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The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication - TOJDAC January 2017 Volume 7 Issue 1
Submit Date: 01.09.2016, Acceptance Date: 22.12.2016, DOI NO: 10.7456/10701100/005
Copyright © The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication
47#
INSTAGRAM STORIES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF NARRATIVE
TRANSPORTATION THEORY
Murat SEYFİ
Gaziosmanpaşa University , Turkey
seyfi.murat@gmail.com
Ayda Uzunçarşılı SOYDAŞ
Marmara University, Turkey
aydaus@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Stories, which have been important parts of social life for centuries, are narratives that keep social
memory alive. With developments in communication technology, many of its constituents like its
format, transfer speed, environments and size have changed and developed. Especially the narratives
that have emerged through the effects of social media and have started to form a new century’s new
stories. This study analyzes that how the stories that are shared on Instagram create a sustainable story
from the perspective of narrative transportation theory. In the research part of the study, a
multidimensional analysis applies netnography and content analysis research techniques.
Keywords: Instagram, Narrative, Netnography, Storytelling, Memory
ANLATI AKTARIM TEORİSİ PERSPEKTİFİNDE INSTAGRAM
HİKAYELERİ
ÖZ
Hikayeler yüzyıllardan beri toplumsal yaşamın önemli bir parçası olmuş, toplumsal belleği canlı tutan
anlatılardır. İletişim teknolojilerindeki gelişmeler ile birlikte hikayelerin formatları, aktarım hızları,
mekanları, boyutları gibi birçok bileşenide değişmiş ve gelişmiştir. Özellikle sosyal medyanın etkileri
ile ortaya çıkan anlatılar yeni yüzyılın yeni hikayelerini oluşturmaya başlamıştır. Bu çalışmada anlatı
aktarım teorisi perspektifinde Instagram üzerinden paylaşılan anlatıların nasıl sürdürülebilir bir hikaye
yarattığı incelenmiştir. Çalışmanın araştırma kısmında netnografi ve içerik çözümleme araştırma
teknikleri kullanılarak çok boyutlu bir çözümleme yapılmıştır..
Anahtar kelimeler: Instagram, Anlatı, Netnografi, Storytelling, Hafıza
INTRODUCTION
Stories have always played a part in people’s lives throughout the history of humanity, and have
provided societies’ sustainability through the transportation of cultural codes. Rapidly changing and
developing communication technologies have created new “narrative” forms with the effect of
globalization. One of these communication means which, unlike the printing press, drags people into
tribal life and transforms people into digital tribesmen, is Instagram. Instagram has become an
increasingly popularized visual messaging medium in the digital narrative world, where 40 million
photos are uploaded daily and 1000 comments are made per second. In 2013, Instagram expanded its
influence and reach by providing video uploading (Vaynerchuk, 2013:26-50). Instagram created a new
potential narrative language of photos between different cultures and countries. It developed a natural
facilitative language which enables people to tell about themselves or understand one another. Thanks
to this, stories and storytellers have developed rapidly and now are able to address wider audiences.
In the literature review, the concepts of culture and digital storytelling are analyzed. The research
model of the study is formed by combining netnography and content analysis research techniques.
Within this framework, the official Instagram account of the Canadian Cancer Society has been
The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication - TOJDAC January 2017 Volume 7 Issue 1
Submit Date: 01.09.2016, Acceptance Date: 22.12.2016, DOI NO: 10.7456/10701100/005
Copyright © The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication
48#
analyzed since its establishment day on 15.05.2015 considering cultural components, and the story that
emerged from here is also analyzed.
THE CONCEPT OF NARRATIVE
Narratology, basically, can be described as the analysis of the narrative from a stylistic aspect. This
term became widespread in 1970’s due to work Geral Prince, Gerard Genette, Mieke Bal and other
structuralist critics. The concept of narrative, which is the base for narratology, is the meaningful
representation of events which are related to each other in a timewise and causal manner by using
different instruments. This reveals that the concept of narrative has a potential ambiguity. In the
narrow sense, narrative is a linguistic phenomenon, an illocution by excluding all other things. In other
words, with oral and written narrative, it restricts its analysis area to literary types such as story, saga,
poetry, novel and anecdote. The wider structure of narrative is defined as a work “which has a
storyline” from aspect of Aristotelianism (Onegai, Angel & Landa, 2002:9-12). With its narrow and
wider extents, narrative is a base for many sciences of art and gains new aspects according to its
environment (Ong, 2013:165). Narrative is a whole. By coming together with its constituents it gains
new dimensions and aspects. Events and entities are single and independent; however, narrative items
are successive and compound. Besides, events in a narrative do not occur accidentally, instead they are
linked to each other and have a mutual interaction between them (Chatman, 2008:13-23). There is a
deep relationship between the concept of narrative and time. Time only transfers into human time
when it is not included in the aspect of narrative; on the contrary, in order for narrative to become
meaningful it has to demonstrate characteristics of timewise experiences. It can be explained; “Time
becomes typical human time to the extent that it is included according to a narration (narrative) type,
and thus narrative retrieves its meaning since it is a condition of timewise existence.” (Ricceur,
2007:108). Narrations are made up of events, and only if there is an event transportation, there can be
a narration (Kılanç, 2013:40). Narrative includes everything that offers or creates a narration. Whether
it is by means of a text, a performance, a picture, a compilation of all these, they are all narratives.
