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Best of Branded Content Marketing 2015: Germany, Austria and Switzerland - Edited by Sandra Freisinger-Heinl

This document discusses the rising importance of branded content in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It makes the following key points: - Branded content goes beyond traditional advertising and is becoming a core marketing activity for companies to engage with customers. - Video content is particularly effective as it can convey information while entertaining viewers and grabbing their attention. - Brands need to produce compelling, relevant content that fascinates and inspires audiences rather than bores them. They must also actively engage with customers on social media. - Both paid, owned, and earned media have important roles to play. The focus is shifting to creating stories that integrate brands and reach audiences across different channels in an engaging way. - Media

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1 2 3 4 5 6 Preface: Branded Content Made in Germany, Austria and Switzerland Introduction: The Rising Importance of Branded Content in Germany, Austria and Switzerland Market Report: Germany, Austria and Switzerland Introduction to Working with Branded Content in German- Speaking Countries Legal Aspects of Branded Content Under German Law Storytelling: “You need to grab awareness in the first second to make people watch” 7 8 9 10 11 12 Producing Content for TV: Connecting the DNA of a TV Show with a Brand Producing Content for the Web: The Millennial Influencer The Purpose of Branded Content Engagement: How to Build a Brand Fanbase with Music Content Marketing: It’s all about Distribution Case Study: Deutsche Telekom Familie Heins 13 14 15 16 17 18 Case Study: Fiat Urban Stories Case Study: Dell Tough Enough Case Study: Media Markt Rabbit Race Case Study: Techniker Krankenkasse #wireinander Case Study: Webers großes Grillfest Case Study: Hasbro NERF Toy Blaster 19 20 21 22 23 24 Case Study: ŠKODA Austria Die Große Simply- Clever-Show Research Findings in Branded Content Marketing The Three Biggest Myths About Social Video Advertising – Busted! Expert Insight Report Thanks About P2 P3 P8 P14 P16 P21 P23 P26 P32 P35 P40 P43 P48 P53 P59 P65 P69 P73 P77 P84 P92 P96 P109 P111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111
# By Sandra Freisinger-Heinl, joint editor and co-author of BOBCM 2015 DACH book; Managing Director, MA Media Branded content is a big pool of wonderful ideas and opportunities for businesses. It’s so much more than just another marketing technique – in fact, it’s on its way to becoming a core activity for companies and their brands. This is the first edition of the Best of Branded Content Marketing (BOBCM) international ebook series exclusively for, from and about the German, Austrian and Swiss (DACH) region. I’m proud to be the local editor. I’m also thrilled that we now have a guide that sets some standards in this area and serves as a kind of ‘DIY tool’. The book focuses mainly on branded content made with moving images, as the use of this format continues to rise and offers a variety of ways to connect emotionally with viewers. All of our contributors shed blood, sweat and tears to develop branded content marketing within the DACH region! So this book is not just a technical guideline. As we provide insights from our daily work with brands and showcase the best examples of our projects, we hope that you will be inspired. Whenever we present and recommend ways of using branded content in this book, we take a close look at the specifics of the German-speaking market, including legal and research aspects. There’s still a long way to go. Our intention is to build up a community of experts in this field, to consult with and encourage brands and agencies to use this very effective marketing instrument we call branded content. You can connect with us on LinkedIn – please join the 650+ strong international BOBCM Group moderated by Justin Kirby. Some Germanic traits – such as organising production well and relying on technologies – will encourage the development of branded content marketing in our region. Some might inhibit it. For example, the desire to have evidence of value or success at any given time might kill off some excellent ideas, and make some brands and agencies cling to the use of traditional media only. We all have to be courageous to use branded content to its full potential in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. I personally want to thank the book’s main partner SevenOne AdFactory, an innovative company of broadcaster ProSieben SAT1 Media SE – particularly Petra Kroop who has a detailed knowledge of branded content trends and who supported this book in many ways. Thanks also to Margret Knitter from SKW Schwarz Rechtsanwälte for looking at the difficult legal areas of branded content marketing in order to increase our understanding. And I am very grateful to all the other dedicated contributors to this book. Equipped with all the ideas, experience and insights from this book, you can prepare to test the waters. You can dive into the ocean of branded content and use the power of the branded content wave to enrich your business and engage better with your customers. We all love good content – let’s go for it now!
# By Sabine Eckhardt, Managing Director, SevenOne Media & SevenOne AdFactory According to creative talent Amir Kassaei, marketing should generate one thing above all: magic! The Chief Creative Officer of the DDB agency network is convinced that “companies that live and breathe marketing and make all their decisions from the standpoint of marketing are more successful than those that manage their business on the basis of sales alone.” That’s because only the former type of company gives sufficient thought to people and their needs, and truly recognises the importance of relevance. However, says Kassaei, such companies are in the minority in our data-fixated, real- time world driven by sales performance alone. What a shame! Magic lives off imagination, generating stories that inspire us, enchant us, captivate our attention. As always, a high quality idea is the most important ingredient, rather than the type of content or how it's delivered. In the last few years, however, consumers have come to expect much more from storytellers than they used to. In this era of information overload and bewildering topical diversity, it has become difficult to get through to individual people. Every individual is networked with the outside world through computers, smartphones, tablets, even wearables, for 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Possible ways of receiving content have multiplied within the shortest timeframe, and this development is not expected to slow down. To the same extent, advertisers are under growing pressure to deliver the kind of content to their target groups that motivates them to actively consider their brands. Therefore, content marketing and branded content are no longer just buzzwords, but essential communication techniques that every advertiser (regardless of budget) should employ intensively. Many are already doing this: according to a recent survey by the Swiss digital agency Namics, 77 percent of companies surveyed already have a content strategy or plan to develop one in the short to medium term.* The worst sin in content marketing: to be boring The key to breaking through the media overkill barrier is relevance. The messages aimed at consumers must whet the interest and even the fascination of individuals. They must offer something that stands out from the constant barrage of sensory inputs. Trivia, banalities and substitutable offerings immediately fall through the perception grate, and are punished with merciless disregard. Moreover, the required degree of relevance rises as the sheer number of offerings expands. But what are the chief characteristics of relevant content? The answer may sound simple compared to the difficulty of implementation: content should fascinate, inspire, inform, even provoke us. Content should captivate our attention and foment discussion. Above all, it should never bore us! The more we’re engaged and involved, the greater impact the content will have on us. If we can be motivated to take a thorough look at the content, we’ll also share it with our friends, comment on it, like it, et cetera, and that will set in motion a dynamic, self-sustaining process of widening dissemination, like falling dominoes. Brands are under constant real-time observation These days, content can be created in any number of ways, whether pushed, random, initiated, or even completely unwanted. Therefore, advertisers and brand vendors need to constantly see, read and hear what is being written, posted, or tweeted about their brand. Consumers and even non-consumers are constantly expressing unsolicited opinions, sharing their experiences, and calling upon or even challenging brand vendors to clarify, mediate, or give still more. Brands are under constant, real-time observation, a thousand times over. While this phenomenon poses risks, it also presents opportunities. Brands that generate attractive conversation material and moderate the dialogue actively with consumers will be rewarded with greater opportunities. 4* Source: Content Marketing Study 2014/2015, Namics, Zurich
This isn’t always easy, because – in addition to having heightened expectations for content and entertainment value – consumers are increasingly turned off by in-your-face advertising. In their stressful ‘always-on’ mode, consumers have developed a pronounced aversion to being interrupted or disturbed by advertising and marketing messages. Obtrusiveness is punished immediately and can even unleash an avalanche of negative reactions, possibly necessitating an arduous campaign of costly communication measures to smooth the ruffled feathers. Once defriended or unliked, the brand falls to last place in the attention ranking of the ex-fan. Rigorous content marketing is required in this case as well. Paid, owned, or earned? The combination of sound and image delivered by video ads has long proved to be the most important and most effective type of content. Therefore, videos are the new, all-purpose weapon in the battle for grabbing the attention of consumers, because they satisfy a number of communication objectives simultaneously. They convey detailed knowledge and product information, lure potential employees to a company, or provoke emotions and stimulate desire to purchase the advertised products. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that more and more companies are using videos to get their messages out. They employ entertainment formats to tell stories that fit their brands and involve the viewer permanently. The question of paid versus owned versus earned media nearly always arises in this context. Certainly, owned media (such as a company’s own website or YouTube channel) can play an important role in all stages of the purchasing process, as a reliable and appreciated guide on the customer‘s journey. On the other hand, paid media is unrivalled when it comes to reaching large audiences. Broad target groups can be reached in the shortest time. If a company wants its brand or new product to become known very quickly, wide-reach media is an indispensable element of the communication strategy. And this will not change in the future. However, the question of paid versus owned versus earned media should not be absolute. Instead, the different channels should be combined as effectively as possible, in such a way that they complement and inspire each other. This is something of an art. From reach marketer to content marketing provider Content marketing and branded content always involve storytelling. Consequently, not only the advertiser but also the media provider must make the evolutionary leap to becoming a brand storyteller. But how exactly does a company evolve from a conventional reach marketer into a creative content marketing provider? For this very purpose, ProSiebenSat.1 formed a specialised creative company for innovative communication solutions, SevenOne AdFactory, back in 2009. As a member of the ProSiebenSat.1 family, this company uses direct channels either to link advertising campaigns closely with broadcaster and format brands, or to develop consistent storytelling tailored to the specific requirements of the given brand, which can be played on nearly all platforms. This approach is summed up by the slogan “content near advertising.” In essence, the goal is always to showcase the brand in the best possible way. This can be done by networking across all media, or by means of a specifically developed advertising product. 5
The thrill isn’t even close to gone Finally, more and more customers are looking for tailored communication solutions. Producing wonderful stories is not enough; the environment or context in which the content is embedded and distributed is just as important. Just imagine that you want to advertise your travel platform, but find it presented alongside a news picture of the sinking Costa Concordia. Such scenarios are the stuff of nightmares for marketing executives. Not only the platform, but also the direct contexts in which your campaign is conducted are critically important. A prime example of a good branded entertainment campaign is the current web series ‘Der Lack ist ab’ (‘The Thrill is Gone’) on MyVideo, featuring the well-known protagonists Kai Wiesinger and Bettina Zimmermann. Their marriage has become a tad stale, the children are almost old enough to leave home, and each spouse’s flaws are becoming all the more obvious to the other spouse. In short, the husband and wife are getting on each other’s nerves. But as always, there’s simply not enough time for a fresh start. This web series of 10-minute episodes exposes the turbulent life of a mid-40s couple and their stressful teenage children. Furthermore, it shows how modern marketing should function today: witty, imaginative, unobtrusive. SevenOne AdFactory recruited Vodafone and Opel as premium sponsors. This sponsorship expanded the brands’ web presence to traditional television under the unifying effect of consistent storytelling, as well as integrating the two celebrity actors into their regular campaigns. Branded entertainment: the advertising product of the future? Successful initiatives like ‘Der Lack ist ab’ are created in close cooperation with the client brand as well as their agency, in most cases. The intensive consultation between them often breeds formats that are both innovative and efficient, and can be deployed on media such as Facebook or Instagram in addition to ProSiebenSat.1 Group’s own platforms. With this kind of project, it’s vital for a media company to advise and support the client brand, and offer tailor-made communication solutions on brand-relevant platforms. This advisory service – consisting of the creative idea, platform and environment recommendations, and implementation – is an important factor contributing to the success of a branded entertainment campaign. Branded entertainment is the advertising product of the future, if it’s designed to be entertaining or if it provides valued information to the consumer. The previously mentioned Namics content marketing study found that most of the companies surveyed in Switzerland and Germany have been active in content marketing for at least four years. “Nonetheless, a majority of the surveyed companies consider themselves to have attained little maturity in their work with content marketing,” the study found. Content has become an important driver of the economy. In this age of real-time communication, brand vendors can choose from numerous ways of directly influencing customer relationships with their content. As part of a consistent marketing strategy, therefore, the production of proprietary content can be an effective and important complement to conventional communication measures. 6
Stories that remain in the memory forever Due to the trend of digitisation, the entire industry is caught up in an extremely dynamic transformation; channels and platforms are constantly changing, new players and formats are emerging overnight. Many advertisers (and especially those that need to reach young target groups) are finding it more and more difficult to maintain the necessary perspective. No matter what the recipients’ age, however, the trick is to send the right message to the right person at the right time. In this digital era, in which opinions are formed or changed in a matter of minutes, brands amount to the sum of impressions that people have taken from a large number of channels. While those impressions may change at a faster pace than ever, a good story can remain in the consumer’s memory forever. 7
# By Sandra Freisinger-Heinl, joint editor and co-author of BOBCM 2015 DACH book; Managing Director, MA Media The use of branded content is increasing and becoming more and more important in Germany. Austria and Switzerland are hot on Germany’s heels. But what is branded content exactly? Germany’s Digital Association, Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft (BVDW) e.V., provides a definition for branded entertainment: “Entertainment on behalf of a brand or product. This brand-specific content for the web delivers the brand’s or product’s messages in entertaining formats (videos, games, etc.).” BVDW also supports a focus group on ‘moving image’ where video content is discussed, and a roundtable on content marketing. I would define branded content as a “marketing activity where content is produced and distributed on behalf of a brand or product.” But it’s even more than that, as it influences marketing strategies, PR, sales, personnel and so on. A German example that illustrates this point well is Deutsche Telekom ‘Familie Heins’. It features a family facing all the challenges of modern communication, presenting its daily life in multiple videos on the web and appearing in different locations in real life – including an Ed Sheeran concert and a casting call for the movie ‘Fack ju Göhte 2’. Telekom’s related commercials became a coherent
extension of this idea, including detailed product information. The campaign shows what happens when a brand places the idea of branded content at the core of a product strategy. In the DACH market, branded content activities can originate from marketing, media, or company management. Ideally, all departments and all agencies are involved, forget their silo mentality, and work together to generate relevant content for the brand and to engage with its consumers. Branded content in different lengths and formats There’s an amazing variety of successful branded content projects in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Categorising projects by length and media platforms used – (a simplification, as all good projects are multi- channel) – identifies five main groups: 1. Long formats and TV shows Branded content can stand alone or be part of a TV show, even a prime-time show. A Nissan car was elevated in more than one way on Germany’s famous Saturday Night TV show ‘Mein bester Feind’, presented by popular hosts Joko and Klass. Broadcaster ProSieben created a car bungee jumping game featuring Nissan for the show, wowing the participants and the show’s viewers. An entire TV show can be built around one product: ŠKODA Austria’s ‘Die Große Simply- Clever-Show’ was developed with Austrian TV channel ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4 to accompany the launch of the ŠKODA Fabia car. An interesting Swiss public TV series is ‘Mission Surprise’ for Swiss International Air Lines. This series of highly emotional surprise visits to Swiss people living in foreign countries was part of a larger campaign to strengthen the airline’s image. TV shows for brands can also be made in shorter formats, like the six-minute episodes of ‘Fiat Urban Stories’. This magazine-style TV 9
