In the last 10 days, Outside In has received some much appreciated feedback on the Branded Entertainment and Livestreaming edition 2 weeks back: https://outsideinlens.substack.com/p/branded-entertainment-will-rise-livestreaming. Basis feedback, I am covering an ‘In-depth’ into the topic of Branded Entertainment in this edition of Outside In. I hope it sheds more light on its evolution and gives us more clarity on using these tools in the days to come. Something tells me that this may not be the last one on this topic. Read on…
Quick Definition
Let’s quickly recall that simple definition of ‘Branded Entertainment’: It is an umbrella term for all brand produced content where the goal is to have audiences watch or engage with the same mindset they would a film or TV series — as opposed to more traditional forms of advertising where brand messages can be placed before or during the experience of other unrelated content. In other words, the goal is to create content audiences watch because they want to, not because they can’t skip it
So, when we say ‘Entertainment’ above by brands, it must really read as ‘Storytelling’ by brands – where the story is more important than the brand. Seth Godin’s quote comes to mind: “Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell”. And this quote by Bill Dauphinais nails it precisely: “Brands are built around stories. And stories of identity – who we are, where we’ve come from – are the most effective stories of all. This storytelling is a powerful way to bring brands to life.”
Having established this scope of branded entertainment, let’s address the 2 top of mind queries that gripped most of our readers:
1) How to Decide the contours of Entertainment for your Brand
2) How to Make It Work
In this post, we will address the first query in detail, while the second query will be addressed in our next post. Let’s hustle…
1) How to Decide
A) Understand Brand Objectives
Building Brand Awareness
Brand Image Enhancement
New Market Expansion
Competitive Differentiation
Increase in Sales
B) Pursue Customer Stickiness
According to a study done by Forbes and Syracuse University,
brand recall for branded content is 59% higher than display ads,
brand favorability for branded content is 7% higher than display ads,
and purchase consideration for branded content is 9% higher than display ads
Branded content reached new heights in 2020. The pandemic has forced more people than ever consume content digitally at home. Pre-2020, consumer habits were already changing as a result of the ubiquity of smartphones with content available to read, watch, listen to and interact with via a great choice of applications and in a wider array of different contexts than ever before. Brands, meanwhile, were seeking ways to engage in the face of declining engagement by many viewers in live TV advertising – just one result of growing fatigue with traditional media. Both of these drivers have been significantly uplifted by behavioral changes spurred by the pandemic
C) Align with Market Trends
Check out the Branded Entertainment growth rates vs. Traditional Advertising/Marketing, as per PQ Media’s Global Branded Entertainment Marketing Forecast 2018 below. It is growing at nearly twice the rate and foretells the trends of the future – more brands are adopting this medium at the expense of old ways of marketing
Brands have to think and create like entertainers by embracing the rules of publishers and media companies, instead of simply working to a marketing playbook. Publishers understand who their audiences are and create a product for them. To make effective branded content, CMOs must do the same. The best marketers understand what kind of brand they have and what needs to happen for it to grow. The ambition here is to create campaigns on the same level as the entertainment people consume
D) The Decision Variables for Branded Entertainment Strategy
To articulate a holistic branded entertainment strategy, the decision variables are familiar to us:
Ideate like a ‘Creative Newsroom’:Brands must work on an approach that allows it to blend brand marketing needs with what’s happening in the world and in pop culture. For example: For Barilla (a leading Italian Pasta brand), a creative newsroom approach informed the idea of bringing together Roger Federer with two girls from a Ligurian village whose rooftop tennis matches during lockdown had become a viral phenomenon. It also shaped a creative strategy that allowed what happened next to naturally unfold, rather than attempting to control it. Check the campaign here at: https://www.adsoftheworld.com/media/experiential/barilla_the_rooftop_match_with_roger_federer
Define the ‘Scope of Entertainment’: What is your purpose? Who is your target audience? What voice will they listen to? What constitutes as entertainment for our customers and consumers? What will the campaign(s) look like? What will be the planned duration of these campaigns?
Outline a Unique Narrative:Instead of using regular keywords that will resonate with their wallet, create a unique (read: memorable) narrative that will pull at their heartstrings. The standard school lessons on ethos, pathos and logos are crucial here. Recall that Logos (Logical) means persuading by the use of reasoning. Ethos is an appeal to ethics, and it is a means of convincing someone of the character or credibility of the persuader. Pathos is an appeal to emotion, and is a way of convincing an audience of an argument by creating an emotional response. How do you credibly and practically evoke emotions in the hearts and minds of your consumer?
Integrate with Organizational Cultural Nuances: Determine answers related to questions on the culture of your business. Are you a mom and pop shop? Create content that tells the story of how the owners started their life in the business. Are you a local service that spends time helping your community? Film a project from start-to-finish of your company helping someone in need that shows the quality and care of your work
Identify Media Channels for Distribution:Determine the media channels to touch the customers: Branded entertainment can be produced through media like movies/videos, events association, podcasts, social media events and influencer marketing. Figure out which channels would be the best-fit for your consumers to connect with
Determine Products (as well as Services) to Feature:Dedicate well-curated segments to specific or focused products/services aligned with the media channels so that brands can reach their customers through a medium other than traditional advertising
Engage with the Entertainment Industry:Brands must engage with the entertainment industry and adopt best practices in order to tell stories and create experiences that can properly resonate, entertain, and engage audiences. Brands need to create stories that can compete with Apps, Shows, Games, and Experiential Advertising
Gauge the Depth of Brand Integration: We can use the (Product) Placement and Branded Entertainment Continuum framework outlined below. The factors are media used, brand characteristics, supporting promotional activity, consumer attitudes to brand placement, placement characteristics, and regulations. How these factors are utilized will determine if the brand can be fully integrated into the storyline or if passive placement is the better strategy. At its two extremes, Branded Entertainment and Product Placement differ because of storyline integration. But what separates them are the above 6 factors that come into fruition. They essentially affect the placement of the product, which in turn will decide the level of involvement from the brand
Foster Alliances and Partnerships: Considering a Branded Entertainment initiative is akin to producing a movie every year (if not every month), brands will have to foster and invest in strategic alliances and partnerships across the value chain – from content creators and influencers to movie studios to exhibitors & distributors to media channels to customer communities
Track Brand Goals and Instrumental KPIs: Successful branded content must obey regular publishing mandates: Help to generate profits & campaign ROI and achieve content KPIs – like, reach (traffic, views, share of audience), audience engagement (likes, shares), quality (brand reputation), etc.