Therefore, novels, movies, comics are all narratives (Jann, 2012:44). With the narratives- becoming
stories, we have the chance to deliberately evaluate our undeliberately made choices, potential
emotions and inference. In other words, stories and narratives integrate audience into the process by
changing their state from passive to active, and they give our thoughts the chance to be evaluated in
others’ minds (Simmons, 2012:25-43).
According to Chatman, narrative consists of two fundamental structures which are content and
discourse. Stories which form the content part of the narrative consist of events, entities and cultural
codes, and this formation creates the form and core of the content. On the other hand, the discourse
part of the narrative consists of the structure of narrative transportation and manifestation. This
formation also creates the form and core of the expression. Considering the fact that discourse of the
narratives which spread over Instagram consists of photos and short dialogues, the structure of the
narrative transportation is revealed and thus, the core of the story is available (Chatman, 2008:23).
Transportation applications have a vital role in the organic structure of the narrative both mentally and
emotionally. In particular, if this transportation is made by means of mass media applications, it will
have a more important role. Looking at the studies, it is observed that this method is used in mass
media applications directly effects people’s beliefs, attitudes and behaviors (Green and Clarck,
2013:477-484).
Many studies have been conducted to analyze the relationship between stories and persuasion.
Especially, some researchers link stories to persuasion through narrative transportation theory.
According to Gerrig, “It is assumed that individuals are transported to a world where aesthetic based
expression process is used rather than paradigm based analytical process.” This expression takes
places as a distinct mental process where listeners, audience or readers are fascinated by the place,
characters and events of the story and develop potential relationships with them. He demonstrated that
in this process expression can have an effect on real world attitudes and behaviors, and also claimed
that during the expression process individuals lose contact with some of the characteristics of the real
world (Gerrig, 1993:10-11).
The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication - TOJDAC January 2017 Volume 7 Issue 1
Submit Date: 01.09.2016, Acceptance Date: 22.12.2016, DOI NO: 10.7456/10701100/005
Copyright © The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication
49#
Narrative Transportation Theory provides a basis for researchers to analyze the mental processes in
persuasion processes of those the listening stories. It deals with story, apart from explanations, as a
special form of process like dual-process models. World facts are the base for story process, and
detailing includes piece by piece evaluation of asserted thoughts against formerly known facts.
Heuristic process generally relies on contextual cues about individuals’ attitudes towards consumption
according to story or superficial rules. Actually, all the constituents of a story function as a road map
which is intended to create short cuts/heuristic methods to use in future or to change them (cited by,
Gilliam, 2011:18-20). Narration can substantially affect individuals’ or societies’ buying behaviors in
product or brand advertising, and has a vital function in understanding and analyzing target markets
for companies (Kılanç, 2013:46).
Therefore, narrative creates dynamic patterns between past and future, and integrates mental images
which it pictures imaginary situations by uniting possible outcomes. This causes motivation related to
actualization possibility of pictured events, which will create a basis for behaviour change, and even
leads to new attitudes and behaviors. Thus, sustainable stories take part in the persuasion process of
audience by creating sustainable behavior change. Besides, by creating this mechanism by means of
social media, interaction between audience and social network can take place, and constantly, the
audience plays its roles actively in development and narration of the story.
THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE
Culture has been defined many times so far, and because of so many definitions it is thought that it
cannot be defined. In fact, defining culture is not difficult, the difficult thing is people’s agreement on
a single definition. It is clear that the origin of the word is colere or culture from Latin. The word
culture is first explained by Voltaire by relating its meaning to the development of human mind. The
concept of culture has become an interdisciplinary study area. The definitions of culture as an
individual and social phenomenon can be summarized as (Güvenç, 2005:96):
• Culture in the field of science is: Civilization.
• Culture in the humane field is: The output of education process.
• Culture in the aesthetic field is: Fine arts.
• Culture in the material and biologic field is: Production, agriculture, crop, reproduction and
cultivation.