series was broadcast on sixx to reach females and on ProSiebenMAXX to reach males. It involved famous TV presenter Annemarie Carpendale interviewing designers, extreme athletes and musicians from a Fiat 500 dubbed “the smallest TV studio ever”. 2. Short videos on TV and the web The majority of branded content is in shorter formats: advertorials and paid-for advertising space on TV, or videos that are seeded on the web. The hit last year was a simple idea, Edeka ‘Supergeil (feat. Friedrich Liechtenstein)’, which has clocked up more than 14 million views so far – just by saying combinations of the word super, like “super-sweet” and “super- products at Edeka food supermarkets”. Relating video content on TV to a popular programme makes sense. A classic example is ‘Maybelline Make-up School’ for L’Oréal, developed in connection with ‘Germany’s next Topmodel’. The Maybelline advertorials give advice on using make-up and feature make-up artist Boris Entrup creating special looks on models from the cast of the show. Videos can also have the high production values of film. Following its mission statement #MeetTheModernTrailblazers, luxury brand Montblanc filmed a high quality new storytelling campaign about bloggers, artists, designers and Montblanc craftspeople on a virtual trip. The video Telekom ‘Wi-Fi Dogs’ had a high quality requirement as well: to produce a credible campaign with the right cast. The result was ‘Jose’ promoting Telekom’s European Wi-Fi product with ‘dogs that are trained to search for Wi-Fi in holiday areas’. The first time you see it, you think, “Is that real?” That’s what they wanted and it was worth a Cannes Lion. The Swiss video ‘Kleenex Kiss of Life’ engages viewers just by connecting simple paper tissues to highly emotional moments in life. Piggybacking on a topical news story can also be engaging. The entertaining video 'Letter is better!’, created by Austrian Post, assumes that the NSA knows everything about our digital communications but can’t get inside real paper letters. Other videos show that branded content even works in the B2B sector, at least as part of an integrated campaign. This was recently proven by Dell ‘Tough Enough’, a sitcom shot in an office and aimed at IT administrators. 3. Branded content connected with concerts and events Sometimes you don’t believe that finance or insurance brands can tell good stories, but they can. Well-established German building society Schwäbisch Hall created ‘Band sucht Bleibe’ (‘Band looking for a place to stay’), in which singer-songwriter Tim Bendzko appeared on music TV channel VIVA and online asking viewers if they could put him up for a night in their homes as he travelled Germany on a concert tour. Car brand MINI worked with the band ‘The Vaccines’ as an integral part of the MINI John Cooper Works launch. To create a TV commercial, they used Instagram as the platform to receive user-submitted photos of places people wanted the new MINI to drive through. 10
Swiss drinks brand Rivella also used concerts and events to create emotive branded content. It developed its own event tour, #Pool Hero, in which funny challenges in swimming pools were staged. It was supported by famous Swiss YouTuber Bendrit Barja. 4. Social media influencers, hashtags, user- generated content, etc. This leads us to the next phenomenon: YouTube stars as influencers with high reach are becoming more and more important in the German-speaking branded content world. Brands are also creating their own concepts and starting their own branded YouTube channels. Coca Cola has popular CokeTV, a collaboration with young YouTubers presenting videos from events and taking part in new experiences. Entire concepts can be based around YouTubers, as illustrated by #wireinander from Techniker Krankenkasse. Although it’s difficult for a health insurance company to reach young people, this campaign succeeded by telling stories about YouTubers who had to change their lives after accidents or illness. Other young people then shared their own stories via #wireinander. The campaign involved YouTuber LeFloid who recently interviewed Angela Merkel, which shows his reputation in Germany. An international campaign in which user- generated content (UGC) played the main role is #lovemyfridge by Robert Bosch AG. It inspired users in 12 countries to post online declarations of love to their fridges. Food bloggers supported this initiative with their own love messages and cooked their favourite leftover recipes. Humorous and charming UGC was created. 5. Live branded content The latest trend we’re seeing in branded content is one that’s been recognised internationally as well. It’s the trend to go live and it works on TV and online. However, the use of live-streaming apps like Periscope and Meerkat is still rare. An outstanding campaign with an important live TV feature is Media Markt’s ‘Rabbit Race’ (Das große Osterhasen-Rasen). A series of races involving real rabbits that had been given humorous names and back stories was broadcast live on nine major German TV channels in prime time slots and live-streamed on three websites simultaneously. Sports presenter Frank Buschmann commentated and viewers could win reductions on their Easter shopping at Media Markt. Another live TV event, running annually for more than 10 years in Germany, is ‘WOK-WM’, in which stars go down an iced toboggan run in a wok (yes, an Asian cooking pot). Competing teams are named after brands like Dr. Oetker Pizzaburger, Rewe.de and handyflash. This year, a worldwide team of YouTubers from Studio71 – including Sarazar, 11
LeFloid and Dner – took part, adding a new twist: enormous reach on social media driving young viewers to watch TV. Live branded content is also taking off on the web. Charity poker event ‘Let’s Play Poker pokerstars.de Show’ regularly brings together a group of card players and YouTubers in locations from the Caribbean to Berlin, and broadcasts live on MyVideo and YouTube. In ‘Webers großes Grillfest’, live web banner ads asked viewers to click and watch famous chef Johannes Lafer showing them how to cook a four-course meal on a BBQ in a live TV event. Viewers could join in by sending ingredient suggestions and questions via #WeberGrillFest. A glance at brands becoming media, and platforms being used by brands Brands engage the services of famous actors, artists, presenters and YouTubers to drive attention to their content. They invest significant effort in storytelling, whether emotional, comic, or functional. Many key players are involved, as you need a lot of factors to work well together in order to create great content. This has changed the agency world in DACH and found its expression in content and media hubs, too. Austria’s Red Bull Media House is well known for its advanced content strategy. It produces great content about action sports and even extreme basejumping (culminating in the ‘Stratos’ project with Felix Baumgartner in space). The brand has effectively ‘become’ a media house. Originally the job of TV ad producers and ad agencies, now all media agency networks, like MediaCom with Beyond Advertising and Omnicom with Fuse, have large departments supporting the creation and production of content for their clients. L’Oréal has gone one step further and invested in a German-wide sustainable strategy for its brands. In April last year, L’Oréal’s Content Factory was founded under the roof of WPP and a new agency model that reacts quickly to client interests was born. Roles change and the traditional lines of the client–agency–media triangle have become blurred, wrote W&V.* They explained that a lot of agencies are rebuilding and investing in digital as the advertising market changes. In general, the borders between media, creation, production and distribution are becoming less defined. C3 Creative Code and Content evolved from corporate publishing to cover all types of 12 * W&V 26-2015, W&V-Redaktion, ‘Alles kommt zusammen’, p.13 ff
storytelling for brands and is now one of the leading German content marketing agencies. Private TV broadcasters have also joined the content business, as they recognise the necessity and have the resources available in their different departments. Large private TV channels can create branded content and arm it with image and reach. Meanwhile, TV media houses are becoming interested in the younger target group, as many of the traditional media players sign up prominent YouTubers via subsidiary companies or collaborations. New media players are also getting on board as the importance of non-linear TV is about to grow. For example, Vice Media, with its innovative channels for millennials, has increased its presence in Germany. Germany’s AGF Arbeitsgemeinschaft Fernsehforschung is working on a measurement project, ‘Moving Image Currency’,** which will provide cross-media data on streaming ads. Google agreed to join the project, making it highly relevant for mobile video research. According to a Nielsen study cited in W&V, YouTube reaches an amazing 21.4 million unique viewers each month.** Web pay-tv broadcaster Netflix has only 0.2 million, but is not really relevant for branded content here yet, although this is predicted to change. German video platforms, like MyVideo with 3.5 million or T-Online with 2.2 million, also reach large audiences. Platforms like Vevo that focus on the music business can also be relevant partners for brands, as used for example in the Seat branded content campaign ‘On Tour’ (Auf Achse).*** Google’s YouTube provides tips on building a content plan and engaging with the community in the YouTube Creator Playbook for Brands. Social media are compulsory to distribute branded content and to engage with users by asking for comments or soliciting UGC. Since the Facebook video player was relaunched in 2014, the number of videos on the platform has risen rapidly. According to a Facebook source, Facebook usage intensity in the DACH region is higher than global usage intensity, and more rich media formats are shared. This is due to our good infrastructure with a 3G+ network, which make videos available more easily than in other parts of the world. 34 million people are active Facebook users in DACH, 27 million in Germany alone, which offers massive potential to integrate branded content into the Facebook stream and be discovered by the right people. Instagram is used for sharing emotive content such as photos and very short-form 15-second videos. The importance of mobile is growing rapidly in DACH. As a lot of branded content is watched on mobiles, some experts advise that videos should work without sound and be very short- form. Regardless, the decisive factor will be the user experience. In conclusion, the German-speaking market is increasing and perfecting the use of branded content and media platforms. In one episode of Telekom’s ‘Familie Heins’, Grandma Charlotte orders a rocket device to jazz up her grandson’s school presentation. She clearly knows how to grab attention, present a complex topic and engage a large number of viewers. That’s exactly what branded content in Germany, Austria and Switzerland does – it inspires. 13** W&V 27-2015, Thomas Nötting ‘Die Grenzen Verschwimmen’, p.23-25 (Nielsen 2014) *** www.horizont.net, Tim Theobald, Branded Content: Warum Seat und Vevo gemeinsam ‘Auf Achse’ gehen
By Sandra Freisinger-Heinl, joint editor and co-author of BOBCM 2015 DACH book; Managing Director, MA Media Branded content is very important to convey a brand’s story to its audience. But content is available in many variations and can be distributed on many media platforms. So how should businesses approach branded content and what should marketers bear in mind? If content is king (and distribution queen), context might be god,* because it’s necessary to consider the project environment as a whole. Content always has to serve a purpose. A narrative brand Every brand has its targets and slogans to substantiate its brand positioning. Let’s look briefly at the Red Bull brand and its marketing slogan ‘Gives you wings’. Former Red Bull Manager Wolfgang Puetz stated: “The brand message has to be distributed via all manner of storytelling and multiplied. Storytelling is the most valid way to emotionalise company and brand messages, and content distribution to spread them. Ideally not the product itself will be advertised, but a story around the product will be told, which is emotionalised. (…) It’s becoming increasingly essential * Michael Buergi, Adweek USA, stated: “If content is king, context is god!” in MIPTV Forum presentation ‘Video is the new black’, 14 April 2015
to talk with your customers and, best case, to make them want to tell your story to others.”** It’s basically all about content creation, engagement and distribution. Brands should also look at which teams and agencies they partner with to achieve the best results, as branded content falls within many areas of expertise. The necessary change or collaboration can be challenging if, for example, the media agency is used to being in charge of commercials and allocating the advertising budget. In practice To develop a branded content project for a brand, you have to plot several points along the customer journey. The questions WHAT, WITH WHOM and WHERE TO DELIVER have to be answered, in order to finally MEASURE your relevant KPIs. Content has to be different if it’s made for TV – which is of great importance and prestige in German-speaking countries – and if it’s made for the web, which is definitely essential to all campaigns. You also have to comply with LEGALITIES at all times – an aspect that’s not exclusive to the DACH region, however it’s crucial here. No matter what your project, different content should be used for different platforms. To keep your customers happy, they have to be able to discover interesting pieces of content regularly. How you set your branded content project priorities is a tough choice, but many roads lead to Rome. You can read about working with every kind of option in the following feature articles by DACH branded content experts. 15** Werben & Verkaufen, So erklärt ein früherer Red-bull-Manager Brand Storytelling, 26 February 2015 Source: BOBCM Strategic Considerations of Branded Content
Storytelling # By Hanna Bickel, LL.M. (New York University), Rechtsanwältin (Legal Attorney registered at the German bar), SKW Schwarz Rechtsanwälte and Margret Knitter, LL.M. (University of Edinburgh), Rechtsanwältin (Legal Attorney registered at the German bar), SKW Schwarz Rechtsanwälte Introduction The general idea of branded content is to reach an audience in order to promote a brand without annoying the consumer. The goal is to produce content so informative, amusing, or engaging that the consumer actively chooses to read, watch, or listen to the content out of his or her own interest. Ideally, branded content shouldn’t feel like advertising. It should be entertaining and tell a story in order to communicate a certain brand image, thereby establishing a stronger relationship between the customer and the brand. To reach this goal of providing genuinely interesting content, the lines between entertainment, editorial and advertising are deliberately blurred. As such, the consumer may not always be aware of the commercial character of the content. Yet this lack of consumer awareness of commercial communication is exactly the vulnerable aspect of branded content addressed by German legal standards prohibiting concealed advertising. According to German unfair competition law, it constitutes an act of unfair competition to promote the commercial activity of a company by concealing the advertising character of a communication with the consumer. In addition, the German Interstate Broadcasting Treaty (Rundfunkstaatsvertrag), the German
Telemedia Act (Telemediengesetz) and the Federal States’ Press Acts (Landespressegesetze) provide that advertising or commercial content must be clearly identifiable as such and therefore clearly separated from editorial content. These regulations guarantee unbiased opinion- making through two aspects. The consumer must be able to react to advertising content by: 1. critically judging and questioning it, and 2. rejecting it. The consumer may be especially limited in his or her own judgment if content seems to be objective and neutral when it’s actually produced or supported in some way by a company for the purpose of promoting its own products, services and image. For example, when advertorials are placed in the media in a neutral and objective setting, the consumer expects the content to be objectively and neutrally researched and, therefore, tends to question the truth of the content to a lesser extent. In contrast, a consumer is inclined to scrutinise advertising more critically when it’s more blatant in its commercial orientation and content. These regulations don’t forbid branded content per se, but rather delineate the conditions under which advertising content must be designated as such in order to avoid misleading the consumer. In the following sections, we’ll provide guidance on the handling of different forms of branded content under these regulations by way of examples from recent court decisions. Of course, there are other legal aspects that can always become contentious, such as rights clearance issues, data protection issues, the publication of unlawful misleading advertising statements, et cetera. These topics are not the subject of this chapter, because they apply to all advertising activities and are not specifically related to branded content. Advertorials: Principle of separation between advertising and editorial content; clear identification as commercial content Branded content may be unlawful under the previously mentioned legal principles if it conveys the impression to the well-informed consumer of being editorial content created and published by a neutral and objective source. Advertorials are a mix between advertising and editorial content and, therefore, specifically aimed at blurring the lines between the two. The placement of an advertorial in the neutral setting of a third-party medium with editorial content – for example, on an editorial website, blog, or video blog – further adds to the impression of objectivity of such content that has in fact been created by an advertising company. For these reasons, advertorials placed in a medium providing at least partially editorial content are especially vulnerable, according to the principle of separation. Placement of advertorials with payment of a fee Whenever a paid-for advertorial promoting a company’s products or services is placed in editorial media, it’s unlawful if it’s not clearly identifiable as advertising. 17 Advertising or commercial content must be clearly identifiable as such and … clearly separated from editorial content.
In these cases, the content itself doesn’t necessarily need to include passages that positively portray a certain product to be deemed unlawful; it’s sufficient if the article or video simply names a company or product, or includes product placement. The fact that the naming of a company in an editorial setting is paid for makes the content misleading per se, unless it’s clearly identifiable as advertising. If advertorial content is not clearly identifiable as advertising, it must be accompanied by the word ‘Advertisement’ (‘Anzeige’) or ‘Commercial’ (‘Werbesendung’) in a position, colour and type style that are clearly visible in order to avoid misleading the consumer. The following court decision provides an example of content that was held to be clearly identifiable as advertising even though it wasn’t designated as an advertisement. The website in dispute was a preview page that included banner advertising and several teasers linking to both editorial and commercial articles on other websites. The teasers each consisted of a photograph next to two or three lines of text. The teaser in question included the following wording: Vita 34. Pregnant? Get prepared now! Opt for cord blood before birth more This teaser was held to be clearly identifiable as advertising as the name of the company ‘Vita 34’ was clearly understood as a brand name responsible for the content the teaser linked to, even to people not familiar with the brand. Placement of advertorials without payment of a fee When an advertorial placed in editorial media isn’t paid for – even if it’s created, for example, by a blogger to promote his or her own blog – it may still need to be designated as advertising if it excessively promotes a company or its products and services. This applies to any advertorial content – for example, videos or articles placed on YouTube or another website, including blogs and video blogs. Admissible editorial content not considered to be concealed advertising must have a journalistic cause – that is, it must cover a topic of interest to the audience of the medium involved. For example, an article about a specific diet programme presented by the German celebrity Verona Pooth on a magazine’s website was regarded to have a good journalistic cause, as dieting is a topic of general interest to the readers of the magazine. Beyond that, the content must be reasonably objective and the positive portrayal of the product or company must not go beyond what’s necessary to provide an analysis of the subject. While it’s not generally unlawful to present only one product or company, an article can be unlawful if it promotes that product excessively. This is the case if the product is portrayed very positively using soliciting language, and without actually discussing and analysing the product features. In the aforementioned case, the Court regarded the article about the diet programme as excessively promotional since the programme was presented using general attributes such as “wholesome”, “valuable”, “delicious”, but the article failed to discuss the programme and its concepts in detail. The accompanying sports programme, for example, was merely 18 When an advertorial placed in editorial media isn’t paid for … it may still need to be designated as advertising.
