Debate on why branded content matters to kick off BE Festival

A panel of experts on brand funded content will examine what the industry needs to do to generate more and better work locally in a discussion to kick off next month’s Festival of Branded Content & Entertainment.

The panel includes lauded Brazilian transmedia and  brand content planning expert Patricia Weiss, chief strategy officer, transmedia agency Wanted; Zara Curtis, GM of Fremantle Media’s branded content division Spring; Ross Raeburn, MD of  Soap Creative, and Richard Parker, head of strategy at custom publisher Edge.

The debate – intended to frame conversations across the one day conference – will ask the panellists for their definitions of  branded entertainment and its differences to advertising, and how to break down the barriers to client investment in the developing form.

The debate will kick off with a mini-gameshow compered by comedian and TV producer Dan Ilic, which will test whether the panel can tell the difference between different forms of brand-funded content, native advertising, branded entertainment and non-brand funded content. The audience will have the final say.