In its most general and objective definition, “Culture is all the creations of humans. Culture, as a
whole, can be divided only with the aim of analysis. All the tools and materials created by humans
belong to material culture, and all the senses, values, rules belong to non-material culture.” (Kongar,
1999:19). The most basic definition according to Taylor is: “Culture or civilisation is a complicated
whole which includes all the knowledge, beliefs, art, rules, customs and traditions and habits which
belongs to humankind that is a part of a society.”(Cited by: Moore, 2000:17).
Storytelling Elements from the Cultural Perspective
From cultural perspective, story is a subject that has been studied on for many years. Stories that
enabled cultures to become distinct have helped emotions, moral principles, cultural values to be
handed down from generation to generation. Besides, stories have a key role in explaining
organizational culture. Within this context, we can say that rituals, symbols, heroes and values make
up the basis of stories from the cultural perspective (Gabriel, 2000:88-89).
Rituals:
Rituals play an important part in determining social roles and status. Ritual, from past to present, is a
social phenomenon which is sustained orally and practically with social participation, and expressed
by standard rhythmical movements and a symbolic language. Ritual both removes to search for
searching new motions with each new event and provides fidelity to the past with an emotional
connection by showing individuals how to act and by offering behavioral patterns which are already at
hand. Ritual is a way for people to say what is important and required (Karaman, 2010:235).
Symbols:
The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication - TOJDAC January 2017 Volume 7 Issue 1
Submit Date: 01.09.2016, Acceptance Date: 22.12.2016, DOI NO: 10.7456/10701100/005
Copyright © The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication
50#
Symbols are used for expressing all the material and non-material elements of a culture. Therefore,
they increase and reinforce the feeling of belonging to the culture. Belkıs Temren defines symbols as:
“Tangible things and signals that makes things which cannot be perceived by perceivable emotions.”
Hence, symbols becomes a shared universal language (Koca, 2010:90-91).
Heroes:
Heroes make up a vital part of stories. The hero bears the viewpoint that the story aims to offer
through his personality, and is virtually a guide for audience. There are many hero types but the things
that every hero should do are as follows (Maxwell&Dickman, 2008:76-78):
• Hero should provide sameness with audience. Thus, trust should be developed between the
audience and the hero.
• Heroes have their own time and place. Heroes should share their borders with audience.
• Heroes have an important influence power over audience. Thus, the hero to be chosen should
have the abilities to offer such surprise influences.
• Heroes do not have to be human all the time. Sometimes an animal, sometimes a robot,
sometimes a photograph but all the heroes must be good.
STORIES
According to some scientists the concept of story turned into a format that is interwoven with the
concept of narrative and they are inseparable. According to Haven (2007) story and narrative are quite
different. Narrative is based on the description of an event whereas stories have many elements such
as heroes, aims, difficulties, and have a structure which has horizontal components (Haven, 2007:79).
Stories are basis for the continuation of human existence. Since stories preserve and hand down
cultural codes and the secrets of social rules. Storytelling can be considered as warranty for human
existence and sustainability of society (Benjamin, 2006:161). Stories are a shared knowledge and a
source of information that is used collectively. In oral culture, knowledge is a social phenomenon
rather than an individual learning process or an experience. Therefore, nobody is smarter or less smart
than the others. Stories and other narrative types that are told in a society creates a conscience which
leads to interaction of the people around an issue. Together, all members of the society access the
information. Thus, stories build a potential sharing network between individuals (Sanders, 2010:22).
It is crucial for storytellers to reach their audience. Within this framework, they have these functions
(Luecke: 2007:103):
• They contribute to drawing the attention of the audience, and make theme and characters
evident
• They simplify and materialize complicated ideas
• They contribute to the creation of strong emotions within the audience
• Even though the complicated details are forgotten, stories stick in the mind of the audience
Storytelling is the style of expression of the story contained in the narrative. Therefore, it is necessary
to make some choices about the story. To sum up, it is by whom, with which viewpoint, in what order,
with which rhythm and which form the fictional story and its whose theme is told. For example,
Pinocchio can be told seriously, sarcastically, in short or long from, from the beginning to the end or
from the end to the beginning. Thus, the distinction between fiction and narration removes the
ambiguity of the word of narrative (Kıran&Kıran, 2007:97).
Digital Storytelling
When we search the roots of the concept of storytelling in order to understand it, we come across
concepts like story or tale. Turkish Language Association considers storytelling as “narrative” in its
literature dictionary, and it is defined as; “real or imaginary events’ in the forms such as novel, story
and tale.” (www.tdk.gov.tr, 19.04.2015).