described as including specifically tailored exercises without specifying them in further detail. The article could therefore only be published if it was clearly designated as advertising. The same would apply to a product test in a video blog, such as on YouTube, in which the product is praised without any critical approach or material discussion of the product features in detail. Advertorials placed in company’s own medium Even if advertorial content isn’t placed in a third-party medium, it may be regarded as concealed advertising if its commercial character is not clearly identifiable by the consumer at first sight and without further analysis. Obviously, consumers will expect advertising content on a company’s official website or social network profile and not be misled. The situation is different if the content is placed on a blog or website run by a company itself for the promotion of its own products or services, or especially created for a campaign, when the site doesn’t disclose clearly that the company is the author. The DACIA case is a good example of this. In 2013, the automobile manufacturer DACIA had promoted its “reasonably priced” SUV in a blog satirically addressing the pathological status symbol-driven consumer behaviour in the automotive market. The Court ruled that consumers linking to the blog via the URL www.status-symptome.de from other advertising material by DACIA, such as their official webpage, certainly expected advertising upon entering the webpage, even though the page was designed like a blog. However, the Court assumed that many consumers would link to the blog on the recommendations of friends on Facebook who had liked and shared the blog. In such a private setting, these users wouldn’t be aware of the blog’s advertising content, because the generic link www.status- symptome.de doesn’t refer to a company or otherwise make clear that the content is advertising. As the consumer is supposed to have the opportunity to reject advertising before consumption of the content, the Court found it not sufficient that only after reading and analysing the blog was it identifiable as advertising content. However, if the content had been clearly designated as an ‘Advertisement’ (‘Anzeige’), it would not have been deemed unlawful concealed advertising. The placement of the advertisement label ‘Anzeige’ should remain visible even when scrolling down. The same situation may apply to, for example, video clips placed on YouTube that aren’t clearly branded and thus not clearly attributed to a certain company. Obvious commercial content must be identifiable before consumption In cases in which branded content is clearly identifiable as advertising, the content itself doesn’t need to be labeled as advertising. However, the consumer is still protected under German law from exposing him/herself to 19 Even if advertorial content isn’t placed in a third-party medium, it may be regarded as concealed advertising.
advertising content without being informed of its advertising nature beforehand. This is extremely relevant for viral campaigns. In a viral campaign, the commercial may be entertaining in some way and, therefore, shared on Facebook and the like for its entertaining quality, even though it’s clearly branded and identified as advertising. However, in these cases the links shared must still make clear that the following content is commercial in a way that enables the consumer to reject it. The following example – which hasn’t yet been decided by the Courts – further demonstrates this principle. In a recent viral campaign, the rental car company SIXT, known for amusing and somewhat edgy commercials, has had the advertising agency Jung von Matt produce two music videos starring the singers Matthias Reim and Roberto Blanco. It was recently reported in the press that these two singers are broke. In the videos, they present songs conveying the message that, whether broke or not, they’re still impressing the girls with a rental car from SIXT. The entire commercial contained SIXT branding in its visual and audio elements. If – hypothetically speaking – the link to these videos was presented only making reference to the artists and not to SIXT, the presentation of the link would probably be deemed unlawful, even though the video itself is clearly commercial. Consumers might follow the link in search of a new song by the singer and not expect advertising. Any link mentioning the well-known brand SIXT and thereby making clear that the video contains commercial and advertising content would, however, probably not raise any legal issues. When planning viral marketing campaigns, bear in mind that content on blogs is further disseminated by private individuals sharing links to it. In this way, the content is presented in a non-commercial environment in which the addressee doesn’t necessarily expect advertising. To cover this situation, the name of the link should make clear that the link leads to advertising content. In cases in which a brand name is very generic and not clearly identifiable as a brand, it may even be necessary to describe the material linked to as commercial or advertising content. The same applies to links presented in an editorial environment. For example, the presentation of a link to the SIXT ad next to an article discussing the rental car market would be unlawful, if it didn’t clearly disclose that the link will direct viewers to a website containing advertising content. Conclusion To make a long story short, the dissemination of branded content doesn’t raise legal issues, as long as the content’s advertising character is not concealed from the consumer and the content is clearly separated from editorial content. However, since the concept of branded content is to provide content so interesting that it’s actively consumed by potential customers, it shouldn’t lose its impact by openly communicating a commercial purpose. 20
Storytelling # Interview with Palle Finderup Diederichsen, Head of MediaCom Beyond Advertising, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) by Sandra Freisinger-Heinl BOBCM Germany (BG): Let’s start with your view on branded content in Europe. What’s Germany’s position in this field? Palle Finderup Diederichsen (PFD): The use of branded content is gathering pace quickly everywhere. In Europe, the UK is still leading, followed by France. Both started early with branded content. Germany, Italy and Scandinavia are catching up, but for different reasons in each region: Scandinavia has mobile as ‘the tool’; Italy is traditionally good in design and fashion, and produces stylish branded content; Germany is good at conducting studies and using relevant data – several key market research projects are done there; Austria and Switzerland are latecomers, but they’re starting to do experiential outdoor executions, mainly through our German office. BG: What is ‘good video content’ and where do you distribute it? PFD: From the early days of video, we’ve been involved in what good content looks like. In the past year alone, we can see how much the structure of video has changed. Today’s audience will watch your video most probably on a social platform like Facebook. So this means it’s in a very busy environment, it’s autoplaying and silent. Therefore, a good video today has to capture the interest of your audience without using sound, in a very cluttered environment. That’s very different to the heyday of
TV; it’s about being loud in a different way and it influences everything from the actual execution to how it will be distributed. Where do you put your video to make it a success? If it’s good, you can promote it using just a press release, or believe in viral engagement. If it’s not very good, you have to put it up on places such as YouTube in a ‘must- see format’ like a pre-roll, which you can’t skip. Non-skippable is the solution of choice when the content is poor. BG: How does storytelling work best nowadays? PFD: It’s a very interesting area, because again this depends on what’s seen as ‘good content’ and the impact it has on how you tell stories. The traditional storytelling curve of a Hollywood movie, which has been adopted by many other stories, means that you build tension that peaks about 70% of the way in and then develops the resolution for the rest of the story. It’s the classic storytelling curve. In videos today, in social on the smart phone, you have to engage people from the very first second. And we also know from all our research, if you want people to engage with your content and to share it with their network, you have to be on a high at the end as well. So that’s a transformation of the storytelling curve. BG: How do you predict or measure which content really works? PFD: We use emotional recognition tools and technology, such as Unruly ShareRank and Realeyes, to help us predict shareability. We then use this data in combination with our own data to inform our approach to content distribution. Emotional recognition through webcams shows us how people react: are they happy, are they sad, are they curious, or what are they? We track that and then we use it to inform our creative composition and also to inform our distribution. This measurement method has a bigger impact on distribution. 22 New way of storytelling ‘Hollywood’ storytelling curve Storytelling curve for branded content Source: Palle Finderup Diederichsen
Storytelling # Interview with Jobst Benthues, Managing Director, RedSeven Entertainment GmbH by Sandra Freisinger-Heinl Many brands would like to tap into the high reach of TV with their own successful show using a branded content format. Jobst Benthues, Managing Director of RedSeven Entertainment GmbH, explains how this works and tells us the winning factors to bear in mind when creating branded entertainment for TV. BOBCM Germany (BG): How do you develop successful branded entertainment for TV? Jobst Benthues (JB): It’s all about good content – always. Every successful TV programme is also a suitable vehicle to carry a branded promotional story. So it makes sense to bring the experience of a TV production company into the mix when developing your branded content initiative. Previously, ideas often came from advertising agencies. Now, branded content formats are being developed and produced by the professionals who already specialise in making TV shows – we call it media created by media experts. Most importantly, this process needs to focus on content, and that requires an insider
approach so that the TV programme is produced in the right way for the relevant brand. This is essential for success. Ideally, a show with a branded content format should also work without a brand. Just like a normal TV show, the branded content has to excite the viewers. A good example of this is ‘Maybelline Make-Up School’ for L’Oréal, which airs every year alongside the show ‘Germany’s next Topmodel’. For more than 10 years now, this branded content programme has been more or less as successful as the model casting show itself. Why? In Maybelline Make-Up School, celebrity make-up artist Boris Entrup gives beauty advice by presenting the latest looks from Germany’s next Topmodel on models from the cast. This entertains and reaches L’Oréal’s precise target group. However, Maybelline Make-Up School would also be interesting to young girls if it didn’t have the branded element – that’s what makes it so successful. BG: What are the key factors to bear in mind during the format development process? JB: You need to start with a strong programme idea. TV broadcasters decide on new formats by establishing the specific challenges of certain time slots. TV production companies work out the best kind of format to use in each slot. Then the brand comes into play. What appeal does the brand contribute? Which key messages should be communicated? And – most importantly – would a viewer also watch the show if it’s a broadcast without a brand association, in a normal TV format? The format of a branded content show has to be appropriate for the broadcaster and the brand, and it has to work on multiple levels. It has to be created in a way that enables the show (and therefore the brand) to achieve maximum reach and that you can extend across social media and second screen. BG: How do you make TV viewers enthusiastic about a branded content format and a brand? JB: With branded content, you can create the same incentive to view as with normal TV shows. The viewer of an advertorial-style show can feel entertained and informed in the same way as they do when watching any TV show. One example of this is ‘Fiat Urban Stories’, a lifestyle TV show featuring the iconic Fiat 500 car. In the show, popular German TV presenter Annemarie Carpendale interviews various interesting people – artists, comedians, musicians, athletes – in various cities, inside a roving Fiat 500 car. This show married interesting content with the right celebrity 24
presenter and a twist on distribution – different episodes were broadcast on women’s TV channel sixx and on men’s channel ProSieben MAXX. (You can read a case study about this branded content marketing campaign here.) Ultimately, you shouldn’t differentiate between branded entertainment and other entertainment on TV. You must approach the development of branded content with the same rigour as producing Germany’s next Topmodel, The Taste, or other TV shows. Only then will you reach a large audience and the right kind of viewers for a specific brand. 25
# It seems like the online video content business is finally coming of age. YouTube has been the global incumbent for a decade, and now Facebook and Twitter are about to kick off their crusade into the online video territory. The same goes for live streaming platforms: Twitch.TV has offered streaming services to up-and-coming game casters since the early 2000s. But it was not until 2014 that ecommerce giant Amazon bought the platform for roughly US$1billion, shortly before complementary streaming services like YouNow, Meerkat and Twitter’s Periscope were about to become popular. In this age of online video, marketers usually have one big question: “How do we produce great integrated web content that will lead to increased awareness for our brand?” Well, the answer is: “It depends on who you ask.” By Ronald Horstman, Managing Director, Studio71 & Board Member of Collective Studio71 and Marco Knies, Head of Production & Branded Entertainment, Studio71
At Studio71, we usually recommend asking your prospective audience – and by asking we mean watch, listen and learn. In our experience, the first step to creating great web content is to define a specific target group, go where they are and watch what they watch, listen to their conversations and learn what they like so far and would like to see in the future. To most marketers looking deeper into branded online video content, the target audiences are generation Y or the so-called millennials. Born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s, this demographic cohort grew up as digital natives who use computers, smart phones and online tools like social media platforms almost intuitively. Millennial teenagers born in the late 1990s and early 2000s are especially interesting to brands, since they’re used to all kinds of online communication tools, they like to interact with each other and like-minded peers online, and they express themselves through their social media profiles. By doing so, they have tremendous influence on their peer group, but also on the rest of the (older) online communities. The social media reach of some of these millennials has grown so rapidly that they’ve become social influencers. Nicknames such as ‘Pewdiepie’, ‘Rhett&Link’, ‘dFashion’, ‘Sarazar’, ‘MissesVlog’ or ‘Dner’ might not be familiar to you, but to your kids these influencers are more important than well-known bands or movie actors, which makes them extremely valuable to brands that want to reach the young millennial target group. So if you ask your teenage audience what or who makes great web content, there’s a fair chance that the answer will be “Kelly aka MissesVlog” – well, at least if you live in Germany. As a brand creating content for the web, this means you should think about collaborating with influential creators that match your brand values and have a high reach in your preferred target group. Usually, these creators have huge social media followings on YouTube and complementary platforms such as Facebook, 27 “Define a target group, go where they are, watch what they watch, listen to their conversations, learn what they like so far and would like to see in the future.” “The social media reach of some of these millennials has grown so rapidly that they’ve become social influencers.”
Twitter and Snapchat, which helps co-branded content travel quickly and far across these different platforms. Audiences can be informed via different channels that new episodes are online and, thus, be reached on any given social network they prefer. If you work with social influencers, authenticity is the overall paradigm. These people became popular because of the way they are and the content they create. Changing either of those two factors with a branded content campaign will very likely result in negative audience feedback – remember, you want access to their community. Therefore, we usually come up with a creative concept that’s based on the brand’s core values, but realised in a way that’s oriented towards the influential creator’s style of presentation. In 2014, gaming publisher Ubisoft and their agency Maxus Global wanted to promote the new FarCry4 release, an open-world game taking place in Kyrat, a fictional country based on Nepal. They were looking for social influencers to reach the gaming community as well as more mainstream audiences. Together, we came up with a branded content idea that offered both: the biggest German gamers and Let’s Players Gronkh and Sarazar also operate a travel channel on YouTube called ‘DieSuperhomies’, showing them as they explore fascinating countries and share their spectacular experiences. This was the perfect match. We sent the two top-tier social influencers to Nepal with our camera crew to explore the country and compare the real-world locations to the fictional game sets. In four 20-minute, FarCry4-branded episodes, the Superhomies discovered ancient Kathmandu, rafted through the powerful current of Trishuli River, paraglided across stunning Lake Pokhara and took a helicopter flight to the heady heights of Mount Everest – all enabled by and related to FarCry4, but very subtly and only on occasions that editorially justified the cross-promotion. Community feedback was overwhelming: over 1.2 million video views in the first couple of weeks, over 5,000 comments, more than 60,000 likes on YouTube alone – and yes, 337 dislikes. This example demonstrates perfectly the nature of branded content on YouTube: even though the four videos were labeled as advertising for reasons of legally sound transparency, the audience didn’t mind at all – on the contrary, the community even celebrated the candid announcement at the beginning of the first video, showing Ubisoft as the enabler of such great content as part of the FarCry4 campaign. Releasing branded content in top-tier creator channels is of course the supreme discipline if you are focusing on short-term campaigns. Many brands aiming for longer-term relationships with their customers ask us to create and push their own brand channels. There’s a difference between owning an online video channel and having a proper content strategy for this channel. To be successful, most channels need a programming schedule of one or two videos per week to make their audience come back regularly. While the usual recommendation in terms of video length is six to eight minutes, content can be shorter or 28 “If you work with social influencers, authenticity is the overall paradigm.”
longer as long as viewers keep watching for more than half of the episode’s running time. On YouTube, for example, most brands monitor subscribers and video views, but the real KPI is watch time, at least when it comes to search optimisation. The longer your audience watches, the more relevant your content seems to be and the higher your videos are ranked by the algorithm for video recommendations that pushes traffic into your channel. One of the most successful German brand channels on YouTube, especially among millennial teenagers, is CokeTV. After the first season of CokeTV, Coca-Cola Germany and their lead agency Ogilvy & Mather came to us to push the channel even further. “The community even celebrated the candid announcement at the beginning of the first video, showing Ubisoft as the enabler of such great content.” 29 “Keep your audience entertained and you will grow.” Source: www.studio71.com
Source: Coca-Cola Deutschland Press Release, 13 July 2015 Together, we tried something new and built a format that rocketed the brand’s YouTube channel to over 200,000 subscribers and more than 13 million video views just 17 months after its creation, with an average watch time of over 50%. Popular German YouTuber Dner hosts the weekly CokeTVMoments episodes during which CokeTV enables community members and fellow YouTubers to enjoy unique experiences together with Dner for the very first time. The audience engages deeply with the weekly content by posting their own CokeTVMoment wishes, hoping to be picked for one of the next episodes. CokeTVMoments have included swimming with sea lions, building igloos almost 3,000 metres above sea level and learning how to free run. The six- to 10-minute format perfectly reflects the brand’s drivers of happiness – things like being active, being together, giving to others, trying new things and living in the moment. However, the way the format is produced is far from a corporate commercial. Every aspect of production is influenced by the way video bloggers create content, while at the same time making sure the production values follow Coca-Cola’s high quality standards. The question remains: “How do you produce great integrated web content that will lead to increased awareness for your brand?” 30 “Every aspect of production is influenced by the way video bloggers create content, while at the same time making sure the production values follow Coca-Cola’s high quality standards.”
