1. BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT
Outline
Defining branded entertainment
History & development
Measurement of effectiveness
Golden rules for branded entertainment
Background of product placement in Turkey
Key changes to be expected
Role of branded entertainment units
DEFINING BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT
Branded entertainment, also known as branded content or advertainment, is ideas that
bring entertainment value to brands and that integrate brands into entertainment. It means
taking the philosophy and message of a brand and translating that into entertainment
properties that consumers want to engage with, e.g. films, TV programs, music, events,
digital, sponsorship and merchandising.
There are two forms of branded entertainment:
1) Advertiser funded programming
• When there is no standard sponsorship opportunity and the traditional spot campaign
is not sufficient, an Advertiser Funded Program (AFP) could provide the solution.
• The longer format (>2 min) is enforced by the way that audiences view the program; it
isn’t aired in commercial time.
• In different forms of AFP, an advertiser:
- pays for a broadcaster’s content;
- creates content in isolation from a broadcast;
- wholly or partly funds a program series with a broadcaster
2. Case Study: IKEA and What You Wish For
• Ikea wanted to add depth to their "Unlimited Possibilities" communication strategy.
• BBC Broadcast created an animated program titled, "What You Wish For” which
advice viewers on how best to transform their properties.
• A website www.ukstyle.co.uk was referenced at the end of each program. The
• results: The programs were seen by 2,75 million people. They were also
downloaded from the website over 12.000 times. Sales increased by 15% year on
year in this same period.
Case Study: Renault and Scenic Days Out
• Renault wanted to support the launch of their new Renault Scenic car.
• BBC Broadcast created a program about historical sites around the UK that offer a
„scenic day out‟ for the family.
• Magazines, DVDs and direct mail were also used to support the program.
• The results: 6,5 million people saw the programs. The total sponsorship/program
awareness was 38%. Consumers in research groups told that the programs were
"informative", "interesting" and "memorable".
2) Product placement
• It’s a form of advertising used by marketers in which characters in a fictional play,
movie, television series, or book use a real commercial product.
• There are three main types of product placement that are used:
Visual placement: A product, service or logo can be simply observed within the
setting of a television show or film.
Auditory placement: A character verbally refers to a product or service that is
scripted within the program. It has a greater effect than visual placement on
viewers.
Plot connection: A brand makes a low or high-level contribution to a storyline. It
has the greatest impact on viewer.
3. Product placement on television
All the good guys on FBI drama On “The Apprentice”, the candidates were
“24” consistently used Apple required to name, build, market and sell a
Macs; the baddies used PCs. new menu item at Burger King restaurants.
• On “American Idol”, each of the three judges sits behind large red cups
emblazoned with the Coca-Cola logo.
• In the "elimination episodes," contestants nervously await their turn in the
Coca-Cola room, perched on a Coca-Cola sofa.
Product placement in movies
First product placement occurred in E.T. and BMW received major promotions and the waiting
sale of the Reese’s Pieces candy increased lists for its new Z-3 Roadster increased as a
by 65% within just a couple weeks. result of the placement in 007‟s Goldeneye.
4. Ray-Ban claims that sales of the sunglasses Cast Away establishes FedEx as a kind of character. This
worn by Men in Black have tripled to $5 million strategy isn’t the traditional form of product placement; it
since the release of the movie. is the embedment of brand into the culture.
Product placement in books
The world famous jewelry It is an entertaining book for youngest
company, Bvlgari, paid noted children, which teaches to count with
British author Fay W eldon to Oreo cookies.
write a novel that would
feature Bvlgari products.
Product placement in video games
In Crazy Taxi, you have occasionally to drop off your In Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza, you’ll use a Zippo
passenger at the local KFC or Fila clothing store. lighter to light your way and a Motorola two-way
radio to contact the outside world.
5. HISTORY & DEVELOPMENT
Eduard Manet's 1882 painting of the bar at the Folies-Bergere clearly favors Bass
beer over the beverages showing its label.
