Branded Content: Emperor’s New Clothes or the Future of Marketing?
Attempts at interpreting branded content straddle the wire of native advertising and advertorials before falling in to the abyss of general advertising – so what is it exactly and what does it offer that traditional channels do not already deliver?
Branded content – how to engage and influence people in the connected world.
Content is the touchpoint du jour for more and more marketers – around 85% of marketing professionals in the UK now use content marketing with around two thirds planning to increase spending this year. But unlike advertising which is pushed at people, branded content has to be something people choose to spend time with.
Therefore, the holy grail for Marketers is ensuring branded content is interesting, engaging and ultimately leads to a positive impact on your brand. The framework for successful branded content is resonance for people with the Content, Platform and Brand. We believe by answering the following questions categorically, you can’t possibly fail…
Content
- Does the content grab and hold people’s attention?
- Does it provide them with some value e.g., information, entertainment, inspiration?
- Does it motivate people to action e.g. to amplify the content, find out more about the brand etc.
Platform
- Is it the type of content that they expect to find on the platform?
- Does it make the best of that platform’s technology to deliver creative and surprising content?
Brand
- Does it feel right for the brand based on people’s experience of that brand in the wider world?
