London is as crowded and hectic as ever. The “Congestion Charge” levied on private vehicles driving in the city center reduced traffic when it was introduced a few years ago, but now the traffic nightmare has returned. Unlike the streets outside, however, the Marketing Week Branded Content Forum was not packed, which was a shame, because a lot of good content was shared there.

The overall themes of the conference will come as no surprise to those who work in marketing: The traditional broadcast model is dead, and we need to find new ways to engage people. Many of those in attendance seemed to consider branded content to be the panacea to this problem. Media companies like CNBC, BBC World and Channel 4, along with their respective clients, reviewed some great examples of branded content developed to meet a specific set of brand objectives.

In my opinion, the two most compelling examples presented were the IBM sponsorship of Wimbledon 2007 and Vodafone’s Music Live.

IBM partnered with CNBC as a one-stop-shop to develop content around this year’s Wimbledon tournament. The resulting material was used to produce video vignettes shown online, on CNBC Europe, on the Heathrow Express, and on Cabvision (in London taxis). All of these channels are ideally suited to reach the up-market business audience targeted by IBM. Some of the content was also used in kiosks with touch-sensitive walls (like in the movie Minority Report)  in the Virgin and British Airways lounges at Heathrow.

In contrast to IBM, Vodafone needed to reach young adults. To do so they worked with a production company, Endemol, to create and stage music events around the U.K., which were then broadcast on Channel 4. The formula of well-known bands performing in “secret” locations worked well, although the choice of a church for an Amy Winehouse performance in Bristol was, in retrospect, interesting. Of course, phones played a prominent role in the logistics. Tickets could be bought only by phone, fans were invited using text messages, people told their friends about the concerts using their phones, and, of course, music was available for download via phone. Whether by luck or judgment, Vodafone’s hosting of live music and the Live Music Awards capitalized on the fact that ticket sales for live events are up even though recorded music sales are down.

These two examples highlight the key benefits of branded content. Done right, it is a great way to reach a specific, (dare I say “niche”?), audience. I have little doubt that IBM got their money’s worth. While the numbers reached by the Wimbledon material were not huge by broadcast standards, the audience of business decision-makers was spot on, and the content highlighted IBM’s services to good effect. Similarly, Vodafone needed to shed its older image and engage younger adults. What better way to do so than through bringing them the music they love?

But the examples also highlight the fundamental trade-off of most branded content. What you gain in engagement you lose in reach, unless you surround the content with complementary communications that highlight what the brand is doing.

Overall, the conference proved this to me: Branded content, like many other alternatives to traditional broadcast advertising, is not the free lunch people are looking for. Time after time presenters stressed the fact that it is really hard work to create an effective piece of branded content. Here are some of the key issues that seem to make the process a difficult one:

• If branded content is properly tailored to meet a brand’s specific strategy and objectives, it is going to be unique. It is not like creating a new 30-second spot. The processes necessary to bring a branded content project to fruition need to be conceived and developed from scratch each time.
• The needs and objectives of broadcaster and brand are not necessarily aligned. Presenters from each media company stressed that creating branded content needs to be a collaborative process. Ros Shaw, head of branded content at CNBC, had this to say: “Too often agencies come in with unrealistic demands or a prescriptive list of requirements that does not fit the channel environment. Talk to us, we know our audience and we need those ratings too.” 
• A number of other issues are also involved, such as legal restrictions. These are particularly tough in the UK. Broadcaster codes of conduct also come into play. For example, Channel 4 only allow three  verbal or visual brand mentions in a program. And then there’s the issue of rights. Unlike many brands, Vodafone made sure it owns the rights to the Music Live Awards content so it can be repurposed and used elsewhere.

No wonder it is hard work. As Daragh Persse, senior sponsorship and new media manager at Vodafone put it, “You have to be fully involved throughout the project to protect the interests of your brand.”

Branded content does not come with a guarantee of success any more than TV advertising does, and yet, far less research is done to assure the success of branded content. While there was some negative reaction to the idea of “measurement” from the agencies present, there was also a demand from broadcasters and clients for more “science” to make sure that projects ended up as a win-win. While I presented a number of different case studies from around the world, researching branded content is both rare and difficult. Rare because many companies get carried away with developing content and only think about assessment at the last minute. Difficult because branded content often reaches just a small audience, and the research needs to be tailored to measure shifts in brand allegiance among that audience. Ros Shaw suggested that sometimes research gets done simply to justify the decisions of mid-level managers and protect next year’s budget.

Overall the Forum left me wondering whether developing branded content for TV is a sensible option for many brands. As Maryam Bazargan, managing director at New Street Media, pointed out, advergaming might provide a much more cost effective means to engage many audiences. She has a good point. Like many other presenters, I had blinkers on when I developed my own content, and I failed to mention the work we have done with games, focusing instead on movies and TV.

Then, of course, there are magazines, like the ones published by Kraft and P&G for packaged goods. Who ever said that branded content had to be based in video?

All of which brings us back to the basics. In order to engage people with branded content, you need to find content that is right for both brand and audience, and then deliver it through the appropriate channel.

So what’s your experience with branded content? Why does research not get used early in the development process? Is it really only a means to protect next year’s budget?  Please share your thoughts.

Tags: Millward Brown, Nigel Hollis, branded content, Marketing Week Branded Content Forum, Vodafone, IBM, Endemol

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 28th, 2007 at 10:15 pm and is filed under Brands, Media, Research. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Print this Page