The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication - TOJDAC January 2017 Volume 7 Issue 1
Submit Date: 01.09.2016, Acceptance Date: 22.12.2016, DOI NO: 10.7456/10701100/005
Copyright © The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication
51#
The concept of Digital Storytelling first appeared in 1980 via the center that was established by
Atchley. According to him “Digital tools such as image, film and music are used in Storytelling
studies.” Gacia (2010) defined digital storytelling as vignettes where digital tools are used. Figa (2004)
defines digital storytelling as; “usage of voice, music and visual messages according to text in digital
environments.” (Figa, 2004:34-36). Chung (2007) emphasises that for successful digital storytelling
many different digital tools need to be used (cited by:Conrad, 2013:460). According to Armstrong,
“digital storytelling is doing information transportation and story transportation by means of media.
Digital storytelling is representation of short movies mostly created by personal stories by using
digital tools.” (Armstrong,2003:11-18 ). Whereas, according to Robin, “Digital storytelling is
association of interaction of multimedia devices such as graphics, videos and voices to create a
narration about a specific theme.” (Robin, 2008:220-228).
There has not been an explicit study of digital storytelling’s elements but these elements are defined in
stylistic form according to their intended use. Many scientists have tried to determine the elements of
digital narratives to make the analysis of digital storytelling easier. Due to the fact that this subject is
an interdisciplinary one, and the users appear formally or informally, clear-cut describable elements
have not been developed. Paul and Fiebich analyzed digital storytelling’s elements in five different
titles. They are as follows (cited by:İnceelli, 2005:134-140):
• Media Usage: In media usage, the combination of media appears with the usage of single
media, multiple media and multimedia. The graphics, videos, animations, visual effects and,
music that are used provide the identification of media type. Flow process appears with the
tyepe of sharing like interactive, live, video broadcasting of story.
• Motion: Both the content’s and the user’s motions are vital in digital storytelling process.
Motion of the content can be stable, dynamic and combined. Motion of the user can be
passive, active and mutual.
• Relationship: The relationship chain between the story and the audience is defined in this step.
This relationship consists of linear, customizing, calculation, processing and adding steps. In
the customizing step the audience makes the story personalized. In the calculation step
statistics between story and audience are identified. In the processing, the step audience is
included into the story by the storyteller. In the adding step, feedback from storytellers is
added into the story.
• Context: Context has a major importance in digital storytelling, since it surrounds the story
and gives it a meaning. It is possible to give unlimited meanings to stories with the context on
social media.
• Communication: The multilayered communication environment that creates digital stories has
multiple effects in the process of reaching to the audience. By surpassing normal media
practices, this can easily be accomplished on social media. Since this communication chain
can take place in many ways like one-to-one, multimedia and many other forms (chat, Twitter
messages, forum post etc.), it has many effects.
The digital storyteller’s most powerful weapon is transmedia storytelling. Transmedia storytelling has
become more efficient with the development of both technology and people’s search for new
communication methods. It has been used in all the communication channels that are in our lives
without our realisation. Jenkins widened its definition with his work named “Seven Principles of
Transmedia Storytelling”. This list consists of inner stylistic conflict and four individual characteristic
pairs. These are Spreadability vs. Drillability, Continuity vs. Multiplicity, Immersion vs.
Extractability, Worldbuilding, Seriality, Subjectivity and Performance (Jenkins, 2014).
Place/ Space/ Memory
According to the Turkish Language Association space is “an object’s area in space; breadth” and
“basic quality of perceived objects” whereas place is “ the location that one is found in”
(www.tdk.gov.tr, 2015). When the concept of place is evaluated from the perspective of history of
humankind, it can be seen that it is a special concept that holds many potential codes in it beyond
“location that one is found in”. “Place, in addition to its being a location which is produced, built,
The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication - TOJDAC January 2017 Volume 7 Issue 1
Submit Date: 01.09.2016, Acceptance Date: 22.12.2016, DOI NO: 10.7456/10701100/005
Copyright © The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication
52#
created, it is also a social environment where social events take place. Place is a pot where history
takes place, and is a register where time turns into history.” (Alver, 2010:19). Therefore, place and
space, beyond their technical structure, have many factors which have sociological and psychological
dimensions.
It can be seen that according to their field of usage place and space are sometimes used with the same
meaning, and sometimes used in related perceptive meanings. In the press period narrative tools,
research of the space is generally made based on the presentation style. In order to comprehend the
space, it is required to answer the questions of Where, How, Why (Çetin, 1996:49). However, the
concept of space has gained a new dimension through narrative in the digital world, because
characters and places started to be created independently from space and time. According to Robins,
space is now an electronic environment and it does not have a core (Robins, 1997:76). It would be
most logical to evaluate this concept’s basis within the context of visual message chains, where place
and space are considered within the context of digital stories. Within this framework, place can be
defined as the location in which the event takes place. Whereas space can be defined as the “quality”
that appears according to the relation of existing things to the which these things are in. For instance,
a thought’s space can be mentioned but it is not possible to refer to its place. According to Descartes,
“Features that are attributed to objects requires space; thus, all the features that are found in the
reasonable creature are not different than various ways of thinking. Therefore, we can neither
comprehend a form that is not in space, nor a motion that takes place in location which hasn’t got
space.” Similarly, we cannot think about a physical world of the internet but the qualities sprung from
this world’s outputs have created a huge space (Descartes, 1997:109).
