In October, Ad Age published a provocative column by David Berkowitz, CMO of MRY, titled "The Beginning of the End of Storytelling: Brands Need to Be Story Makers, Not Story Tellers."

Mr. Berkowitz argued that the future of storytelling:

isn't about telling anyone anything. It's about storymaking, where the brand facilitates and taps into the stories people are creating and sharing with each other. Storytelling is the epitome of the old one-way, broadcast mindset that so many of us in marketing are trying to leave behind. Storymaking, by contrast, is far more fulfilling, and exactly what will matter to the people all of our brands are trying to reach.

We think the future belongs to the story makers, and want you to explore the topic in depth with us at our flagship Ad Age Digital Conference on April 14 and 15 in New York City.

The shift away from storytelling flies in the face of the "content is king" mantra. For those charged with creating memorable stories, it could be seen as a devaluation of the hard work happening across screens to bring marketing messages home.

It's not. It's about shifting focus to embrace the new realities of influence. In a world where everything is digital, the message is co-created. Brand leaders have a choice -- do you fight for your stories, hoping to garner ever-more ephemeral attention by continuing to push the storytelling bar higher? Or do you embrace the collaboration, cede control and let your audiences help decide where the story will go? It's an important distinction with broad-ranging ramifications.

At the Ad Age Digital conference, you'll hear from "The Story Makers," including the CMOs of Visa, Burger King and Adobe. Then learn how LinkedIn transformed itself into an influencer-led publishing platform and how it was able to forge better connections among their members by making content a conversation. Explore a case study on Taco Bell's collaborative narrative in social networks, courtesy of the marketer and its creative partner, Deutsch L.A. And see how brands are creating engaging mobile stories, enabling conversations and unifying customer experiences across all platforms.

Story making is the future of storytelling in a post-digital world. Come learn exactly what that means from the people who are forging the path.

Register today. Save 10% with code READER2, if you haven't already registered. Early-registration prices end Friday, Feb. 27.