F) Illustration: The John Lewis Christmas Stories
John Lewis in the UK – with its annual Christmas Ads – has truly owned the Christmas moment so deeply that it is regarded by a good chunk of the nation as a vital moment in the build-up to the festive season. Underpinning all 11 Christmas spots – since 2009 – created for John Lewis by Adam & Eve is a simple but inspired insight: that the act of gifting is greater than the gift. Here are some insights from their efforts:
2009: "Sweet Child o’ Mine" introduced the style of music with which the brand has become synonymous: piano-based covers of classic songs (in this case, the 1988 Guns N’ Roses epic of the same name). Check campaign at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXUoNNok0ig
2010: "Always a Woman" is considered as "the ad that changed everything" by the marketing community at large. Following the life of a woman played by nine actors over 60 seconds, although it wasn’t a Christmas-focused ad, it established the narrative style and heartstring-tugging vibes for which John Lewis has become famous. Check campaign at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYOsWWKHZVw
2011: "The Long Wait" that fully realized the potential of the ‘entertainment’ style, and in the process, created the John Lewis Christmas ad as an institution. The purity of the story and unexpected denouement in the 90-second spot, about a young boy who just can’t wait to give his parents their Christmas present has helped it retain a reputation as the best of the bunch. Check campaign at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIl69I5_Wjo
2018: They partnered with Sir Elton John to create "The Boy and the Piano". It was somewhat divisive, timed as it was to coincide with tickets going on sale for John’s UK tour dates, there’s no doubt the film was a superb production achievement. Moreover, the moral of the tale – that the gift of a piano to the young singer went on to bring joy to millions – arguably makes the point better than any previous ads that gifting can have ramifications that go beyond the immediate recipient. Check the campaign at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRG14lyjtw4
2018 (Besides Christmas): They shone with "Bohemian Rhapsody"(a joint campaign with Waitrose) to launch "& Partners" brand identities. Check it here at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOMDhjzU7oY
"Tiny Dancer" (2015), for John Lewis Insurance, which featured a junior ballerina dancing like no-one’s watching, won a gold Lion at Cannes. Check the campaign here at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqgoUWPx4eE
(In fact), you can (and should) check all of the John Lewis Christmas campaigns (2007-2020) here at:
John Lewis didn’t just create Branded Entertainment that people actively sought out, it made ones that worked, as recognized by its awards. It includes 2 IPA Effectiveness Grand Prix, in 2012 and 2016, and in October 2019, the inaugural award for Consistent Creative Effectiveness at the Campaign Big Awards
As we can see from the John Lewis experience, strong entertainment properties, good longer-form storytelling, take time, knowhow, and investment to produce. Brands do not need to hide the fact that they are paying for the piece. It should be embraced fully. The expectation is that even if the blockbuster TV spots come to an end one day, the brand has a body of work that new audiences will continue to seek out for its touching stories and dulcet soundtracks. And at some point, long, long into the future, perhaps people will ask: "Whatever happened to the John Lewis Christmas ad?
In Conclusion
Branded Entertainment can be used by any company when the purpose behind it begins with creativity rather than consumerism. We can conclude with this thoughtful Twitter conversation:
Brands need to start prioritizing Entertainment and Education over Sales and Marketing…
References and Sources:
Decision on Branded Entertainment: https://www.brandstar.com/blog/how-to-know-if-branded-entertainment-is-right-for-your-business/
Branded Entertainment is the future, Get used to it: https://www.shots.net/news/view/branded-entertainment-is-the-future-get-used-to-it
Twitter Feed: @JuiceboxCA and @AntGalasso
John Lewis Christmas Stories: https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/advertiser-decade-john-lewis-partners/1666995
Branded Entertainment – Product Placement Continuum: https://detectivenorwood.wordpress.com/2011/03/24/what-separates-product-placement-from-branded-entertainment
A Medium Post On Branded Content: https://medium.com/the-mission/branded-content-the-what-why-when-and-how-fb9426dc3e14
The Drum post on Branded Content: https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2021/01/08/2021-the-year-branded-content-will-come-its-own-here-s-how-cmos-can-embrace-it
Understand Brand Objectives: https://blog.hollywoodbranded.com/understanding-objectives-of-entertainment-marketing-to-increase-sales
Branded Entertainment KPIs: https://www.statista.com/statistics/990655/kpis-of-branded-entertainment-italy/
Illustration on Ethos, Pathos, Logos: https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1585076084/chinaspringisdnet/hgtvmoxcat66z4r8fzi1/Notes1ArtofPersuasiondocx.pdf