27/07/10

Branded Content

par Dominic

Many say that the future format of 30sec TV spot is branded content.  But what is branded content and what are good examples of it?

Branded content (BC)  is a fusion of advertising and entertaining content.  Good examples of BC are the ones in which viewers cant easily distinguish when and where advertising starts.

Some great examples of branded content are :

The summit on the summit

Nestlé

La Collection from The Bay

Louis Vuitton’s The journey

What are the key elements of success?

Strategy:  The BC should be created according to the sponsor’s brand values.

Control: The sponsor should be part of the creative process from the beginning and the creative control should be shared with the producer/broadcaster.

Entertainment/Informative: There should be a focus on entertainment or information or a balance of both as viewers will need a reason to stay tune and connect with the brand.  Contrary to simple advertising (if such thing exists…) BC must build loyalty and continued interest from the viewers to meet the objectives of the brand.

Finally, in this hyper-competitive media world, where all formats and media converge, content is becoming the key to success.  Producer of content are now everywhere.  Production costs are shrinking.  You can now produce your own TV show with a webcam and a youtube channel.  “Le nerf de la guerre devient”:  “How to harness the best creative juice”.   My advice?  Agencies must reorganize themselves to generate more creativity i.e. better inspire and support their creative teams.