Branded entertainment is a trending topic these days. As traditional media buys get more expensive and less reliable (thanks to audience fragmentation, PVRs, etc. etc.), brands are recognizing that their message can’t simply be an interruption in the middle a show, it has to be part of the show, and maybe even the whole show.
There are many opportunities in this space. Producers and broadcasters are looking for new revenue streams and are usually very happy to integrate brands into their shows. Then there’s the Internet, which allows anybody to produce and distribute content pretty easily without a broadcaster or publisher.
A tendency in the last few years has been for brands to try to create video content that’s funny or outrageous with the hope it will spread virally online. While there have been some very successful campaigns that have employed this tactic, this type of content isn’t always appropriately aligned with the brand values of many organizations. Consumer brands like Red Bull and Axe Body Spray can obviously get a lot edgier than a financial firm, non-profit, or government agency.
In contrast, one form of entertainment that I’ve found very effective and accessible to all types of brands is documentary.
Done right, brand journalism (as it’s sometimes called) is not a hard sell but rather an entertaining and educational piece that people will enjoy watching and want to share with others. It’s sincere, real, and is reasonable easy to produce and distribute; it can reflect a wide range of tones, and be focused to speak effectively to customers, stakeholders, or even employees.