Well, the answer still is: “It depends on who you ask.” But if you ask us as a global, multi-channel network, our experiences with creators and all kinds of social influencers, with brands and branded content production show that there seem to be five key aspects to bear in mind: 31
Storytelling # Interview with Preethi Mariappan, Executive Creative Director, Razorfish Germany by Sandra Freisinger-Heinl BOBCM Germany (BG): What brand objectives can be solved by branded content? Preethi Mariappan (PM): Content can be used to drive brand reputation and thought leadership. It can be used to connect to a new audience that you need to open up and engage. Ultimately though, content has to serve a business objective and drive results. I think we’re all trying to find ways to deliver a seamless content- to-commerce journey. These are all viable objectives when we consider branded content. However, I don’t think we should be fencing in branded content to an exclusive set of objectives. It’s a fairly new phenomenon and we’ll probably see many different approaches for different brands. Branded content aligns to brand purpose for the long term. I think the big question we need to be asking here is: “What is the value I deliver as a brand with my content, how will it help me engage my customers or form a community, and how does it serve my brand mission?” BG: What are the key factors to consider for content creation and distribution? PM: Creativity in content hinges on understanding the zeitgeist and the cultural context of your audience.
Co-creating with your own customers, fans and influencers is obviously key for acceptance and sharing. You need to assess where people are already engaged with your brand topics, or identify a need for it. If you want to belong to a group, you have to hear what the group is talking about – and have something relevant to say – in order to participate. If we look at our client IKEA, we see that interior and home decor is a huge topic on the web and within their community. With IKEA Hej, we co- create content actively with the community and influencers whose voices matter. The brand experience is democratised and shared, driving an uptake in leads. Also, a distributed content approach means you need to think about creating content that feels native to the platform and to how people consume and share. Think Pinterest versus LinkedIn. Or YouTube versus Vine. For instance, we launched IKEA’s street art poster collection with a live event streamed to Instagram where there is a natural affinity for this type of content. Sometimes I see a good piece of content, but then companies end up sharing the same thing on Facebook, YouTube, et cetera. I think ‘spray and pray’ as a tactic simply doesn’t work. BG: Any specifications on the type of content to use? PM: Content specifications are very specific to the brand and its objectives. A content mix is a healthy approach, from fan-based or user- created content, to influencer- or brand-created. The same applies to the format mix from video and visual to editorial. Or choosing when or how to mix snackable, mobile-first content pieces with long-form content, whether video or editorial. A sound strategy and editorial calendar needs to underpin great creative content. 33
Also, people don’t care for one awesome piece of content if you’re hoping for engagement beyond simple views. You need to consider an ‘always on’ content approach. I think the influencer piece is the newest formula within branded content – for instance, working with YouTubers or Instagrammers relevant for the brand. These are the ‘new celebrities’; producing content together with them is the ‘new TV’. This also changed how we think about creative content crafting. Today, content needs to be real, not sugar-coated. What the content influencers create is not very crafted by marketing standards, but it’s authentic. BG: Do you have any key statistics on brand investment in content versus media? PM: Brands in Germany often invest 20% in content and 80% in media. I think the ratio clearly needs to change to 60% in content and 40% in media at least, if we’re to create purposeful sticky content and start relying less on a media push-type approach. But actually it needs to be about content and distribution, not content and media! We need to stop thinking of content, media and distribution in silos to be truly effective. I think we’re still learning how to do this within both agencies and client organisations, since this calls for new structures, processes and ways of working together between multiple partners. 34
# What’s the secret of successful and outstanding brands? What do Apple, Coca-Cola, BMW and the like have in common? Sure, they all provide good technological, tasty, or stylish products, but there is an emotional dimension about them as well. These brands have ‘fans’ – the ‘fans of the brands’ who love to engage with them. Engagement is the buzzword and seems to be one of the key factors to success in branded content. But how can you trigger engagement? Branded content can support the connection of fans to a brand and can help to increase the fanbase in certain ways, for example by working with celebrities, sharing social and real events. And there’s another factor to branded content that seems to be highly effective: music. Music provides unique user experiences. It’s all about creating inspiring moments to link consumers to a brand. So music can be this ‘connective element’ to create relevant actions for the core business of the brand. This is best explained by using a prominent example, the MINI car brand. For the launch of the MINI John Cooper Works model, the British band ‘The Vaccines’ was chosen as a partner. The band appeared in the TV commercial, in person and with their hit single ‘Handsome’. Subsequently, the campaign was extended into the area of social By Lars Bendix Düysen, Vice President Brand Partnership Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Sony Music Entertainment Germany
media and branded entertainment. Fans could apply to win a ‘money-can’t-buy moment’ and to meet the band who played a secret concert. The band met with a super-fan to hand over concert tickets and even a birthday cake. Afterwards, the fan had the chance to play a song with the band at the show. That was all filmed and captured as a ‘MINI Moment’. To show how this works, let’s take a closer look at the overarching idea ‘MINI meets Music' with the ‘MINI Blockbuster' modules and ‘MINI Moments’ branded content. The objective is to integrate the MINI car brand with the digital lifestyle of the band. MINI should become a native part of this world. To this end, a 12-month marketing plan was developed. The aim of the cooperation between MINI and Sony Music was always to strengthen MINI’s core business, hence the launch dates of new MINI models were taken into consideration while developing the marketing plan. Sony Music Brand Partnership & Music Licensing aligned closely with agencies working for MINI. During a joint set-up meeting for MINI meets Music, Sony Music’s marketing managers presented artists that fit the MINI brand challenges and needs. 1. MINI Blockbuster The agency Mediaplus, Serviceplan Group conceived the basic media concept MINI Blockbuster. This focused on traditional media in the ‘Blockbuster TV time slot’ on ProSieben. Via a TV spot, viewers were asked to send in to Instagram photos of urban places a MINI car should drive past, to help create a new spot for the MINI John Cooper Works. To make this call for content ‘sexy’, Sony asked The Vaccines to participate in it. To activate even more User Generated Content (UGC), the band encouraged the audience to send in their photos. Great feedback on Instagram and cool photos were received to create the MINI TV spot that included The Vaccines again. 36
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2. MINI Moments The story continues. Being advised by Sony Music, The Vaccines informed fans, via social media and Berlin Radio FluxFM, about a secret gig for just 70 people taking place in a trendy location, the Monkey Bar at the Twentyfive Hours Hotel in Berlin. Now it gets even more interesting, because this activity generated the highest level of customer engagement with the MINI brand from a branded content campaign. Fans of The Vaccines could apply to attend the gig by sending a video message on YouTube, telling the community why they “desperately need to be there”, and they could name a friend to go with them. One of the fans, Theo, was having his 18th birthday on the day of the gig and was “dying to see the band”. First of all, he received a refusal. But secretly Sony contacted his friend to play a trick on super-fan Theo. Theo’s friends arrived at his home in a MINI John Cooper Works that had hidden cameras in it. As they drove along, one of the stars of The Vaccines announced on radio FluxFM that Theo was in fact a VIP guest for the gig that evening. Later, Theo got to play the guitar with the band. To drive awareness for the MINI Moments branded content, Sony Music provided MINI with access to Sony digital platforms with wide reach, such as Spotify and Sony’s Music’s own digital brand Filtr Germany that generates millions of views every month. In addition, a Spotify Playlist for every MINI model was created. 3. The constant noise On top of those special initiatives, MINI uses music and content as a tool to generate constant ‘noise’ throughout the year. Sony also provides gig tickets and merchandise on MINI’s brand channels in order to foster ongoing communication with their customers. The MINI example illustrates several possible tools and activation routes to consider when using music as a highly effective connective factor in branded content. Music and branded entertainment are emotional triggers for engagement. Music fans can become fans of an associated brand if you give them the opportunity to love and engage with the brand. That’s the total opposite of using pushy, price- based communication. 38
# By Oliver Dietrich, Director Creative & Conception, SevenOne AdFactory GmbH, who implemented MINI Blockbuster on TV 39 1. What was special about MINI Blockbuster on ProSieben? What was unique about the concept was that we managed to combine social media and TV, and therefore implemented the first transmedia TV spot in Germany. This was done with a particular look and sound that strengthened the qualities of the MINI John Cooper Works. It was a creative idea for a creative brand, which worked well on all relevant platforms, as it was new and connecting different media. An additional effect was that we inspired a target group of young people who are usually far away from TV to watch TV. 2. What was your part in developing the concept? The starting position was the insight that a typical TV commercial is not sufficient for an exceptional car. We had to do something new, something played across all platforms and something trendy. So we connected the advantages and the competence of Instagram with the advantages of TV commercials and with the large reach of TV. It was about bringing together great, individual and authentic pictorial worlds and emotional video storytelling, to share it and to show it. Combined with great music and a band that was new, innovative and hip, we brought together the different components as a whole, as an authentic MINI Blockbuster. The result was real innovation. 3. How did you encourage the target group to participate using photos on Instagram? The MINI John Cooper Works is a legend - fans didn’t have to be tempted to show their loyalty and love. But they had to know where to participate and how to become part of the MINI campaign, which was achieved by our multimedia call for content. This was made possible by targeting the call via the whole network of relevant platforms and channels at ProSiebenSAT.1 Media Group. This variety of media enabled tailored cross-linkage, especially during the important period of the call for pictures.
# If you’re reading this article, you’ve made a big step towards successful content marketing: you’re thinking about distribution. Far too often the ‘marketing’ aspect of content marketing is left behind or completely forgotten. Producing valuable and relevant content is only half the story. Without a strategic plan for the distribution and investment in audience reach, content will remain unseen and without impact. Currently, content marketing is one of the most popular topics in marketing. However companies often really struggle to define adequate KPIs for content measurement, or they just overestimate what they can actually achieve. Fragmentation of media consumption, rejection of advertising and the use of ad blockers, low visibility of display ads – whatever the problem, content is supposed to be the cure, providing brands with highly involved target groups – and, of course, free reach on top! Sorry to say, folks, this is not quite the case. By Thorsten Peters, Managing Director Creation, pilot Hamburg and Frauke Driedger, Head of Consulting Creation, pilot Hamburg
What's the ‘right’ content for my target group?  As more advertisers produce content, more and more of it will compete for consumers’ attention. Hence, to ensure visibility, brands need to develop a distribution strategy. This strategy needs to be developed at an early stage, incorporating the question “What specific content is relevant for the chosen target groups?” Brands tend to decide this using their current knowledge of their target groups, however sound research is highly advisable. Often, the content is produced first and only later in the process questions regarding its distribution arise. This misses out on the huge potential of the interface between media and creative. If distribution and content creation are strategically developed together and closely interlinked, the content can be optimised for the defined channels, their requirements and usage. 
 The best content distribution strategy? Work on it!  An ideal distribution strategy needs to be developed individually for each brand and concept. The starting point should be the brand’s content marketing goals and the target group. What media channels and devices do they use? In which situations and what for? Only after these questions are answered can distribution channels and efficient measures be defined.  
 Owned, paid and earned media - deal with it!  An ideal distribution strategy always consists of owned, paid and earned media, each used to a different extent depending on the brand’s goals.  Owned media is the starting point of every content distribution process. The brand’s website, social media channels, a newsletter, offline touchpoints such as point of sale – every additional touchpoint with the target group increases the content’s visibility and scalability. However, not every channel is suitable for every piece of content. Questions that need to be answered include: What brand channels already exist? Are they appropriate? Are new channels needed and if so which ones? Then, interaction between the different channels should be clearly defined. Content hubs can help further to aggregate the content and connect the various channels. However, owned media by itself cannot yet guarantee high visibility. Investment in paid media is vital to secure the content’s reach and guarantees a good balance between production costs and reach. Especially during a campaign’s launch, paid media should be used to leverage the reach of both owned and earned media. The budget for paid media should be determined with regard to the goals, the target group and the size of existing owned communities. In terms of measurement, all standard online marketing metrics are generally suitable to use for branded content. However, it’s crucial that the content is in the spotlight, not the brand. 41
Long-term collaboration with partners is also very important. Multipliers and media partners who embed and share your branded content online will strengthen the content’s acceptance and credibility with consumers. For smaller budgets and target groups, it’s best to increase the content’s visibility on owned media channels (e.g. using social media advertising) that establish long-term customer relationships. To broaden the reach further, digital advertising should be used – for example, live streaming inside display ads, as used for the distribution of ‘Webers großes Grillfest’. 
 A bit of fine-tuning While owned and paid media can be planned, earned media – whereby consumers feel compelled to share your content peer to peer – is not really calculable. However, brands can ensure maximum dissemination by making content easily shareable online and across mobile devices, and by establishing good relationships with relevant multipliers, such as bloggers and aggregators. By individually addressing their needs and interests, brands can build up high engagement and increase the amount of earned media. For example, consider using multipliers to distribute personalised content as part of the content production process. As individual as content distribution may be, the most important aspect is to actually consider content distribution full stop, and to consider it at an early stage in your plans for branded content marketing. This is the only way to ensure that relevant content gets the attention it deserves – and finally does the job!  42
In 2014, Deutsche Telekom merged all its mobile, broadband, phone and home entertainment services into one new product called 'MagentaEINS'. This move was driven on one hand by the desire to increase convenience for customers and, on the other, by the fact that customers perceive those services more and more as a single unit, representing the day-to-day usage of individuals and families, rather than separate products. Telekom asked DDB Hamburg to create a marketing campaign to promote this new offering. 44
DDB came up with a branded content idea: to develop a movie series about a family who would experience all the Deutsche Telekom products within their daily life – like so many other families in Germany do. 'Familie Heins' was born. Together with production company UFA, scriptwriter Johannes Boss and well-known movie director Simon Verhoeven, DDB developed a story with episodes, each featuring a particular MagentaEINS benefit or product. 45 Each month, an episode of the Familie Heins story aired as a TV commercial, accompanied by long versions and side stories on the Familie Heins YouTube channel. (All media planning and buying was done by MediaCom.) To extend the campaign reach, the story expanded in many more day- to-day moments, creating a distinctive blur of advertising fiction and reality. For example: • One episode showed the experiences of daughter Clara Heins and her boyfriend, YouTube star Sami Slimani, at one of Telekom’s ‘Street Gig’ music events. • Two episodes showed the adventures of the Familie Heins men at the Cologne carnival – recorded that morning and broadcast as a TV commercial only a few hours later that very same day, marking a milestone in real-time advertising. • An episode made during the Queen of England’s visit to Berlin involved Clara Heins posting footage only minutes after she filmed the Queen passing by. • Another episode showed Clara Heins becoming a real cast member in the sequel to the successful German movie 'Fack Ju Göhte', together with lead actor Elyas M’Barek.
46 "Our plan was to create a family that’s different from other ad families. The special thing about Familie Heins is that we’ve invented genuine characters, as used in fiction storytelling. Each of the family members has a special backstory with likes, needs, historical events, etc. This gives us endless possibilities for our storytelling.” Karsten Ruddigkeit, Executive Creative Director, DDB Hamburg
47 "With the changed behaviour in media usage as one strong driver, the importance of content-based communication has increased massively. With our campaign 'MagentaEINS' featuring our cast 'Familie Heins', we are consistently following this direction by managing the distribution of our own video content in various channels – for example, social media platforms, digital adverts, TV commercials, as well as our own web platforms and social media channels. For us, the close conjunction of paid and earned media has become one of the key success factors.” Philipp Friedel, Senior Vice President Market Communication, Deutsche Telekom Each main episode of the Familie Heins story underwent Telekom’s standard advertising material test. The results regarding power of attention, acceptance, product understanding, interest in information, interest in usage, purchase intention and brand fit shattered all benchmarks. In addition, positive effects on Telekom’s overall brand monitor were achieved.
Fiat Germany was looking for an original and authentic TV content partnership to promote the Fiat 500 and the new Fiat 500 CULT in 2014. The campaign needed to embody the Italian spirit at heart, but without using any clichés, and include a strategy to target both female and male audiences successfully. 49
Fiat Germany and its agency partner SevenOne AdFactory worked together to develop a modern, fun-to-watch, magazine- style branded TV programme – ‘Fiat Urban Stories’. The idea involved well-known TV host Annemarie Carpendale meeting fascinating real people, such as artists, magicians and athletes, who were living their dream in the big city. She would invite them into her iconic Fiat 500 – Germany’s smallest and most intimate TV studio – to talk about their passions, creating relevant, genuine stories of our time that organically involved the car. Using the ProSiebenSat.1 network’s resources and synergies, the weekly episodes were produced by in-house TV production company RedSeven, resulting in a credible editorial look and feel, and greater relevance for TV viewers. 50 The distribution activity had a special twist. In order to address the female and male target groups in the most effective way, a two-channel strategy was chosen: eight episodes of six minutes each were broadcast on sixx, Germany’s number one TV channel for women, and another eight episodes aired on men's channel ProSiebenMAXX. For sixx, the host met the likes of models, designers and photographers, while on ProSiebenMAXX she interviewed racing drivers, comedians, musicians and similar. The branded entertainment show was advertised on German mainstream TV channel ProSieben via 20-second teaser ad spots. In addition, online ads on the network’s platforms complemented the campaign. During the on-air phase, viewers were encouraged to get involved in sweepstakes (to win an appearance in an episode), social media activities and test drive opportunities on the campaign’s website. The TV episodes were also made available to watch on the site.
