What is Branded Entertainment (And Why Should You Care)?

[vc_row][vc_column width=”5/6″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-1″][vc_column_text]By some estimations, 61% of consumers are more likely to buy from a brand that delivers custom content. And the only thing people love more than custom content from brands?

Feeling entertained.

We live in a world full of responsibilities, discouraging news and bills. People use entertainment to escape the drudgery of daily life. And if your brand can find a way to become that haven, you?ll win customers for life.

Using branded entertainment is one of the smart ways to use video for your business. It offers several different benefits and can take your marketing campaigns to new heights. Are you ready to get started with this video marketing tactic?

What is Branded Entertainment?

Wikipedia defines branded entertainment as follows:

?Also known as branded content or advertainment, [branded entertainment] is an entertainment-based vehicle that is funded by and complementary to a brand’s marketing strategy.?

Ultimately, the content gives the brand an opportunity to connect with its audience in a unique, engaging way. By using media to tell an entertaining story, you establish a connection between the positive feelings viewers felt while consuming your content and your brand[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content”][vc_column][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1434733033528{margin-bottom: -60px !important;}”][vc_column width=”5/6″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-1″][vc_column_text]

Branded Entertainment Benefits

Most companies use partnerships with creatives, artists and professional media companies to craft custom branded entertainment content. These alliances allow companies to publish a truly engaging piece of content. Without them, you?re left to the limited creativity of your in-house team.

While that may not seem like a challenge for those in creative industries, it?s more difficult for brands in ?boring? and ?unsexy? industries. And, in all honesty, even creatives often find it challenging to create entertaining content for their own brand. Trust me – it?s much easier to be creative for others than for yourself!

Everyone has a story to share, if you don?t think so you?re likely not asking the right questions. Furthermore, everyone?s story has an audience who genuinely wants to hear your story.

When you?re able to identify what your story is and who wants to hear it you?ll find you have much greater success with your branded entertainment.

When done right, branded entertainment can offer your brand a number of different benefits:

Reinforce Your Brand?s Story

Every brand should have a narrative that extends beyond its advertising campaigns. Things like story arc, characters and plot development strengthen the overall impact of your brand.

Using branded entertainment is, inherently, a storytelling technique, so it stands to reason that using it will cause you to evaluate these portions of your brand. The result is a reinforced brand story that feels more honed and focused on your core values, message and mission.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1434733023163{margin-top: -100px !important;margin-bottom: -60px !important;}”][vc_column width=”5/6″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-1″][vc_column_text]

Influencers need content to share to their audience- your audience.

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Tap Into Established Audiences

In this day and age, you don?t need a Hollywood budget to produce a remarkable video. And you don?t need a celebrity endorsement to tap into huge audiences. The digital era has spawned tons of micro-celebrities that have millions of fans that they built from scratch.

Your brand can connect with these influencers and tap into their large network of raving fans. There are even specialized tools that make this process even easier for small and medium-sized businesses.

Remember, these influencers need content to share to their audience. Aligning yourself with an influence is probably easier than you think if you approach it as a symbiotic relationship.

Finding your target audience and the influencers in that space can help grow your brand, audience and overall reach by leaps and bounds.

Give People a Reason to Pay Attention

Ogilvy refers to this benefit as emotional engagement or brand engagement. It?s the element of entertainment that captures our imagination. And when that happens, your brand creates a level of intrigue, provokes the audience to action, and invites an open dialogue.

And I don?t know a brand in the world that wouldn?t love that type of engagement.

 

Examples of Branded Entertainment

We recently shared some really great examples of viral videos. It?s important to realize that while branded entertainment can go viral, that?s not the ultimate goal of this tactic. While viral content reaches out and attracts a wide audience, branded entertainment strives to go deeper and build lasting brand strength.

With that in mind, here are a few outstanding examples of branded entertainment.

The Lego Movie

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[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”5/6″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-1″][vc_column_text]Do you realize that when you sit down and watch films like The Lego Movie or Marvel productions, you?re really just watching a 2-hour advertisement?

These kind of movies are the epitome of branded entertainment. They captivate the audience and establish an emotional connection with the company. Businesses can use this same concept without going to this extreme. How can you tell a story using the people and ideas that drive your brand to success?

Dove ?Real Beauty? Sketches

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[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”5/6″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-1″][vc_column_text]These videos work so well because they tug at your heart strings, and because their imminently relatable to most women.

In the clip above, Dove peels back the curtain and shares an important message that directly impacts their ideal customer: real, everyday women.

How can you use a similarly entertaining video to propel your company?s deeper messages and values?

Old Spice?s ?The Man Your Man Could Smell Like?

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[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”5/6″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-1″][vc_column_text]This commercial started out as a simple campaign spot for Old Spice. But once it generated so much attention and success, the brand decided to continue this story. What followed was a series of videos developed in a Response campaign.

Your business can use a similar approach to storytelling. Don?t stress about finding the perfect story arc right away. Test different things and see what clicks with your audience. Once you find the fit, capitalize on it and continue the story.

 

How to Implement Branded Entertainment for Your Brand

Now that you?re feeling all hyped up from those awesome examples, it?s time to learn how to apply branded entertainment to your brand. While there are certainly deep intricacies for each of these steps, today, we?re going to make things as easy as 1, 2, 3.

1. Set Goals for the Campaign

Every marketing effort should start with clear goals. Do you want to increase purchases for a new product? Would you like to develop stronger brand awareness in a certain demographic? Take a moment to specifically outline the objectives and goals before moving forward.

Every other step in this process hinges on this moment.

What do you want to achieve?

2. Develop an Entertaining Idea

Set up a brainstorming session with your team and partners. Now, it?s time for the fun part – coming up with your brand?s story concept.

Enjoy this part of the process. Sit back, relax and bounce around a lot of terrible ideas so that you can find that one diamond in the rough that?ll make a big difference for your company.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content”][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”5/6″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-1″][vc_column_text]3. Produce the Content & Launch

It?s hard to make a real impact with a low-quality production. If you?re going to do it, make an investment to get it done right. When looking for a high-quality production team, make sure they have the following qualities:

• Natural, experienced storytellers
• A track record in award-winning videos
• Experience with branded entertainment

The right company will help you out from start to finish. Don?t underestimate the power of a knowledgeable team to assist you with this process.

They also should have a process in place to help you identify key attributes of your company, brand and audience. Knowing who to target, and coming up with creative ideas to connect with them is hugely important to the success of your campaign.

Once you?ve finished the video, that?s it! It?s time to release your valuable branded content to the world. Congratulations! Now, it?s time to get started on your next big idea…

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