Due to its qualities on the internet, Instagram has created its own unique space. In this space, stories
that are created with visual messages have their own visual places and spaces which appear with the
qualities that are created by users (audience) in these places. While the place is stable and the only
location (Instagram page-internet) for storytellers and audience, space makes up a spatial chain that
has thousands of layers. Therefore, Instagram narratives turn into stories with its their symbols,
rituals, heroes and values, and this transformation creates a unique memory. The concept of memory
that is defined in various ways in different disciplines can be basically defined as the storage, keeping
and recalling of information. According to Assman, memory can be divided into two as cultural and
communicational memory. Cultural memory focuses on exact events of the past, and it does not stay
the same, and mostly emerges with symbolic figures. Real history in cultural memory, first turns into
reminiscence then into legend by passing through cultural layers. As for communicational memory, it
is about recent past. This kind of memory involves individuals’ sharing with other individuals who
live in the same period of time. It occurs and disappears in time. It passes to someone else’s memory
when its owner dies (Assman, 2001:54-55). It can be said that Assman’s definition for
communicational memory explains memory entities in current social media. On the other hand, before
digital communication devices there was a conflict between memory and archives but with digital
communication devices and applications like Instagram and similar platforms this conflict has gained
a new dimension. According to Huyssen, our way of thinking is constantly changing and is turning
into a memory that has no borders. He argues that this occurs because modernity compresses time and
place. Our understanding of time and place is evolving so fast with the developments in technology.
This caused our memory to produce hypertrophy in its fight with the speed of this change. As we are
pushed into this unreliable world our will to slow down will strengthen, and we will turn to our
familiar and comfortable memories. Different from our familiar past and present encounters, current
future started to change current past in the 80s when communication technology development
accelerated. (Huyssen, 2003:1-23).
According to Halbwachs, memory creates the socialization process of individuals and it is determined
by social elements. As the memory cannot stay the same, its duty is always to “recreate”. This explains
the organic link between memory society (Sancar, 2010:41-42). Instagram provides the creation of
symbols, rituals and heroes with its visual messages, and it creates a memory that has its own
dynamics about this creation. This memory makes up its individuals and these individuals’ society.
The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication - TOJDAC January 2017 Volume 7 Issue 1
Submit Date: 01.09.2016, Acceptance Date: 22.12.2016, DOI NO: 10.7456/10701100/005
Copyright © The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication
53#
METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY
This study is carried out by applying netnography and content analysis techniques. According to
Kozinets, Netnography is “the ethnography of internet or technological network, and is the
ethnography that is adapted to our technological modern and social world’s complication”.
Netnography is the adaptation of ethnography to technological networks which is efficiently used by
anthropologists. It can be seen that when this technique is compared with ethnography, netnography is
more useful in terms of speed and cost. In online groups, netnography reveals information about
symbols, secret meanings, reactions, attitudes and behaviours of groups. Netnography technique
consists of five steps which are: introduction, data collection analysis, reliable interpretation, ethical
research and member check (Varnalı, 2013:17-35). The other technique that is used in this study is
content analysis. Due to the fact that the study is being applied to a field that has dense photographic
instruments like Instagram, the study is supported with a second research technique, content analysis,
that covers the field of semiotics. Content analysis research projects have a common purpose: to
interpret content based on elements which are observed and described in messages. Content analysis is
a systematic, quantitative and objective technique that is used to describe behavior and interpret
content (Bilgin, 2006:1-2). A research practice that is a mix of these two techniques is executed in this
study. Before beginning this study, questions (hypothesis) are determined which will direct this study
based on netnography. These are;
• Is the Canadian Cancer Society using Instagram as an instrument of narrative transportation?
• Are there storytellers of the Canadian Cancer Society?
• Is the Canadian Cancer Society utilising transmedia applications?
• What are the elements of Instagram narratives?
• What are the effects of heroes, symbols, rituals and values of Instagram narratives on creation
of both the audience and the story?
• Do the stories on Instagram consist of only one photo or photos and videos that support one
another in different times?
• Do the stories on Instagram have a multi-layered structure that uses memory, space and place?
• Do the narratives on Instagram cause behavioral change in the audience?