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52 “The ‘Fiat Urban Stories’ initiative is a great example of how to leverage the power of free TV and entertaining storytelling perfectly for our partner brands in a smart and targeted way, putting branded content at the heart of an integrated communication campaign.” Petra Kroop, Director Brand Integration, SevenOne AdFactory The unique, true-life storytelling in this branded entertainment campaign was the optimal solution for the iconic Fiat 500, in order to set up a new and effective communication strategy with the brand’s potential customers.
Dell is very well known as a manufacturer of great value laptops and desktop computers.  However, half its business revenue comes from providing IT infrastructure products, such as servers and related expertise, to corporate IT departments. In summer 2014, Dell Germany challenged its agency partner MediaCom Germany to get Dell’s corporate IT solutions on the consideration lists of the country’s IT Decision Makers (ITDMs). The overriding objective was to generate 12,000 leads within this hard-to-convince B2B audience. The first problem was that B2B marketing to ITDMs is very different to B2C marketing to your typical consumer. Not only are B2B purchases based more on logic than emotion, but also – particularly when it comes to critical infrastructure such as IT – businesses tend to have a set-in-stone, preferred supplier purchasing process to streamline time and costs. New suppliers have a long furrow to plough, working extra hard to earn ITDMs’ trust just to get on the consideration list, let alone make a sale. The bottom line is that the key budget holder is highly risk averse, brand loyal and reluctant to change. This led to the second problem: MediaCom’s research revealed that Dell wasn’t seen as a relevant or trusted brand, particularly among Germany’s important medium-sized businesses. The brand wasn’t even on the consideration list for the vast majority of ITDMs, lagging behind HP and IBM. Consideration levels for Dell were stuck at 27%, just above half the level of its main competitors who both scored 52%. And the final problem was that Dell hadn’t ever spoken to this ITDM audience. The lack of dialogue had allowed prejudice to grow, and Dell was widely seen as an American company that didn’t understand the German market. 54
To help develop a campaign strategy, MediaCom spent hours talking and listening to ITDMs. This led to the earth-shattering discovery that ITDMs weren’t even the key target market! Most ITDMs don’t actually know that much about IT – IT equipment is just one more thing to buy, alongside company cars and managing the facilities. ITDMs rely on an informal network of IT colleagues to advise them, with administrators being the critical link in the chain.   IT administrators are the savvy people who maintain IT infrastructure every day. They deal with error messages, tricky software updates, and – most challenging of all – the frustration of being surrounded by computer illiterates. MediaCom realised that showing IT administrators that Dell understood their pain was crucial to building a better relationship and starting to get Dell more involved in the purchase decision-making journey.  From this insight came the inspiration to develop a branded content marketing campaign that would make Dell part of the IT administrators’ daily world in an engaging and entertaining way. Dell would become the heartbeat of a new community where IT administrators could tell each other how they felt about the rest of the office, enabling them to let off steam. MediaCom Beyond Advertising and their production partner Hogarth created a 16- webisode sitcom, telling the day-to-day stories and struggles that only IT administrators could truly understand. The campaign message was “Life is Tough Enough, Take IT easy”. 55
The sitcom was promoted through ads on Germany’s most popular IT websites, as well as tightly targeted Facebook video ads and blogger outreach. These promotions connected people to a new Dell ‘Tough Enough’ Tumblr page created for the campaign, where IT administrators could create memes, contribute their stories of the ‘Dumbest Assumable User’ (DAU) in their companies, and use the bespoke DAU generator to turn their stories into gif images that could be shared.  Integrated with Facebook and Twitter, the highly visual campaign site was a magnet for the funniest stories that IT administrators could provide, ranging from users who couldn’t type in their passwords to those who didn’t know that home Wi-Fi wouldn’t work outside the home…  In addition, free merchandise, such as mugs and buzzers featuring the worst DAU stories, was offered to IT administrators who provided their contact details in return – fulfilling the aim of generating meaningful leads. Finally, the Tumblr site was linked to Dell’s business website that ran interviews with IT administrators talking about the challenges they faced in their daily lives. ITDMs weren’t completely forgotten: carefully targeted print and outdoor ads designed to reach them on business trips invited them to peek behind the IT door; and QR codes encouraged them to connect with the campaign content. 56
57 In only four months, the Dell ‘Tough Enough’ campaign resulted in:
58 “The Dell ‘Tough Enough’ campaign was so successful because, rather than talking to the target audience about servers or back-end infrastructure, we created branded content that entertained them while still enabling them to relate to the brand. We made them laugh and, most importantly, we also made it easy for them to share their own stories.” Norman Wagner, Managing Partner, MediaCom Beyond Advertising, Germany The innovative Dell ‘Tough Enough’ campaign won a bevy of awards in 2015, including two gold awards at the Global Festival of Media Awards (for Best Targeted Campaign and Best Community Development), and a silver Cannes Media Lion. As we go to publication, it’s also the most shortlisted campaign overall at the M&M Global Awards. It produced a whole host of positive benefits for the brand, even more laudable given the B2B category and the brand’s low starting point for consideration by IT administrators. The first episode of the sitcom was the most successful Facebook IT category post ever. In one week, it generated more than 120,000 organic views, 3,000 shares and more than 1,000 comments.  The campaign merchandise became a must-have for IT administrators. It generated over 15,000 qualified business leads, saving Dell more than 50% on the normal cost per lead and beating the campaign target by 25%.  Within a very short space of time, thanks to this campaign, Dell has joined the IT conversation in Germany and is now a genuine contender the next time its target audience considers a new hardware purchase. Dell and MediaCom are the throes of extending the campaign with a follow-up that’s due to go live as we go to publication in September 2015, making use of the same sitcom characters and involving the 213,000-strong IT community with a new sales twist.
For their 2015 promotional Easter campaign, Germany’s leading consumer electronics retailer, Media Markt, was looking for a new and innovative approach. Media Markt’s aim was to increase awareness during the Easter period and tempt customers into their stores. In order to cut through the clutter and differentiate from the numerous other Easter promotions, the campaign had to be smart, bold and entertaining. 60
Together with Ogilvy and Endemol Beyond, Media Markt developed a unique live sports event: the Media Markt ‘Rabbit Race’ (Das große Osterhasen-Rasen). The idea: 10 rabbits, wearing the starting numbers 0 to 9, would compete in a sprint race series hosted by the popular sports commentator Frank Buschmann. To encourage Media Markt customers to get behind the Rabbit Race, every Media Markt shopping receipt doubled as an official betting slip. For example, if you had a receipt number ending in a ‘4’, you backed rabbit number four. There were three two-minute-long race broadcasts on 1, 2 and 4 April 2015, and it paid off to cheer for your rabbit each time – customers whose receipt numbers matched the winning bunny’s number received 50 percent cashback on their purchase in the form of a Media Markt voucher. The rabbits were presented as celebrity characters with fun names to help trigger conversation and support among the general public. From aging superstar Turboflausch, to bad boy athlete Der Zermöhrer and adrenalin junkie mountaineer Puschel to the Limit, the rabbits took on popular personas and fans were able to find out details of their special dietary habits, career profiles, music preferences and more. Of course, the rabbits also had a (real life) professional trainer caring for them. 61
In a media first, the Rabbit Race series was broadcast live during prime time ad breaks on the nine leading German free-to-air TV stations (SAT.1, ProSieben, kabel eins, RTL, SUPER RTL, RTL NITRO, VOX, n-tv and the Disney Channel) simultaneously, as well as online on YouTube’s homepage, the Media Markt website and Germany’s most popular news site Bild.de. In addition to the Race series itself, there was an integrated communication campaign using traditional advertising, PR and social media. In the weeks before the live event, the Rabbit Race was heavily promoted with complementary branded content – such as profiles of each rabbit, collectors’ cards, training insight, celebrity interviews and press conferences with the rabbits, behind-the- scenes reports, and other interactive, engaging elements – which was shared across social media by fans. Media Markt also responded to social media comments during and after the event, including posting personal greeting cards online for supporters. 62
# 63 “The Rabbit Race is yet more proof of Media Markt’s creative innovation: Germany’s biggest supplier of consumer electronics is itself becoming an entertainer and turning a promotional campaign into a sporting event for the whole family.” Felix Fenz, Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather
64 “The courage to create and implement an outstandingly unique idea, and most especially the perfect synchronisation of all the service providers involved, were the two factors of major importance for the success of our Rabbit Race campaign. Our creative agency Ogilvy developed the spectacular design of the idea, which immediately thrilled us. Also, we decided to simulcast the Rabbit Race live on Germany’s major private TV channels – something that has never been done in this way before. The implementation of the live race was carried out smoothly in collaboration with Endemol Beyond. I’m convinced that the professionalism of all our partners, as well as the collective enthusiasm for the Rabbit Race, drove its exceptional success.” Thomas Hesse, Head of Marketing, Media Markt Germany, redblue Marketing GmbH The Rabbit Race concept combined branded content marketing with real-time advertising, resulting in much more than a traditional advertising campaign alone would have delivered – this became a national sports entertainment event and a media first. From this innovative initiative, Media Markt generated strong awareness during the busy Easter period, a significant sales impact, and an enhanced reputation as a forward-thinking brand that understands how to entertain and connect with its market.
The problem: young people are generally not at all interested in insurance and diseases. Nevertheless, this young target group is very important to Techniker Krankenkasse, Germany’s major health insurance company. It wants to be part of its clients’ lives from the beginning. Techniker Krankenkasse understood that brands could learn a lot from talented, young YouTubers – all the more when the business objective is to build up long-term, authentic relationships with people on social platforms. For that reason, Techniker Krankenkasse – together with Google and endemol beyond – developed a concept for a branded content marketing campaign that uses the strengths of the YouTube platform in an intelligent way and coincidentally speaks the language of the young target group. The idea was to provide a virtual home for everyone who’s confronted with drawbacks in their health during their early years, and to populate it with real-life stories from young people who had addressed their health issues with help from their community. Called #wireinander, the campaign started with the creation and production of videos of 66
six popular German YouTubers, each providing an emotional account of their personal health story, such as a teenage girl dealing with depression, a young man having to change his dream of becoming a surgeon after a devastating bike accident, and an aspiring street dancer overcoming a serious back injury. A microsite for the campaign was built and populated with the video clips, a Twitter feed, links to Instagram and Facebook, health advice from Techniker Krankenkasse and more related content – including video stories from the YouTubers’ fans, filmed on the streets of major cities across Germany. Techniker Krankenkasse also ran a competition for site visitors, raffling off a blue box containing one item from each of the six YouTubers. The campaign launched in November 2014. Aside from distribution via the campaign website, the video clips were posted on the real video bloggers’ personal YouTube channels which had wide coverage. The clips followed the unwritten rules of YouTube and communicated Techniker Krankenkasse’s involvement transparently. The YouTubers provided additional creative value by encouraging their young communities to speak up and share their own stories using the hashtag #wireinander. The campaign was also supported by TV and print advertising. Once set in motion, the campaign hashtag became a virtual movement for the younger generation that continues to share its stories in this way today. 67
Every day, thousands of young people share their health-related stories using #wireinander across multiple social media platforms. The first part of the campaign has already exceeded expectations (the second part is still running as we go to publication), thanks to a coherent overall concept and a well-conceived distribution process. A Google Brand Lift survey reported that the #wireinander campaign achieved the most successful results of any YouTube campaign in Germany’s finance sector during all of 2014. 68 “Storytelling is a good way to not just reach but also touch and involve target groups on an emotional level. It is important to us to find authentic stories and not to interfere with the way the protagonist wants to tell his or her personal story. Being able to share the campaign's message via the YouTubers' own channels helped us to engage with the target group and led to a lot of dialogues. The brand awareness and acceptance in the target group increased significantly.” Nina Voncken, Social Media Manager, Techniker Krankenkasse “The USP of the #wireinander campaign was the connection of YouTube stars’ emotional, far-reaching stories and the genuine integration of the Techniker Krankenkasse brand. The hashtag #wireinander served as the basis of digital communication, and enabled all users to participate directly and interactively in the campaign.” Thomas Spiller, Head of Brand Solutions, endemol beyond
Every spring, barbecue master Weber traditionally welcomes the season by running dealer events in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. There, at the point of sale, barbecue enthusiasts watch innovative product demonstrations and taste delicious food. The challenge was to transfer this event to the digital world, to make it entertaining, and to create compelling opportunities for interaction with the brand. It was focused on getting the barbecue fans emotionally connected with the brand – to inspire them by encouraging them to participate and experiment. Branded content in the format of an interactive live event offered – as opposed to traditional advertising – the optimal approach to orchestrate the barbecue theme in an urban and entertaining way, and to enter into a sustained dialogue with the target group. At the beginning of spring 2015, the interactive barbecue event ‘Webers großes Grillfest’ was launched and staged by pilot Hamburg (conception, editorial, production) and Fuenfwerken Design AG (lead agency brand and corporate design, creation, consulting and conception). The event was implemented by fischerAppelt (social media, public relations, 70 Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaGCmnznMLM
blogger relations, community management) and anyMOTION GRAPHICS GmbH who produced the campaign website and supported live streaming. Star chef Johann Lafer and Weber’s professional barbecuer Klaus Breinig showed viewers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland how to create a perfect four-course barbecue meal. Viewers were challenged to barbecue live in tandem with the professionals in their own gardens at home. The event was broadcast live on 15 March 2015 from the Berlin SAGE Club, presented by famous TV hosts Steven Gaetjen and Jeannine Michaelsen. The online barbecue event was promoted in advance through a radio and display ad campaign, teaser videos and ads in social media. The live stream of the event was presented on the Weber website and through innovative video banners in advertising spaces on Bild.de, Chefkoch.de, online newspaper and radio station home pages, so these sites’ visitors could immediately follow the barbecue show live. Even before the live event started, barbecue fans could participate in the show. A competition asked them to nominate ingredients for one of the four barbecue courses. They voted for their favourites via an online tool, and then chef Johann Lafer created a recipe from the community’s most popular choices and cooked it on the grill. Using the hashtag #WeberGrillFest, the enthusiastic barbecue community sent in photos, comments and questions during the live event, and these were collected on a social wall on the event website. The show hosts and chefs responded in real time to these posts via tablet, and they integrated them into the live event on location. The success of the ‘Webers großes Grillfest’ live interactive event was measured by reach and by engagement of the target group as evidenced by length of stay, shares, comments and interactions. The event was designed in a way that enabled freshly created and edited content, such as short recipe videos, to be used for Weber’s social channels like YouTube and Facebook directly after the live streaming. 71
The live event was advertised on radio and online, reaching more than 200 million total contacts. The four-hour live stream achieved more than two million views by sending the live signal to the target group via live streaming banners on many different media sites. Webers großes Grillfest turned out to be a resounding success and the brand was delighted with the massive interest. 72 “The live event reached more than two million contacts and was a real sensation within the participating countries – springtime couldn’t have started any better.” Marc André Palm, Marketing Director EMEA Central, Weber-Stephen Deutschland GmbH “With this innovative community event, we created substantial, relevant content for enthusiastic barbecue brand experts and new customers. Unlike using conventional advertising, with branded content Weber could establish a dialogue with the target group in an entertaining way, and inspire an emotional connection and passion for the brand.” Thorsten Peters, Managing Director Creation, pilot Hamburg
Video games are a global phenomenon – in Germany alone, there are over 29 million gamers. But this activity is increasingly eating up the younger generation’s free time, with up to 136 minutes per day spent video gaming in 2014! Toy manufacturer Hasbro decided that it was time for physical fun to fight back. The company asked agency partner OMD to help it turn digital gamers into real-life gamers using Hasbro’s NERF foam dart blaster toy brand. The challenge was to make a lost generation enthusiastic about this range of non-digital toy guns, re-energising grown-up ‘youth’ to take part in physical action and fun. 74
OMD came up with a branded content strategy based on the insight that NERF blaster action and entertainment always starts right away. There are no rules, no need for additional equipment – just immediate fun! The plan was to make people feel the fun of playing in the real world again, as well as enabling them to share this fun digitally with their friends. The hardest test would be to convince hardcore digital game fans to get involved. So OMD devised a campaign that would conquer the epicentre of the digital gamer’s world, partnering with the most famous influencers of this generation: 15 top YouTube stars gate- crashed the Gamescom international digital game fair in Cologne in 2014, equipped with NERF toy blasters. The campaign literally fired up! The whole fair became an analogue playground, proving the strength of real-life fun with NERF to the most ardent digital gamers. The Gamescom event action was recorded and instantly uploaded by the YouTube stars to their own YouTube channels, multiplying and boosting Hasbro’s real-life fun message far outside the borders of the fair itself. In addition, an integrated, sustainable wave of branded content creation was kicked off via the YouTube stars who carried on the NERF story at home. They encouraged their fans to record their own fun NERF action moments and use the hashtag #NerfNicht to share these real-life NERF action videos online with more friends. 75
The results exceeded all expectations: Most impressively, underlining the massive resonance of the campaign in the market, Hasbro sold 40%+ more NERF toy blasters than the previous year. 76 “Hasbro’s NERF branded entertainment campaign beat the digital industry with their own weapons, unlocking additional growth potential for the fun blaster range and turning it into the leading brand in Hasbro’s portfolio in Germany.” Dominik Scholta, Director, FUSE
With about 70 new car launches each year in Austria, it’s essential for a car manufacturer to accompany the launch of a new model with a unique marketing campaign that stands out from the crowd and stays in people’s minds. In addition, it’s quite a challenge to access a new target group, in particular the younger demographic, with a high-involvement product like a car. This was, however, the goal for ŠKODA Austria with its new ŠKODA Fabia model when it asked ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4 – the biggest private TV channel in Austria – to come up with a marketing campaign concept. 78
