO of FanLib. "It's that happy medium between traditional 'professionally-generated' content and the totally user-generated content," which can veer from the racy and sophomoric to the transgressive and controversial.

In 2001 Williams and his team - including cofounder and chief creative officer, Craig Singer, and brother David B. Williams, cofounder and chief product officer - couldn't get arrested, because the notion of fan involvement in content seemed too radical for brands.

But with the explosion of user-generated content that was swept in by Web 2.0 in recent years, the zeitgeist has finally caught up to the prescience of the FanLib braintrust. The turning point was in 2005 when they convinced Showtime and Ilene Chaiken, the creator of the popular lesbian drama, "The L Word," to create an online promotion using the FanLib technology to create a fan-written episode.

Fans of "The L Word" were invited to write, read and rate scenes based on a "scene mission" provided by an actual "L Word" writer, acting as a moderator for the process. Fans submitted their original scenes, the online community voted, and at the end of each week the most popular fan-submitted scene was added to the script in progress. This process was repeated until the entire script was written and eventually published as a free downloadable e-zine. The promotion was also featured as an extra on the "L Word" DVD.

The experiment worked. During the week of the launch of the fanisode, Yahoo's Buzz Log tracked a 26 percent increase in "L Word"-related searches; Showtime announced ratings jumped 51 percent over the previous season.
During the eight week contest, the site registered 175,000 visits and generated over 3 million page views. All participants, including those who voted and those who submitted scenes, were eligible to win prizes from Showtime and sponsors, such as Saks Fifth Avenue, the W Las Vegas and LendingTree.

FanLib also did a successful fan-written project in partnership with CBS Interactive with one of pop culture's most enduring and beloved brands, Star Trek. With a Kirk vs. Picard format, this fan-written episode was moderated by original cast member George Takei, who played Sulu.

On the heels of this momentum, FanLib has been spun off independently by holding company My2Sentences, with $3 million in venture capital. FanLib is continuing its relationship with Showtime for the hit show "Dexter." Plans are also afoot to expand FanLib's appeal from fan storytelling to "fan creativity." People will be able to upload video and images as well as written text.

So will a fan-written episode ever be aired? Even with a strike in Hollywood looming, few members of the Writer's Guild are quaking in their boots. "It's more about letting fans have fun and getting involved," says Williams.

Hank Kim is director at MPG Entertainment. (hank.kim@mpg.com)