Introduction
Looking at the Instagram page of the Canadian Cancer Society, it is seen that has made 456 posts
between 14th December 2015 – 15th May 2015. When these posts are studied in a general framework,
it is observed that they consist of both photographic and written narratives in which corporate identity,
corporate activities, corporate culture is told. As mentioned in the literature review, narrative is the
basis of the story. What is story for narrative? “How” is its discourse? Here, the photos and written
posts of the Canadian Cancer Society make up the “what” and “how” part of the narrative.
Every story has a storyteller and audience. The Instagram page of the Canadian Cancer Society created
a soft environment where many storytellers and the audience come together. Therefore, the exchange
of emotions between the storytellers and the audience becomes easier. A storyteller who adds a new
place, time and dimension to story and a transportation process is born like in the Shaman culture
where the audience has a voice like the storytellers. This enabled the realization of the 7 principles of
transmedia which are Spreadability vs. Drillability, Continuity vs. Multiplicity, Immersion vs.
Extractability, Worldbuilding, Seriality, Subjectivity and Performance.
Narratives used by the Canadian Cancer Society on Instagram caused the creation of a strong and
lasting story by being supported by symbols, rituals, logos and heroes. Hereby, both the cultural and
corporate characteristics are defined more clearly. Looking at the posts that create the stories by being
used as a narrative tool, many rituals and heroes appear. Thus, this caused the corporation to create a
sustainable narrative instead of compressing them into a single photo. On the other hand, changes of
attitude and behavior in the audience are revealed with their interpretation, sharing of the posts and
transferring these posts to other channels.
Data Collection
The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication - TOJDAC January 2017 Volume 7 Issue 1
Submit Date: 01.09.2016, Acceptance Date: 22.12.2016, DOI NO: 10.7456/10701100/005
Copyright © The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication
54#
To achieve this, researcher downloaded on the visual posts from the Canadian Cancer Society’s
official web page on Instagram, and literary sharings linked to these posts. Despite the fact that each
post tells a different story, researcher stipulated that all the stories tell one story, the story of the
Canadian Cancer Society by coming together. Data collected from the Instagram page is analyzed with
the techniques of content analysis and semiotics.
Findings
The 456 photographic posts and literary narratives that are created with these posts are analyzed within
the scope of this research. Due to the fact that the story is continuing for 3 years and has a deep rooted
past, it has a wide perspective. Hence, the story will be analyzed by separating it into sections.
Visual1: Visual Post dated 14 December 2012
This is the starting point of the story. It all begins with the appearance of the hero and the telling of its
story through symbols. Rituals, places, mnemonic connotations, heroes that are brought by this
starting point makes this story a sustainable narrative.
Visual Post: Logo of the Corporation
Literary Post: Expressions like “Be Voluntary”, “Be Strong”, “Keep Fighting” are used in this
element of narrative that is used in different periods of time.
Ritual: A ritual is created by using the logo of the corporation periodically. Here are the periods:
1 April 2013, 5 April 2013, 9 April 2013, 10 April 2013, 14 April 2013, 15 April 2013, 24 April 2013,
25 April 2013, 27 April 2013, 23 February 2014, 1 April 2014, 3 April 2014, 17 April 2014, 30 April
2014, 14 February 2015, 23 March 2015, 1 April 2015, 8 April 2015, 11 April 2015, 17 April 2015, 20
April 2015, 21 April 2015, 22 April 2015, 1 May 2015
Hero: Canadian Cancer Society
Evocations over Audience: Definition of corporate structure, corporate culture, corporation’s
activities, non-governmental organization’s influence on Instagram and its being recognized in a new
place and time.
Place/ Space/ Memory: Place is internet, space is Instagram world, memory is factors about corporate
identity.
The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication - TOJDAC January 2017 Volume 7 Issue 1
Submit Date: 01.09.2016, Acceptance Date: 22.12.2016, DOI NO: 10.7456/10701100/005
Copyright © The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication
55#
Visual 2: 3rd January 2013 Dated Visual Post
The audience is dragged into the depths of the story by the storyteller. Storytellers are introduced by
going to the roots of the story. Spaces that are created by the storyteller’s heroes in different times and
places appeared in many different posts repeatedly. For example, they sometimes appear as a public
relations campaign or sometimes demonstration march. The main point is that the storyteller is
stretching the borders of place, memory and space with their involvement in the story.
Visual Post: A woman’s activities like that of Canadian Cancer Society with communication devices
of 1950s.
Literary Post:
In 25 February 2013 dated post;
Rituals: Posts that are created by storytellers who appear in time to create their own ritual.