ŠKODA Austria had realised that, in order to address a new and younger target group in this competence-driven sector, they needed to reinvent the ŠKODA Fabia model as well as its marketing strategy. The car manufacturer focused on sportiness, design elements and new functionality targeting primarily young adults. But to bring the message of this new star to the public and address a completely new group of people, there’s more to it than using a traditional marketing mix. To solve these challenges, ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4 drew on their core skills – producing TV content and combining it with digital media concepts. They soon came up with the idea of co-creating a made-to-measure, branded content TV format distributed across all their media platforms, with the new ŠKODA Fabia taking the lead part: ‘Die Große Simply- Clever-Show’ was born. This pilot TV show was a 45-minute, prime- time quiz-game show hosted by one of the TV channel’s most famous faces, Norbert Oberhauser, who guided his four contestants through a game in, on and around its main character – the ŠKODA Fabia. The show was divided into three parts: quiz, action and finale. Before Norbert let the games begin, each of the players had to pick a key numbered from key 1 to 4 and positioned prominently next to the grand prize. Only one of the four keys unlocked the ŠKODA Fabia. Armed with their lucky keys, the competitors started the first round, the quiz. They had to answer multiple-choice questions on the subject of mobility, scoring points for correct answers. As well as general questions, the players had to prove their ŠKODA brand knowledge. The contestant with the lowest score had to surrender his or her key to the competitor with the most points and drop out of the contest. Welcome to part two: action. In this round, the three remaining contestants had to compete in various games around the car, such as ‘Rearview Mirror Stress Test’ or ‘Duel on the Roof’. Again, the participant with the lowest score dropped out, leaving their key to the temporary winner. During the entire show, all the viewers at home could also choose which key number they 79
thought would unlock the ŠKODA Fabia, and have a chance to win a ŠKODA Fabia Combi. In this way, the campaign featured both of the new generation ŠKODA Fabia models and generated user interaction during the live show. Viewers could either participate via phone voting or online, including posting on Facebook to encourage others to join the game. Now to the final round in which the remaining two participants tried one after the other to see if their key unlocked the car and made them its new owner. At the same time, the name of the winning viewer was shown live on the screen. The campaign was spread all over the ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4 portfolio, as well as over the ŠKODA Austria network. The four contestants were cast during the first phase of the campaign, via TV-based trailers and online ads that encouraged people to sign up for the chance to win the ŠKODA Fabia positioned prominently in the middle of the studio. ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4 also created a microsite linked to from the show’s logo on the PULS 4 homepage and directly from the various online ads. The microsite included information about the new ŠKODA Fabia and a countdown of the days to the show. A teaser ad was also placed all over the ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4 online network to encourage people to apply to participate in the show. In the second phase of the campaign, the show was promoted via a trailer running on all of the group’s TV channels, in combination with various online ads that also highlighted the live finale for viewers at home. The show itself was broadcast within a prime-time slot on a Saturday evening, on the biggest Austrian private TV channel, and shown in a re- run. In addition, a video clip of the live show was placed on the campaign microsite over a two-month period. After the show broadcast, the car was presented to the winner at the Viennese Car Salon 2015 and featured on PULS 4 morning TV show ‘Café Puls’, as well as the TV car magazine ‘Go! Das Motormagazin’. There were also various press releases from ŠKODA Austria and ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4 covering the marketing campaign and the TV programme. 80
In addition to this B2C campaign for the new ŠKODA Fabia, ŠKODA Austria searched for a way to communicate with their dealers simultaneously. So ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4, in cooperation with ŠKODA Austria, organised a full-day event for dealers on the day of Die Große Simply-Clever-Show TV shoot. Dealers were invited to PULS 4 headquarters in Vienna to meet the show’s contestants, get an exclusive look behind the scenes of a TV studio, and become part of the live studio audience. After this exciting new experience, they ended the day at an informal after-party with the crew, production partners and show participants. They were also allowed to bring family or friends, thus sharing this unique experience with their loved ones. This was a fitting end to a great collaboration where everyone felt part of the project. 81
82 “With ‘Die Große Simply-Clever- Show’ we took a certain risk, we dared to adopt a new course. We were very positively surprised about all the feedback from outside, the feedback from our dealers and sales team. We are glad that we took this risk together. In PULS 4 we found a new soulmate.” Max Egger, CEO, ŠKODA Austria
83 “One of the highlights of this project was the cooperation between our team and the PULS 4 team. If a proposal was floated, it was taken up, discussed and then – enriched with improvement – the suggestion was implemented quickly. The two teams grew together in an incredibly positive spirit with the focus always on the big picture, ‘Die Große Simply-Clever-Show’.” Mag. Thomas Diesenberger, Marketing Director, ŠKODA Austria Die Große Simply-Clever-Show was an outstanding pilot project that showed how a brand and TV programme can meld together, and create both awareness for the brand and added value for the TV channel and its audience. The campaign kickstarted sales for ŠKODA Austria and introduced the product to a younger audience. As a pioneer for a range of subsequent projects, it was a success for both the brand and ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4, taking TV advertising to a completely new level. In addition, the campaign brought the brand and its values closer to the audience, opening up potential new ways of original and unique advertising. By involving not only consumers but also car dealers, the campaign managed to spread its full effect along the whole distribution chain. Finally, the project helped strengthen the relationship between the parties involved – ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4 is already working on an innovative new campaign with ŠKODA Austria, putting into practice the knowledge gained from this pilot project.
# Market trends Dealing with branded content marketing can mean both great opportunities and great confusion. A variety of content forms can be communicated on a multitude of channels and platforms. But with all these possibilities at hand, what’s the best choice to make? As so often, the most reasonable answer here might be: “It depends.” It depends on the brand’s goals, its products or services, its target audience, its resources and so on. But it also depends on the development of the market. Market trends may not provide a success guarantee, but they can help guide strategic decision-making in branded content marketing. The Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2015-2019 by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) reveals six global key insights into Internet advertising: 1. Internet advertising (including revenues from paid search) will become the largest advertising segment, and overtake TV advertising revenue in 2017. 2. Mobile growth will make it exceed display in 2018. 3. Internet advertising will increasingly become device-agnostic. 4. Search will remain the largest single contributor to Internet advertising, but 5. Video exhibits the fastest growth in wired Internet advertising. 6. Measurement is getting better, but understanding how media is consumed will remain a significant challenge. By Sophie Berke, Research Associate, HMKW Berlin (University of Applied Sciences for Media, Communication and Management)
Looking at the development of branded content means looking at progress in both Internet and TV advertising. Within the PwC Outlook, Internet advertising comprises advertiser spending through wired Internet connection (including search, display, classified and video advertising), as well as mobile devices, with revenue that’s digital. The TV advertising segment includes broadcast and online – online here meaning revenues from broadcaster-owned websites only. How about the trends in branded content marketing within the DACH markets then? Here’s a quick look at the Compound Annual Growth Rates (CAGRs) of the Internet and TV advertising segment: DACH Internet advertising trends Until 2019, this segment will experience growth of 9.0% in Austria (reaching total revenue of €601m), 5.8% in Germany (reaching €7.346m) and 14.6% in Switzerland (reaching €1.513m). 85 Figure: Internet advertising outlook for Austria, Germany, Switzerland with total revenues in € until 2019.
 Source: PwC Entertainment and Media Outlook 2015-2019 Entertainment and Media Outlook 2015-2019
Is it surprising that mobile Internet advertising and video Internet advertising are the fastest growing sub-segments? • The mobile Internet advertising CAGRs will reach 17.4% in Austria, 20.8% in Germany and 22.0% in Switzerland. • CAGRs of video Internet advertising stand at 23.2% in Austria, 18.0% in Germany and 28.9% in Switzerland. • In comparison, display Internet advertising has a CAGR of 3.4% and paid search Internet advertising a CAGR of 4.7% in the German market. • Still, in all three territories, paid search will remain the biggest sub-segment in Internet advertising. DACH TV advertising trends It now appears safe to say that people predicting the complete death of TV advertising were wrong, as the segment will keep on growing in all three markets until at least 2019.  It's clear however that growth in Internet advertising will be significantly higher. In fact, according to Magna Global, revenues in this segment have already overtaken TV advertising revenues in Germany in 2009, due to high revenues from the search sub-segment that accounts for almost half of Internet ad revenues. In Switzerland, Internet ad revenues will overtake TV in 2017. Only in Austria will the 2019 revenues in TV still be slightly higher than the ones in Internet advertising.  But, even if the TV segment is not growing as fast as digital – (can we blame it?) – it will maintain a significant role in all three markets. We’ve seen this coming, now the figures prove it: think about investing in mobile and video content when going digital with branded content. And apart from that, keep considering all possibilities in order to create a great project. Because it remains clear that each project is unique and requires new adjustments and a considered selection of content forms, media channels and marketing mix. In order to create such an excellent and original project, branded content has to be engaging, relevant and customised, because expectations from today’s consumers and changes in technology make good storytelling increasingly relevant. The latest study, ‘Return On Inspiration. New World Content Marketing’, by Yahoo Germany underlines this: the success of content marketing cannot only be measured by sales figures. Content that is perceived as inspiring and innovative by the consumer can lead to an increase in purchase intent, willingness to share the content, and attraction towards the brand. The study also detected six steps in developing inspiring content: 1. The look and design is crucial to rouse curiosity 2. Content should offer value that helps the consumer learn 3. Convincing stories go hand in hand with honesty 4. Put the consumer’s intentions in focus rather than the brand’s 5. Authenticity can win the consumer’s trust 6. The more entertaining the content, the more likely it will be shared What current studies almost always have in common is that they discuss success dimensions and measurement needs in 86
branded content marketing. Indeed, the more we invest in branded content and the more we learn about it, the more important it gets to find adequate measurement tools. But how can we move this process along if definitions and distinctions of terms such as content marketing, branded content and branded entertainment are still unclear? It seems there is no other way than for us to keep working on a conceptualisation of branded content marketing, in order to help measurement find its way in the future. Framing branded content marketing In the latest Horizont Content Marketing Report, the German trade magazine for marketing and media describes ‘content marketing’ as the production and distribution of content and a strategic approach of reaching target audiences. In fact, content marketing is often associated with the domain of publishing and/or the ability to build a marketing campaign around a specific piece of content. Research findings from Oxford Brookes University and the Branded Content Marketing Association’s (BCMA’s) global research partner Ipsos MORI led to defining ‘branded content’ as “any content that can be associated with a brand in the eye of the beholder”. The findings also revealed four key strategies in the production of branded content: it can be entertaining, informative, educational, or functional (e.g. in the form of an app). Even though projects often focus on one of these strategies, they can also be combined. Continuing to systemise at this stage leads to four forms of branded content: branded entertainment, branded information, branded education and branded function. The term ‘branded entertainment’ has been studied by various academics over the past few years. My own research since 2008, and current research projects together with Uroš Goričan, have led to the following definition of branded entertainment: as an instrument of corporate communications, it encompasses any piece of content that entails the brand’s message, objectives, or personality. It is developed and produced by and/or together with the brand, and competes with existing media entertainment formats by focusing on the entertainment experience of the viewer. Branded entertainment formats include TV show, film, social film, short movie, event, or game on a multitude of channels such as TV, cinema, web, mobile, print, radio, or offline (also called real life – for example, events), being either fictional or nonfictional. Taking content marketing, branded content and branded entertainment as different elements but also closely linked to each other, a conceptualisation of branded content marketing could look like this: 87
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Within this concept, branded entertainment is a form of branded content, together with branded information, branded education and branded function. After being developed and produced, any form of branded content needs to be distributed through media channels and communicated with appropriate tools. Therefore, branded content can be seen as a part of content marketing – without content there is nothing to market. Depending on the company, content marketing will include or exclude the development and production of branded content, which is why the boundaries between branded content and content marketing need to be seen as flexible. With the constant flow of content and its constantly changing marketplace, we may have to accept that definitions of terms will remain somewhat vague or discordant. Measurement tools will be changing and evolving in the same way. In the end, the only assumption all marketers and academics may agree on is that there is no ‘one size fits all’ to measuring branded content marketing. However, several helpful tools do exist on the market, and it’s essential to continue developing new ones that complement them, in order to broaden the understanding of how media is consumed. Measurement perspectives “Measurement is getting better, but understanding how media is consumed will remain a significant challenge.” This key insight from the PwC Outlook supports one of the trends in current German entertainment research: evaluating how content is perceived is a major topic here. One suggestion deriving from the Concept of Branded Content Marketing and Measurement is that a branded content project can be called a success if both the advertising value and campaign objectives have reached the expected results. In most cases, campaign objectives are measured on the level of the campaign with and for the content (content marketing), and the advertising value is measured on the level of the content offer (branded content). This is the case for all four forms of branded content: entertainment, information, education and function. Now in the case of branded entertainment, current research leads to the following suggestion: the success of a project is not only defined by the campaign objectives and the advertising value, it also occurs when the entertainment experience is assessed as positive by the audience. Because in branded entertainment, it does not suffice that the brand message gets across (branded), the recipient also needs to like what s/he sees (entertainment). If the brand message is well transported, a powerful entertainment experience has the capability of further strengthening the advertising value. Measurement tools already exist that manage to evaluate both the advertising value created by the content and the achievement of the advertising goals by the marketing campaign. The BCMA contentmonitor, for example, measures the advertising value of branded content by using key metrics such as cut through, recall, awareness, consideration and purchase intent. The CEPTM Test developed with Dr. Robert Heath evaluates the emotional and cognitive response to the content, as it states that a strong emotional and rational persuasion tends to have an impact on long- term brand building as well as imparting information. On another level, the contentmonitor evaluates campaign objectives by analysing if different campaign elements have met their goals, and by detecting lessons for the media plan and marketing mix. 89
Concerning branded entertainment, the question is: how can we evaluate the entertainment value perceived by the media user; how do we measure the entertainment experience? We all have different opinions on what is entertaining to us and why one particular piece of content appears more entertaining than another. This is one of the reasons why it’s impossible to simply ask “Do you feel entertained by this piece of content?” and expect an answer that’s comparable to others. It’s also difficult to use a definition of entertainment in order to make it measurable, because even academic researchers in the field are struggling to find a universally functional description. The way out of this dead end might be to understand the psychological relationship the media user has with the content and to evaluate the influence this has on the entertainment experience. The Concept of Branded Entertainment Experience Evaluation, developed together with Uroš Goričan, helped identify potential evaluation steps in measuring the entertainment value of branded content. This was done by linking transmedia storytelling tools to relevant phases in the reception process. Survey tools are currently being developed to evaluate the intensity of: the attention to the storyworld, the identification with the character, the personal relevance originating from the conflict, and the interaction on and with the channels. Research findings show that a positive assessment of these four elements in the reception process represent a positive entertainment experience. 90
Where to go from here? There might not be a one-size-fits-all method to measure the success of branded content. However, defining specific dimensions (the campaign objectives, advertising value – and, in the case of branded entertainment, the entertainment experience as well) can help provide anchor points for decisions about measuring a project’s success: How do I evaluate my campaign objectives? How do I evaluate the advertising and entertainment value of my project? We’ll need to continue developing measurement methods, in order to have different tools at hand that work for different project types. It will also become more and more relevant in the future to make the analysis of the entertainment experience of a project possible. In the end, the better we can measure, the more we can learn from our mistakes, create better projects, make wiser investments and encourage the future growth of the market. 91
# Social video advertising is exploding across Germany. Over the last 12 months, the number of shares generated by German video ads has increased by an incredible 181.2%, with average share rates also rising from 1.3% to 1.9% during the same period.* Such a huge growth in online video sharing offers marketers an exciting opportunity to engage audiences at scale. However, with so much more competition, German brands are going to have to work harder to gain cut-through. But what’s the secret to social video success? Well, while creating a viral video may be top of a lot of marketers’ wishlists, actually creating the next VW ‘The Force’ or Edeka ‘Supergeil’ is far from easy. As with any hot marketing trend, it can sometimes be hard separating the facts from the fiction. So what are the biggest myths around creating a social video hit that will rack up millions of shares online? By Martin Dräger, Managing Director, Unruly Germany * Source: Unruly Analytics, 52 w/e 30th April 2015 vs. 52 w/e 30th April 2014
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Myth 1: Content has to be funny to be Internet famous Humour is undoubtedly one of the most effective emotional triggers in social video advertising. After all, everyone loves to laugh. The problem is, too many brands try to be funny and fail. Different people find different things funny – plus humour doesn’t always translate across borders. It’s also the most overused emotional trigger, making it harder to stand out from the crowd. We recommend you look at invoking emotions other than humour. The most common emotional sharing triggers in Germany are happiness and exhilaration, not hilarity, while happiness is the most common sharing trigger worldwide. When used effectively, they can be just as successful as a funny ad. Advertisers also tend to overlook the importance of giving viewers a reason to share their content. So always consider what the social motivations are to share your ad online. This also differs worldwide: in the UK, the most common reason is to recommend a product or service; in Germany, it’s to start a conversation. Myth 2: Good content will rise to the surface This is one of the biggest mistakes brands make when they’re launching a video online, the idea that if it’s good content it will somehow rise to the surface – it will go viral. It doesn’t work like that now. With 300 hours of content uploaded to YouTube every minute, it’s hard to get noticed. This is why it’s more important than ever before for brands to have a smart distribution strategy in place. Your distribution strategy is just as important as your content strategy. For example, the average German ad attracts 39% of its total shares within the first three days of launch, so it’s absolutely crucial for advertisers to go big at the start of a campaign. It¹s also important for marketers to think outside of YouTube, which means other video platforms and sites within the Open Web or the blogosphere, as YouTube only accounted for 25.5% of German online video views by the end of 2014.** Myth 3: You can’t predict viral success There’s a long-held myth in the ad industry that virality is unpredictable. That’s just a cop-out. Big data is now available, enabling businesses to run regressional analysis across massive data sets. There are also volumes of academic research that can help identify robustly what those sharing metrics and variables are. So you can definitely predict a viral hit – for example, we do it here at video ad tech company Unruly with our Unruly ShareRank algorithm. We have 80% success in predicting virality on our global algorithm and 90% success on our local algorithms. This means brands can operationalise success. Rather than have a one-off hit and wonder how, you can understand precisely why your content has been successful and build on that for the next time around. 94 ** Source: DE - comScore Video Metrix, January 2015, ads and content video views
