Branded Entertainment — getting your strategy right for the inevitable future.
Once upon a time, when I began with my advertising career, the often used (and mildly abused, even at the time) phrase ‘Content is King’ was being thrown around from all directions, literally in all and any kinds of meetings. Today with time and age when digital media spends are skyrocketing, and all of us are looking for the next new thing to propose to our clients, content marketing, however, still stays true to what it always stood for, ‘SIMPLICITY.’
With each passing year, branded content and entertainment have found their space, a little more light and finally, a seat at the table.
The concept and impact of branded content aren’t unknown to any of us. We have seen product placements and brand integrations over a decade now. Let’s try this — have you ever said Bournvita Quiz Contest minus the Bournvita? Or in the more evolved times, noticed the obsession Millie Bobby Brown’s character ‘Eleven’, from Stranger Things has with Eggo waffles?
While some of these examples maybe incidental product placements (remember the coffee cup on Game of Thrones) or brand integrations, they have well and truly made a lasting impact on the brand.
The ever-popular children’s quiz contest has over the years been synonymous with the brand Bournvita — a perfect partnership of content and brand values.
Initially unplanned but later a strategic brand integration, the regular feature of Eggo Waffles obsession with protagonist ‘Eleven’ from Netflix’s Stranger Things, led to a considerable boost to after sales of waffle sales after owing to a significant lull for over a decade.
Though unintentional, viewers spotted what was thought to be a stray Starbucks Coffee cup in period drama series ‘Game of Thrones’ leading to a whopping $2.3 billion of earned media for the brand around the telecast period.
Today, natural and non-intrusive brand integrations are more crucial than ever. As content consumption habits change, the value of functional brand integration is only increasing.
Building your branded content strategy boils down to figuring out what content will help your target audience and inspire them to take necessary actions. To do this successfully, a brand requires melding together some moving parts.
The best integrations are typically a product of three key factors: a marriage of the content (or creator) and the brand proposition, thoughtful incorporation of the messaging or product/service placement within the context of the story, and the extension of this partnership through the right kind of promotion.
How you craft a content strategy will ultimately be unique to your situation. Here, we look at how a successful content strategy can be built to improve the quality and reach of your content.
Identifying platforms and partners: A great way to think about planning for content is similar to a TV programming guide. With planning like that, it is much easier to control what is put out, for whom and when. Brands need to start thinking of themselves as publishers to take the kind of volume and frequency of content seriously.
Of course, it is not easy to create all that content by yourself all year round- so a sound content strategy should include the identification of the right kind of partners. For a branded content piece to work and make an impact, it is vital that the brand and the content creator complement each other. More often than not, we see content associations with brands and content that are irrelevant, that stand out, and laughably so. It is essential to understand what the brand stands for and whether the content itself or the platform can deliver on the kind of audience profiles matching with their objective.
Too much brand in any content can be glaringly disastrous like brand integrations in Veere Di Wedding, which attracted a lot of backlashes.
Identifying formats that work: A large part of a successful content strategy is to determine what kind of content and in what format it should be created. It is not necessary that what works for your competitor may work for you. But understanding formats, where to use them and in what kind of frequency will undoubtedly help.
Most importantly, how much brand should there be in branded content?
Sadly there is no creamy formula that tells us this. But, every brand that is committed to creating good content must keep in mind the balance between brand and content. When one looks at content integrations, think about and work with the content creator in making the integration very seamless — with a right balance of brand — either in the form of the product or solely in the way of an alignment of a simple proposition of the brand/product and the content itself. Too much brand can make your content seem like an ad (and trust me, viewers can tell the difference!!) but too subtle an integration may not have the desired effect.
#Outglammed by Maruti Brezza was a series of videos that showed how celebs who are so used to attention got outshined by the ever glam Vitara Brezza. An excellent example of true collaboration and content syndication by a brand.
An educational satire by TVF that partners with Unacademy is a platform that brings together teachers and students. A great example of the marriage between the content and the brand values.
The takeaway? Some of the great pieces of branded content work or stand out because they combine brand with right partners who have a shared vision — and they do it in a way that not only informs and educates but inspires.
When done right, branded content and partnerships is an excellent opportunity for brands to expand their audiences, generate new value, and reap mutual rewards. In the day and age where organic reach is practically dead, the only way to ensure you reach your desired audience is through seamless messaging integrated within the right kind of quality content that entertains.
Madhura Ranade, Director- Branded Content & Partnerships