In the 1890s, La Diaphane powder advertised that performer Sarah Bernhardt wore
their product on stage.
The Brothers Auguste and Louis Lumiere included Sunlight soap in certain films
made in 1896.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Model T Fords were included in the comedies of
Mack Sennett and were listed in the credits of the movies.
The most successful product placement occurred in E.T. and sale of the Reese’s
Pieces candy increased by 65% within just a couple weeks.
Most placed brands in commercial movies are Ford, Apple and Coca Cola between
2001 and 2010.
Casino Royale with the Omega watch placement is widely regarded as one of the
most forced product placements.
6. The lion’s share of product placement spend still goes to television and film. America
is the main market for product placement, but the practice is growing elsewhere.
The BMW series of branded content films introduced the concept of short,
entertaining films made by brands delivered primarily via Internet.
Easy to Assemble is a web series created for IKEA by actress Illena Douglas and
garnered over 5 million views in its second series. Features a host of well-known
actors.
Dove adapted the Ugly Betty television series for the Chinese market and created
Ugly Wudi taking the concept of branded content to new heights.
7. MEASUREMENT OF EFFECTIVENESS
Nielsen asked 10,145 people to view 50 programs that encompassed 199 brands.
The survey (October 2005 – June 2006) found:
Brand recognition goes up if you combine placement and commercial
Chance of brand being recognized after standalone placement: 39.8%
Chance of brand being recognized after standalone commercial: 46.6%
Chance of brand being recognized after placement + commercial: 57.5%
Consumers‟ good feelings decline if you combine placement and commercial
Positive brand association with product placement: 57.4%
Positive brand association with commercial: 53.7%
Positive brand association with combined placement and commercial: 55.9%
Buyers‟ intentions to purchase decline if you combine placement and commercial
Expressed interest in purchase after seeing commercial: 36.1%
Expressed interest in purchase after seeing placement: 37.4%
Expressed interest in purchase after seeing placement + commercial: 35.4
Initial high visibility helps placements get recognized
Chance someone familiar with a brand will recognize the brand in a
placement: 44.1%
Chance someone unfamiliar with a brand will recognize the brand in a
placement: 25.6%
Chance a „loyal viewer‟ will recognize a brand in a placement: 49.0%
Chance a nonloyal viewer will recognize a brand in a placement: 37.1%
.
Conducted by SMG Poland in 2010
Research objectives
• To evaluate the effectiveness of three communication forms:
– Standard copy
– Branded Content
– Synergy of Branded Content & Copy
...using effectiveness measures:
– Ad awareness
– Brand attributes / call to action
– Purchase
8. Experimental scheme
Branded content + copy synergy increased spontaneous ad awareness of our brand
Branded content + copy synergy increased aided ad awareness of our brand
9. Branded content can strengthen the purchase of our brand
Copy has the potential to build product attributes: Neither branded content alone, nor
synergy branded content + copy can generate attributes change
Main findings of Beyond Awareness Studies
Purchase: Branded Content in series models the consumption behavior patterns and
stimulates purchase
Attributes: Copy strengthens attributes towards product
Awareness: Using TV spots in breaks within TV program with branded content
generates the highest ad awareness of our brand
10. GOLDEN RULES FOR BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT
Based on observations of Millward Brown
The success of brand integration and the magnitude of ROI depend on three major factors:
Fit, Focus and Fame.
Fit: Does your brand have mojo?
The degree of interest in the brand or product category
The relevance of the content to the target audience
The fit between the content and the brand
Shampoo seems almost as unlikely a subject for popular entertainment as trash collection,
but P&G earned a Silver Effie award in 2005 for an Herbal Essences campaign that
included brand integration in the Mexican series Rebelde. After the teenage characters in the
soap opera formed a band, they entered a contest sponsored by Herbal Essences,
which required them to write an original song featuring the words “Liso Sensual” (the name of
a new Herbal Essences line extension). The TV audience was invited to join the contest as
well, with the promise that the winning song would be performed on the soap and recorded
on a CD by the actual Mexican band RBD.