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# By Sandra Freisinger-Heinl, joint editor and co-author of BOBCM 2015 DACH book; Managing Director, MA Media Who knows the DACH branded content market best? The people who spend all day, every day involved in it! We asked more than 25 German, Swiss and Austrian branded content experts – producers, broadcasters, media and advertising agencies, music, cinema and games businesses, multi- channel networks, platform owners, publishers, brands, lawyers, consultants and creatives – to share their experience and insights with us. All their feedback is presented in the following pages of this chapter, after this overview of some highlights: 1. To discover the status quo, we compiled answers to the question: “In what situations do you recommend using branded content?” Key feedback includes: • to raise brand awareness • to improve brand image and increase brand loyalty • to enable unique user experiences • for community building • to link to an emotive story • to engage with your target group • to entertain, engage, involve • to turn viewers into happy customers • to turn customers into fans • to communicate product benefits • for product launches • to build a narrative brand, with a story that fits naturally and is authentic • to provide emotive moments, something to laugh about, not interruptive advertising but entertainment • for every brand, especially lifestyle and tech • as an anchor in brand communication • never standalone and only with an activation concept 2. We also wanted an expert view of the future. We gathered together eight predictions from replies to the question: “What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year?” 1. Higher quality standards will be required. Branded content will be perfect, emotional and magic. 2. Reliability, truth and trust will be mandatory for brands all the time. Never trick your audience! 3. Very short-format storytelling will arrive, especially as usage is shifting heavily to mobile. 4. TV isn’t obsolete at all, especially for long-format content. 5. Virtual Reality is opening up a huge space, including live content and Facebook 3D Glasses. 6. Live streaming and real-time distribution via Periscope, Meerkat et cetera will increase. 7. Branded content will be the core element of a campaign and we’ll be creating a whole world around it, with apps and songs. Personally, I recommend using branded content to set standards in brand communication, to entertain and to build a trust-based relationship with users. Mobile will keep us all busy and Virtual Reality will astound us.
# Marcel Fenez, Global Leader, Entertainment and Media, PricewaterhouseCoopers We should rather talk about brand-funded content, including native advertising and content. As we describe in our ‘Global Entertainment and Media Outlook’, native will include elements of digital, while other types of brand-funded content will be found in TV. Brand-funded content is growing. But we find it quite difficult to value it, because people value it in different ways around the world. Wherever I travel, I ask people which content there is and I get different answers. Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Branded content will work for most brands and there is no reason why any brand should not consider it. However, I think there are certain brands that will work better if we think of what is good branded content. Good branded content is good content from those brands that are good storytellers. Brands that produce good stories are brands that are compelling. Lifestyle brands will always work for this. And there are certain high-tech brands that will work very well, if they are involved in a good story. Those brands that are married to good storytelling will work best. We all like a good story, we all like stars and we all like to be entertained. Traditionally, this is done through TV and video. If we look for innovation, everyone can produce cool content. But we also look for consistency, and one thing the TV broadcasters have is a legacy of content production and a legacy of organisation that helps to deliver content on a consistent basis. TV is traditionally very strong in Germany. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? In most parts of the world, brand-funded content is becoming a strong area. It is really what works well from the consumer’s and from the advertiser’s points of view. It will be increasing in almost every country and the real drivers for it are the same in almost every market. The real driver is the fact that consumers will be much more discerning about the advertising with which they feel comfortable. With more and more fragmentation in terms of distribution channels, brand-funded content becomes even more compelling. It becomes less dependent on the distribution channel and it stands better on its own as content. It definitely will become a stronger part of how brands communicate their messages. 97
# Petra Kroop, Director Brand Integration, SevenOne AdFactory Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Companies will achieve positive results with branded content marketing when their purpose is to get their potential and existing customers to engage and connect more deeply with the brand. Branded content is the key to involving your audience in an authentic and credible way, and enabling them to interact and communicate with the brand and more widely. The most important thing is deciding on an effective, sustainable strategy for high quality content creation and distribution, so you end up with the most engaged and satisfied customers. I recommend using branded content as a central, key element of marketing when you have: • product launches or relaunches in need of explanation, or with special features or USPs you want to share with an audience or community. • brands or products that need to engage with customers and prospects using storytelling instead of just product information. • existing brands and products in a highly competitive market where you’re forced to reach new target groups and develop sustainable relationships with customers. Digital is not the ‘be all and end all’ media solution for branded content. The main argument for TV is that it’s already – and will continue to be in the next few years – the driver for big reach and coverage in Germany. For branded content marketing strategies including TV, I recommend longer (5+ minutes) content formats on small but highly targeted TV stations, in combination with shorter, edited versions on the big TV channels to get the reach and awareness brands need. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? Whether it's entertaining, informative, or functional, branded content will no longer be the exception – it will be a must for most brands! Also, branded content ideas will no longer be isolated, standalone solutions. Branded content marketing strategies will be most successful when they include both traditional and special advertisements across all media. Enhancing the quality of content to a high level and using new technologies to measure branded content marketing strategies will prove the lasting, positive effects of branded content marketing. 98
Martin Seeger, Director, AdFactory, Austria Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? For us – as Austria’s leading private multiscreen sales and production house – it is a pleasing development that branded entertainment and product placement is gaining even more importance in our clients’ media strategies.      Especially in two cases, it makes sense to opt for branded content: 1. When it’s about making a brand more alive through an experience. 2. When the product itself needs more explanation. In both cases the key to success is to provide the viewer with good entertainment. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? No trends. As explained above, good quality entertainment is the key. While many brands still think that their brand logo should be visible constantly, this contradicts the consumer’s behaviour. Storytelling must be thrilling, exciting and entertaining. Only then, the consumers take in the brand in a positive way, because of the story it is telling. Ronald Horstman, Managing Director, Studio71; Board Member, Collective Studio71 Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? In our world, branded content should allow advertisers to position themselves as enablers of unique experiences. Creating relevant content triggers audience engagement with this content and thus with the brand itself. Therefore, branded content is best suited for marketers who want to raise brand awareness, improve their image in the relevant target group and build sustainable customer relationships through valuing their target group, not just as customers but also as audience members. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? Branded content will help push the online video market even further in the upcoming years, and brands will target their audiences not just nationally, but use synergies through international approaches. However, with hours of online video content being uploaded every minute, successful branded content projects will depend on the right ingredients to reach large audiences. Winning matching social influencers with relevance in a brand's specific target group will be a key factor. Brands will have to rub shoulders with top-tier global multi- channel networks (MCNs) and social influencers, leading to an evolution in the way social media and online marketing is done: working with MCNs, marketers will have to trust in the influencers' expertise to activate fans and followers, surrender part of their creative control of the content and embark on a new level of co-creation to have access to large communities. Margret Knitter, LL.M. (University of Edinburgh), Rechtsanwältin Certified Expert for Intellectual Property, SKW Schwarz Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Branded content is an exciting instrument to turn brands into experiences. We think branded content campaigns can be advantageous in all kinds of situations and are especially helpful to establish a strong connection between existing or potential customers and the brand.    Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? We notice that video blogs are becoming more relevant as these instruments communicate information about a product and incentivise impulse purchases at the same time. That way, the consumer feels informed and entertained rather than interrupted by the presentation of a product, and makes a purchase on the spot online. These formats can be legally challenging as they are obviously aimed at concealing the advertorial character of the content. 99
Stefan Setzkorn, Chief Creative Officer, Track; Juror, Cannes Lions Branded Content & Entertainment Jury 2015 Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Branded content is nothing new; it has always been the higher goal of communication. But a brand can use branded content today in so many different ways to spread its ideas. The most important question always is, how to lead it into a purchase decision. I remember an episode of TV series ‘Madmen’ featuring a New York advertising agency in the 1960s. The advertisers had very little money to promote a special ham, so they decided to engage two women to do battle in a department store to get ‘the last ham’. That promoted a product in those times. Nowadays we can rely on content going viral and spreading the word even more. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? Branded content has to be perfect. Technology is only a ‘means to an end’ to develop a great make-up app, as L’Oréal did with ‘Make-up Genius’, or to feature the sound of opening a Coke bottle, as Dolby Surround did with its cinema clip ‘Celebrate the sound of Coke’. The content has to be perfect, emotional and magic. It is only one out of 10 good movies that wins the Oscar and the standard of branded content appears to be higher each year. Robert Herrmann, Yahoo Director Strategic Solutions, Germany & Middle East Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Branded content is a must in every situation in the age of web 3.0, and we always need to keep in mind that it has to be relevant and inspiring. The more value content adds, the more it inspires consumers to engage – which is equally true for branded and organic content.  Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? Especially for mobile, branded content will experience strong growth as there are still many unused chances for marketers. A recent Yahoo study revealed that 48% of Smartphone Dominant users say they will be more likely to notice advertising if integrated into relevant content - and there's room for more! Preethi Mariappan, Executive Creative Director, Razorfish Germany Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? The spectrum is so broad and it is so specific to what you are as a brand and what your problem is. The use of content is so varied and it is hard to pinpoint. I don’t think there is a rulebook of using content only for commerce or using content only for engagement. I think you have to look at these things in a ‘blended’ way to say branded content does drive engagement that’s for the community. It does sell something in a context in which they want to buy it and in a way that makes them want to buy it. I don’t think you can nail it down to ‘when to use branded content’, but you have to ask ‘how to use content if this is my objective’. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? One interesting thing that came up this year is Virtual Reality (VR). We are opening up this huge space now. You can already see content free from its screens, free from desktops. You can already see content in context in real life, see content when you are at the store. Or if you are able to see content in an immersive way because you can interact with VR, augmented. I really think content will head more in this direction, where it will be part of 100
your life. Just as the use of technology becomes more and more invisible as we go along. Content is sort of carried along with this. That could be the ‘big thing’, because now we use content on screens. It will be very interesting to see what content will look like if it is produced for life. Jürgen Irlbacher, Creative Director Content, pilot Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Almost every brand can gain by having a content marketing or branded entertainment strategy. Some brands, via their nature, lend themselves to the form. It makes sense for a brand such as Weber Grill to invest in content such as BBQ recipes and tutorials. An own live broadcast with a star cook goes one step further and rounds off a content strategy. The tyre company Michelin has found its content focus with the very successful Michelin Guide. And they've been doing this for over 100 years! Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? To engage target groups, brands need to turn themselves into broadcasters. I would go one step further: Marketing Directors need to be programme makers! Up until now they have been accustomed to placing their advertising message in the context of strong entertainment brands such as ‘The Voice’ or ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’. In the future, such formats will come directly from the advertiser – just portioned differently and delivered via digital and multiple channels. Let’s take Volkswagen for instance: if Robbie Williams were to search for the next music star, as Dieter Bohlen does on RTL, branded entertainment would be on a completely new level. Claudia Müller, Head of Entertainment Marketing, BMW Group Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Depending on the time-to-market, lifecycle, global reach and specific target audience of each entertainment tool in alignment with a company´s brand strategy and product characteristics, the portfolio of branded content opportunities is multi-fold: Music videos and video games are the best platforms for long-term brand image building to a younger audience, as well as some ad hoc pushes for new products and innovations. TV shows support the repeated and sustainable establishment of a product within a certain lifestyle and setting. Movies allow for a hook on the branded content, and take it into brand and product storytelling in different ways – online and offline, in owned, earned and paid channels. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? Be authentic! The global audience will want to receive content right when they want it and where they want it. This calls for an increasing interest and investment from global brands in branded content. But becoming part of an entertainment property in an authentic way is one thing – finding the right platform matching each brand’s needs and product launch communication strategy will be another. Be in touch! Deriving some customer-related extra and takeaway will be another challenge. Turning some branded content into online and offline branded activation – for example, offering some extra emotional encounter with the brand, the product and the stars, such as fans meeting movie stars, or an exclusive ‘meet and greet’ – will be the pay-off expected by a fan community. Be reliable and sustainable! In order to leave some long-lasting, reliable footprints in any of the entertainment areas, a mid- to long-term commitment and partnership with a respectable partner in the entertainment industry is crucial. Brands that manage to not only become long-lasting, reliable partners for the entertainment industry, but also take the risk to exploit existing partnerships and set innovative benchmarks in new territories, will be able to be perceived as cool and reliable brands for both the entertainment industry and their global fan base. 101
Lars Bendix Düysen, Vice President Brand Partnership Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Sony Music Entertainment Germany; Jury Member, Midem Music Marketing Competition 2015 Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Branded content is for brands that are ready to enter the next age of communication. Focussing on digital and especially social media, branded entertainment offers a very innovative form of customer engagement. A good example for innovative communication is our client BMW Group and their brand MINI. We integrate a variety of MINI models into the lifestyle of musicians and show MINI as a native part of their daily life. Contrary to traditional push marketing, customers now have the opportunity to interact and engage with the campaign as we offer superfans the chance to meet their favourite band. As part of that, we produce highly emotional segmented entertainment content. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? Brands now have the chance to become a genuine partner of musicians in the creative process. A good example is Converse with their highly appealing ‘Rubber Tracks’. Converse enables artists to record and produce their ideas by giving them access to a professional sample library and studio time.   Business with brands and agencies has not been explored and leveraged to the full potential in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The music industry has now discovered this area as a highly attractive growth area that demands empathy and communication skills to understand the needs and challenges of our new partners. Sony Music’s unique consumer segmentation builds a solid basis for acting analytically and developing highly efficient consumer insight-driven solutions. Branded content therefore becomes an important element of the change process in the digital music industry. Boris Bolz, Chief Commercial Officer, Mediakraft Networks Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Branded content opens up great opportunities for a company that wants to reach precisely a young target group. Online stars and a network like Mediakraft can especially help to create an innovative environment for brands. Video content has become a permanent companion of the young generation. Online has played an increasingly important role in the advertising industry, simply because the media consumption of the young audience has moved to a large extent to the Internet. Here, online video is a communication tool that generates by far the greatest sustainability and effective range. By directly addressing the audience, much larger portions of information and brand messages are remembered. With YouTube or similar platforms, it is possible to convey this information and brand messages in a much higher emotional manner. This is a great opportunity that companies should not miss. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? We believe there will be an increasing demand for implementing video content strategies through cooperations. In the end, branded goods manufacturers, distributors and service providers will all go for their own online TV platforms. At Mediakraft, we help companies to turn these strategies into projects, either in a closed system or on an open social media platform. We call these systems flagship sites. A flagship site is committed to the same quality criteria as a flagship store, and should reflect the brand world completely and perfectly. The flagship site is a curated brand portal for relevant video messages. Video content will achieve a higher awareness, reach and quality than we can imagine today. Target group- specific video marketing can thus effectively increase the brand awareness of a company. 102
Dirk Nyhuis, Strategic Projects, Tresor TV Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? We are interested in a cooperation if it is possible to combine the intentional effect of a format with the communication aims of the brand, by blending the content organically and thereby creating a coherent entertainment experience. The stronger and more emotional the content, the higher the effect. This is how the viewer additionally and casually turns into a happy consumer. Via context of entertainment, advertisers have the ability to come into dialogue with their consumers.   Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? Branded content within TV formats is on the rise. This is why entertainment programmes need to be pushed more into the epicentre of campaigns. Agencies will further score with short messages; the topic of authenticity will increasingly find its place in longer formats. These innovative concepts – combining advertising expertise and brand know-how with production competence and classic, emotional storytelling – create great viewing fun and entertainment for customers.  Björn Hoven, Founder & Director, Weischer.Storyhouse Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? 
