To BE or not to BE?
In this guest post, Greg Logan wonders if branded entertainment (BE) is the savior or the devil.
BE is kinda like a shiny new car. Some can’t wait to get in and take it for a run. Some turn their noses up at it, thinking it will destroy the environment. And most people just don’t know how to drive it.
Broadcasters, brands and production companies are all happily jumping in together. But some are worried that TV (and to some extent the internet) is becoming one big long ad with little differentiation between the breaks and the content.
Of course we will always have the good old ad-free ABC. But the other networks are called commercial channels for a reason. But these days they have to be careful to balance commerciality with credibility.
It will be interesting to see if marketers can let go of the natural tendency to create “brand in your face content” and learn the value of “brand-caressed content”… with less reliance on metrics… trust the power of emotional connection that can come from story and character.
I would say neither savior nor devil… just a reality! With digital pre-roll ads you can skip right over (after 5 seconds, of course!) and recorded TV you can fast forward through, brands have no choice but to integrate themselves within content. It’s not a matter of “Should we” or “Shouldn’t we” but “How do we?” Brands need to remember that by jumping into the branded entertainment space, they still have options. Co-branded interstitials, in-show integrations, bespoke content… there are many different types of BE that accommodate varied levels of investment and creative control. It’s not one-size fits all and you don’t have to dive in head first… but go ahead and dip a toe.
Imagine if your ads got taken off TV if they didn’t entertain viewers. There’d be the ‘man versus world’ KFC spot and nothing else on. That’ s the difference between the entertainment and advertising businesses. Anyone who promises to create an entertainment platform for a brand isn’t peddling snake oil, but they are selling a l-o-n-g shot.
this is not new… “soap” operas in the 50s were BE. Companies like Brand New Media have been around for years… & Georgie Summerhayes has done some great BE in her career. But any BE will die if it not what someone wants to watch… There is some great BE around, and there is blatant advertising.
Whilst ‘brand caressed’ makes me feel a bit funny 😉 I do agree with Jim that the way forward in this space is to have a little faith, keep the metrics at arm’s length and do what feels right for your audiences.
After many years creating content at Red Bull, I can safely say that this was our approach (backed by serious insight into our brand and audiences) and it works.
Thanks for the article Greg!
Christie
Glad you enjoyed our white paper “Making magic, using logic: The Ogilvy Branded Entertainment Assessment Model”. Check it out on SlideShare here: http://www.slideshare.net/Ogil.....c-12262018. And tell us what you think on Twitter @OgilvyEnt.
Kick — Branded Entertainment series called “Done In 60 Seconds” about car stories: http://tinyurl.com/8htovp3
FG
Just viewed the Ogilvy Branded Entertainment model slide show. I haven’t read that much complete and utter bullshit in some time. Smoke and mirrors to make clients feel reassured their money isn’t being pissed away.
Wonderful irony that someone who attacks something as “smoke and mirrors” chooses to hide behind a nickname…I guess you got what you wanted Rushdie… a response