Focus: The balancing act
The degree to which the integration is engaging
The degree to which attention is focused on the brand
In Casino Royale, the connection between James Bond and his watch brand, Omega, is
reinforced in the brief dialogue between Vesper Lynd and 007:
Vesper: “Beautiful watch. Rolex?”
Bond: “No, Omega.”
While this integration would be too blatant for a brand that did not already enjoy a long-
standing association with the Bond franchise, it illustrates the power of such a placement.
Fame: Publicity beyond the placement
The level of additional supporting activity (advertising or publicity)
Omega reinforced its appearance in Casino Royale with dual-branded print and TV ads as
well as a special section on its brand Web site.
Based on case studies analyzed by BCMA (Branded Content Marketing Association)
1. Reactions to branded content are more positive than to traditional advertising
2. Original, interesting branded content can impact positively on your brand
3. Branded content can have a strong synergy with traditional advertising
4. The promotion of branded content can itself have a powerful impact on a brand
5. Combined campaigns can be informative and emotive
6. Branded content helps you to stand out from your competitors
7. Branded content is powerful – and with web support is even more powerful
11. BACKGROUND OF PRODUCT PLACEMENT IN TURKEY
Sep 2007: With RTÜK regulations, commercial break duration is restricted to 7 minutes.
Feb 2009: Commercial break duration is restricted to 6 minutes.
Oct 2010: Duration of outside commercial breaks is adjusted. 20% decrease in ad space.
Apr 2011: The rule of “12 minutes of ad space within 1-hour” is valid.
RTÜK (Radio Television Supreme Council) allows commercial product placement on Turkish
television and the first executions have been started on the 1st April.
Coca-Cola has been the first advertiser which implements this new execution through top
prime-time programs of Turkish TV channels. Other brands placed in programs are Genc
Turkcell, Maggi, Tefal, Is Bankasi and Pizza Hut for the first half of April.
12. KEY CHANGES TO BE EXPECTED
Brands will increasingly become content and content will become brands.
Some brand owners will own and exploit their own media assets but the risks & success
factors required will make it only for the few.
Strong brands (any retailers) will get stronger partly through exploitation of content &
interactivity.
Information, interactivity and content will proliferate.
How brands can enter into the „interactive‟ content space will become a key issue.
13. ROLE OF BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT UNITS
“87% of advertisers say branded entertainment will play a stronger role in TV advertising.””
Association of National Advertisers and Forrester Research
Marketers, in collaboration with the TV industry, continue to find the most effective and
innovative ways to reach their customers through the TV medium, utilizing the emerging
technologies available to them. Media agencies have been improving their ability to help
their clients deal with the changes in TV advertising. The next step, they need to form
branded entertainment units that are geared to create and sequence content across every
screen to advance marketer goals.
t are geared to create entertainment units comprise of?
What should branded and sequence content across every screen to advance marketer
goals.
Placing brands in ready-made entertainment properties
Curating sponsorships, AFPs (advertiser funded programming)
Measurement approaches
Consolidation of content related offerings from local market
Strategic content partnership management
Sharing best practices from global network
Branded entertainment units should work closely with digital units in order to combine owned
(website), earned (community management) and emerging platforms (mobile, gaming, video).
Öncü Gülmez
E-mail: oncug@hotmail.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/oncug
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References
Collings, Patrick “Branded Entertainment Conference”, Johannesburg, March 2010
Czaja, Laura “Nielsen Measures The Impact Of Product Placement”, November 2006
SMG Poland “Branded Content and TV Spot Effectiveness”, February 2011
Hollis, Nigel “Branded Content: More Than Just Showing Up”, March 2007
Utalkmarketing.com “New Golden Rules For Branded Content”, May 2010
Marketingcharts.com “Marketers: TV Advertising Less Effective Than Two Years Ago”, February 2008
Adweek.com “SMG Spins Liquid Thread”, April 2010
Liquid Thread “The Future of Content at SMG”, Warsaw, December 2010