17 January 2013, 25 February 2013, 28 February 2013, 5 March 2013, 11 March 2013, 14 March
2013, 21 March 2013, 22 March 2013, 28 March 2013, 28 March 2013, 4 April 2013, 25 April 2013, 9
May 2013, 27 June 2013, 1 December 2013, 30 December 2013, 16 January 2014, 2 April 2014, 6
April 2014, 6 May 2014, 9 July 2014, 9 August 2014, 25 August 2014, 16 September 2014, 24
September 2014, 2 November 2014, 16 December 2014, 26 March 2015, 2 April 2015, 15 May 2015
Hero: Storytellers in the posts
Evocations over Audience and Values: Flow of communication, continuity of the corporate culture,
commitment to the corporation, sharing the future, being a member of the Canadian Cancer Society,
creativity, fidelity, having a corporate structure that is recognized by the world, struggle of the heroes,
corporation’s versatile communication strategies.
Place/ Space/ Memory: Place is internet, space is 1950s in the Instagram world, memory is
recollection transportation between past and present.
The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication - TOJDAC January 2017 Volume 7 Issue 1
Submit Date: 01.09.2016, Acceptance Date: 22.12.2016, DOI NO: 10.7456/10701100/005
Copyright © The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication
56#
Visual 3: 6th March 2015 Dated Post
The storyteller draws attention to the issue by asking questions of the audience with the literary post
on the photo of Canadian Flag. Hereby, a multi-layered structure is created by using story elements
that can make evocations in memories.
Visual Post: Canadian Flag, corporate logo and writings with messages
Literary Post: Are you older than our Flag? It might be time to get screened for colorectal cancer.
Rituals: Posts related to rituals that are about being a Canadian and being proud of being a Canadian.
1 July 2013, 1 July 2014
Evocations over Audience and Values: Being Canadian, winning Canadian’s heart with national
emotions, nationalism, instutionalization with use of logo of the corporation, being recognized in the
world, becoming an international symbol.
Place/ Space/ Memory: Place is internet, space is Instagram world, memory is factors about corporate
and national identity.
Visual 4: 16th November 2014 Dated Post
The storyteller makes transportations about situations of the Canadian Cancer Society’s heroes and
individuals in the story with both visual and literary posts. This transportation tells about the activities
of volunteers’ donation of their hair and having financial support within the framework of the
agreement between the corporation and Pantene.
The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication - TOJDAC January 2017 Volume 7 Issue 1
Submit Date: 01.09.2016, Acceptance Date: 22.12.2016, DOI NO: 10.7456/10701100/005
Copyright © The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication
57#
Visual Post: A supporter who donates her hair and posts that tell her happiness after donation.
Rituals: Cutting the hair, posts about volunteering rituals.
17 January 2013 (cops who cut their hair), 12 June 2013 (Hair donation of an executive of the
corporation), 19 October 2013 (Hair donation of a man who grows his hair for three years), 8 February
2014 (Hair donation of cops whose number is over 120), 6 November 2014 (Hair donation of a
woman), 8 November 2014 (A woman who donates her hair with literary narratives), 20 November
2014 (A woman who donates her hair and posts that encourage everyone to tag their donated hair), 22
November 2014 (A woman who donates her hair and contributions of this donation to the corporation
and a corporate gratitude), 22 November 2014 (A woman who donates her hair), 14 February 2015
(hair donation rituals on different platforms).
Evocations over Audience and Values: Volunteering, sacrifice, being a hero, becoming a symbol,
being a part of the ritual, commitment to corporation, devotion, commitment to past, continuity of the
values, being open to new ideas, transferring traditions to future with new generation (new volunteers
and heroes).
Place/ Space/ Memory: Place is internet, space is Instagram world and living spaces of Instagram
society, memory is individual recollections and connotations which will create social memory.
Visual 5: 11th March 2013 Dated Post
The storyteller is creating processes that will make an emotional exchange between the story and the
audience. The storyteller brings the story into daily life by handling the events with a childish
perspective. He is trying to create a new place that will take a part in people’s memory. Hereby,
Instagram which is a tool for storytelling, refers to cultural codes by using a very old communication
tool like letters.
Visual Post: A photo of a letter that is written by a six-year-old kid, and the post that shows comments
and likes to this letter.
Literary Post: “Six-year-old Ava’s wish; My wish is to give money to cancer. Because my
grandmother has cancer in her brain. I really hope this to help her. She is really sick. My mom is sad.
And I know that my grandmother is going to die soon and she, she will be so sad.”
Rituals: Storyteller enabled audience to be the hero or communicate directly with the storyteller by
sometimes allowing individuals’ stories. Thus, this created a ritual in the narrative.
19 September 2013 (Post that tells the story of mom and her child), 16 September 2013 (A father who
fights cancer with the support of his family and his family’s narrative), 28 August 2013 (A person who
The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication - TOJDAC January 2017 Volume 7 Issue 1
Submit Date: 01.09.2016, Acceptance Date: 22.12.2016, DOI NO: 10.7456/10701100/005
Copyright © The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication
58#
died of cervical cancer and posts about her family), 14 February 2014 (Jennifier and Philippe’s posts
that dreams can come true.)
Heroes: Canadian Cancer Society and Society Members
Evocations over Audience and Values: Fighting, achieving, not to surrender, hope, corporate
support, humanitarian values, values about existence, struggle for life, telling true stories, relating real
world with story world, integration of cultural codes, recognition of non-governmental organization by
having an influence over life, being a part of society, linking the story with society.
Place/ Space/ Memory: Place is internet, space is Instagram world and dimensions about posts,
memory is individual recollections and connotations which will create social memory.
Visual 6: 7th August 2014 Dated Post
Storyteller transfers the place of the story to a different time and dimension with this narrative.
Storyteller links the basic theme of the story which is “not to be afraid of cancer” with fears that are in
the minds of the audience. They move people to a new dimension that both provides the chance to
overcome their fears and contributes to sustainability of the story. Audience leaves the place of the
storyteller, namely Instagram, and becomes a part of the whole by creating their own stories, and
storyteller both creates rituals and makes people hero by transferring narratives, which are created in
this different time and place, back to Instagram. Thus, Instagram causes the creation of a chronic
communication network in the memories of the audience.
Visual Post: A post that appears with the “fearless challenge”
Literary Post: “We are asking Canadians to face their fears in support of people living with cancer.
Find how you can start from here...”
Rituals: Posts that are shared with the call of the storyteller, and that belong to those who challenge
fearlessly.
9 August 2014 (Story of jonnkanyon), 10 August 2014 (Suzya challenges her beloved hair against the
donation of $2000), 11 August 2014 (Mike Bradwell gathered $2500 donation by walking on the CN
tower), 12 August 2014 (Natalie Brown challenges water and swimming) 14 August 2014 (Farah
Ismail becomes a part of the story by eating hot pepper), 15 August 2014 (A supporter/hero who
challenged by promising to shave his beard), 18 August 2014 (A hero who challenges to swim with
sharks).
This ritual has continued in many posts.
The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication - TOJDAC January 2017 Volume 7 Issue 1
Submit Date: 01.09.2016, Acceptance Date: 22.12.2016, DOI NO: 10.7456/10701100/005
Copyright © The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication
59#
Evocations over Audience and Values: Being a hero, being a part of the story, mix of stories and
realities, people/memories that are transferred to the imaginary world, evaluation of feedback that
comes from the audience by the storyteller and his integration of them into the story, story possessing
a new place, time and space.
Place/ Space/ Memory: Place is internet, space is shifting a new web page with Instagram world and
dimensions about posts, memory is individual recollections which will create social memory, and
facing with witnesses.
CONCLUSION
People’s life-style is changing and developing with the development of communication technologies.
Through this, new social and cultural elements appear. The concept of story that includes cultural
codes, and the concept of gossip, has become indistinguishable in digital platforms. Therefore, people
have gradually become oblivious, with everyone on the internet beginning to act like they have
Alzheimer’s. The process of digital narratives becoming a digital story that bears cultural codes, rather
than a gossip, is analyzed in this study. In order to do so, social lives and posts are analyzed in the
study location (Instagram) like an ethnologist in this process.
In this study, Instagram is considered as a storytelling tool. It is seen that the page is used as a
storytelling tool when the official page of the Canadian Cancer Society is analyzed. Symbols, rituals,
heroes and values are analyzed with the stories that are presented by means of visual posts, and their
process of influence on attitudes and behaviours is observed by evaluating their effect on the audience.
As a consequence of this, it is seen that Instagram narratives add values, not only to individuals, but
also to corporations. Within the context of developing corporate communication, it is seen that they
contribute to many public relations steps like institutionalization, branding and corporate reputation.
The changeability of concepts like time, place and space are revealed within Instagram narratives. It is
also revealed that transmedia applications can easily be realized in Instagram with especially people
dragging themselves to another dimension by inviting each other to a “fearless challenge”, and reusing
the outputs from these dimensions on Instagram. A new socialisation process has begun, and the
memory of the Instagram is created with the sharings on Instagram. As Huyssen says, current future
started to create current past with the structure of this memory that compresses sharing speed on
Instagram and memories’ time and place. Instagram is a chain of visual narrative/story. Thus, when it
is used professionally by a storyteller, a sustainable story will appear. Like the change and
development of the prototype stories which create all the stories in the world, this will cause the
creation of new prototypes for the stories of future.
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