 Use branded content whenever you want to really connect yourself with your target group. In doing so, we focus strongly on branded content linked to current movie releases. Over 500 movie releases and festivals offer a magical variety of options. Depending on the strategic goals, you can choose a unique arthouse movie or a big blockbuster. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? We have developed a variety of platforms, formats and special ads for the cinema, but also online and in the ‘Digital Out of Home’ landscape. Recently, we launched the cinema app ‘cinime’ in our market. It connects the power of the big screen to the magic of the small screen. Nikki Mendonça, President, OMD EMEA Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Content has been a buzzword for some time now, but the ever-increasing demand from clients coupled with almost daily tech advances mean that it’s becoming more important than ever. For some time at OMD we have considered it a crucial part of our fully integrated solution for clients and that will only continue.  Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? It’s easy to say that the world is changing so fast that the rules are changing almost daily. For example, the exponential growth of video and distribution options being supplemented by live streaming from Periscope and other apps will open up a range of exciting options. Equally, every marketing plan now has to at least consider a role for digital influencers, with new personalities and online communities constantly emerging.  103
Philipp Friedel, Head of Market Communication, Deutsche Telekom Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? There is no universal answer where branded content would make sense or not. In our case, branded content is one good option if we want to entertain our target group and communicate our product benefits. It is a decision each decision maker has to make on his own. Dr. Michaela Haberlander, Funding Advisor Digital Games, FilmFernsehFonds Bayern Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Bavarian game developers have access to public funding for their creative ideas - I'm their funding advisor. The monies we provide are given as a loan and have to be paid back, but under very soft conditions. Game developers are hungry for success and fame. But how can they survive in an increasingly competitive market where everybody can become their own publisher and literally millions of games are being offered to the app stores every day? How do game developers succeed in creating awareness and an audience for their games? Community building is not the only factor but a very decisive one for success, and it starts at the very conception of a game. Game developers 'talk' about their games in any way possible by branding their content at any time, on any platform and with any media partner who crosses their path. This means an uninterrupted presence on all social media and their respective websites by offering crowdfunding campaigns, making-ofs, play- tests, and of course the all-important Let’s Plays on YouTube. This is common practice and every game developer – regardless of being indie or established – has become a master of its own branded content marketing campaigns. Is this lesson valid for any other industries trying to make contact with their audience, consumer, or client? You name it… I'd bet you! Marc Sickfeld, Director, FUSE - Omnicom Media Group Germany GmbH Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Branded content needs to find an anchor in the brand's communication plan, thus, it must be strategically reasonable, target-group relevant and sustainable. So, it is less about single situations and more about a strategic process where situations will influence the content or storytelling. For example, thinking about our client McDonald's, the challenge is to unite brand-led ‘situations’ (various promotional products or messages, to keep it intrinsic) under one strategic (branded) content roof that is dynamic and flexible on the one hand and consumer-engaging on the other. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? I see two emerging trends for 2016 and beyond: 1. (Very) Short-format storytelling, especially for youth targets which comes along with fast fragmentation, the increasing relevance of mobile content consumption and the rising influence of social storytellers. Focusing thoughts on digital branded content this means a significant step-change in the way stories need to be told today. 2. Real-time (branded) content distribution – I am excited to see if and how, for example, Periscope, Meerkat and the like will have any relevant impact on the segment of branded content (development, creation, circulation, engagement). Especially for content owners, those live-streaming channels can be a useful add-on to distribute exclusive content direct and raw. 104
Andreas Waldner, CEO, initiator and organiser of the Branded Entertainment Summit ProPKo and Product Placement Award PPA, WTV Entertainment Marketing, Germany Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Entertainment, fiction and information formats are at the heart of media productions using a branded content approach. If a company, brand, or product can be linked to an emotional story with public interest, do it – but only if there’s a relevant, credible background to what’s reported. Based on my business experience and my association with the Branded Entertainment Summit ProPKo, various cases studies show the phenomenal potential of branded content. The overall results are on the whole superior to other forms of marketing alone. Still, it’s always a challenge to convince brand executives of these facts and make them understand its relevance to their business – some barely believe the results we can show. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? The transition between advertising and editorial is crucial. Here, transparency and credibility is mandatory. My prediction is a further trend towards these factors, which includes openly naming the sender of the message and not trying to misguide the audience. Dr. Ferdinand Froning, Managing Partner, Locavi GmbH Branded Entertainment Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? From our point of view as an agency working for clients such as Mercedes Benz, I figured out you should use branded content when you: • really want to connect with your social media-savvy core target groups. • have to tell and share an authentic story about your brand or product, which also matters to your target groups. • want to increase the audience engagement level with your marketing messages, even though you might have to sacrifice reach.   Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? 1. Only the stories or messages that matter to consumers, not just to the brand, will break through the clutter. 2. We’ll see brands teaming up more and more with professional entertainment producers to benefit from their storytelling expertise. 3. Branded content will more often serve as the core element of product campaigns with strong paid media support. Stefan Mohr, Chief of lab for Content Marketing Roundtable of BVDW; Managing Director, Jung von Matt/next GmbH   Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Whenever you find a theme or a story that fits naturally with a brand, it’s highly recommended to think about aligning both. This can be extended to technologies and platforms, if they have a value or a feature supporting brand stories.   Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? The increasing demand for branded content solutions will lead to more unseen use of technology and platforms. The constant work on never-before-seen cases will surprise us with combinations of brands, content and technology that are truly entertaining. Furthermore, I expect to see more brands starting to leave their known fields and to set sail into fields that they were not associated with before, like digital services and entertainment. 105
Oliver Rosenthal, Industry Leader Creative Agency, Google Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? In general, all advertising should be compelling branded content. Google has developed a strategy framework called ‘Hero, Hub, Hygiene’ which refers to different approaches regarding content: entertaining, informative and educational. This structure gives brand strategists a clear recommendation when to use which kind of content. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? Branded content means video, video means digital and digital means mobile. Every brand needs to have a digital content strategy that reflects people's behaviour, which is shifting heavily to mobile platforms. We already see more than 50% access for YouTube coming from mobile devices, continuously increasing. Norman Wagner, Managing Partner, MediaCom Beyond Advertising Germany Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? The main goals for creating branded content are awareness and brand values. On the other hand, branded content by itself has no significant benefits compared to other types of marketing approaches to achieve these goals. But once branded content is integrated into a complete communication system, it has the potential to become ‘everything’.  Then you can achieve all manner of outcomes, even in B2B lead generation, as shown by Dell’s recent ‘Tough Enough’ campaign. So branded content stands or falls on the system you build around it. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? Live streaming is definitely one of the trends – for example, using Periscope and Snapchat. But the major trend for the upcoming years in branded content will be Virtual Reality (VR). Many key players like Facebook, Google, Samsung and Sony invest heavily in this technology and we will see a surge of VR content in 2015. It’s a great opportunity for brands to be innovative and if they do not have a VR strategy yet, they should start today. Jobst Benthues, Managing Director, RedSeven Entertainment GmbH Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? When it comes to branded content on TV, the most crucial thing is to align the emotional live environment of a TV show with the requirements of the brand. From our point of view as content producers, it’s very important to approach the production of a branded content TV programme in exactly the same way as we approach producing every TV show. RedSeven’s mission statement ‘Corporate Media by Media Experts’ works for all brands and means to work hard to involve the audience, with the same quality in production and using all the resources at our disposal. The intention is to bring the core values of a TV show in line with the brand values, to achieve a perfect brand fit across both. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? Branded content will be available everywhere, all the time, and definitely on TV – TV isn’t obsolete at all! 106
Alice Bottaro, Creative Director, DDB Berlin GmbH Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content?   Branded content isn’t the right solution for every brief, but it can be incredibly powerful to create awareness and build a narrative around a brand. For me, there are mostly two things to consider: do something that’s good enough to be watched spontaneously by people, and tell a story that feels credible when associated with your brand. Our Wi–Fi Dogs films, for example, tell a story that might seem absurd – however, it makes complete sense when associated with a brand like Deutsche Telekom. Also, it’s based on a human truth, something the viewer can relate to and laugh about. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? Everyone is talking about branded content and everybody wants to do it – so we need to create something good to have a chance of survival. What’s interesting is that, when the content is successful, we have the chance to create entire ‘worlds’ around it – from websites to apps, from songs to merchandising. This opens up entire new possibilities and gives creatives the chance to work on different fields. Thomas Hesse, Head of Marketing, Media Markt Germany, redblue Marketing GmbH Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Branded content is crucial for us, because we want to reach and permanently stay in communication with our customers. Not only via campaigns in paid media, but also through gradually more content in earned and owned media channels. 365 days a year of customer access utilising every possible channel available, with a strong and consistent message that comes directly from the brand’s core. ‘Osterhasen-Rasen’ was just the first success that clearly demonstrates and proves this new way for content marketing. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? Creating brand experiences is a strong way to gain the customer’s loyalty. The experience merges a store’s offline communication with the online world – and this has been taking place faster than ever. Communication will expand beyond the two-dimensional media space towards new three-dimensional brand spaces, where customers decide what kind of information and entertainment they wish to receive. We want to invite our customers to enter into the new world of Media Markt as a brand experience, so that they stay, enjoy and widely share their experiences. Peter Kasza, Business Director Visual Lab, C3 Creative Code and Content GmbH Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? I would highly recommend using branded content for brand building. This is what we do for Deutsche Telekom's music magazine ‘Electronic Beats’. Electronic Beats is a 360° content ecosystem with print, online, video, audio, social media and live events. This shows that, for an ongoing and sustainable brand communication, nothing comes close to relevant content – and it shows how important it is for brands to focus their whole strategy on branded content. A one-shot video does not have much impact in the long run.   Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? I see two trends. For brands seeking quantity reach the content output will have to remain high. In addition, though, excellent quality will become more and more important to stand out from the crowd. Furthermore, I see a shift towards ‘organic reach’. Whereas up to now clients support content campaigns via traditional media, in the future more and more clients will expect content to perform on its own. 107
Thomas Spiller, Head of Brand Solutions, Endemol Beyond GmbH
 Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? We recommend a branded content approach when brands want to communicate with their customers on an equal footing. Authentic storytelling is the way to turn customers into fans and to engage with them in the long term. At Endemol Beyond, we use our production expertise as a starting point to connect marketing messages with emotional storytelling. In this way, we can create digital brand environments. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? The big buzzwords will be “quality“ and “professionalising digital brand messages on the web”. High-quality content on YouTube or elsewhere in the digital space will attract more attention. In addition, integrated communication will become more important and therefore we’ll see a stronger link forming between digital content and traditional advertising. The future will be about not only publishing individual marketing messages, but also following a structured approach across all content platforms. Jens-Uwe Bornemann, Senior Vice President Digital Europe, FremantleMedia Group Ltd; Senior Vice President Digital, UFA GmbH Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Branded content means to entertain, engage, involve your audience. No interruptive advertising – it’s entertainment, it’s an emotional charge to the brand. Our experts at UFA LAB use original storytelling to create great content that users want to share with their friends. So use branded content to enrich your brand, touch and bind your customers, and to get a brand that people are not only interested in, but also want to be part of. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? One of the most important trends is trust. Brands shouldn't 'trick' audiences, but instead create real value. Transparency will dictate brand-customer relationships. Make it human. The best branded content will be human and won't ask for an immediate return or immediate value. Instead, its value will evolve over time. It appears that the more digital innovation helps us reach audiences more efficiently, the greater the need for authenticity and real people in campaigns. This means there will be a strong need for brands to create a positive impact in their consumers’ minds. In response to this model of content production, content co-creation between brands and professional storytellers will become a popular trend. We will support this by creating own formats of high-level, next-generation online video productions involving credible multipliers, and curate that content in communities of interests and verticals. 108
BOBCM is very grateful to the following people for contributing to this book’s content: Sandra Freisinger-Heinl, Local partner and joint editor of BOBCM 2015 DACH book; Managing Director, MA Media Sabine Eckhardt, Managing Director, SevenOne Media & SevenOne AdFactory Petra Kroop, Director Brand Integration, SevenOne AdFactory Margret Knitter, LL.M (University of Edinburgh), Rechtsanwältin (Legal Attorney registered at German bar), SKW Schwarz Rechtsanwälte Hanna Bickel, LL.M. (New York University), Rechtsanwältin (Legal Attorney registered at the German bar), SKW Schwarz Rechtsanwälte Christian Backen, Managing Director, DDB Hamburg GmbH Jobst Benthues, Managing Director, RedSeven Entertainment GmbH Sophie Berke, Research Associate, HMKW Berlin (University of Applied Sciences for Media, Communication and Management) Boris Bolz, Chief Commercial Officer, Mediakraft Networks Jens-Uwe Bornemann, Senior Vice President Digital Europe, FremantleMedia Group Ltd.; Senior Vice President Digital, UFA GmbH Alice Bottaro, Creative Director, DDB Berlin GmbH Mark Bullingham, Managing Director, OMD FUSE EMEA Palle Finderup Diederichsen, Head of MediaCom Beyond Advertising, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) Mag. Thomas Diesenberger, Marketing Director, ŠKODA Austria Oliver Dietrich, Director Creative & Conception, SevenOne AdFactory Martin Dräger, Managing Director, Unruly Germany Frauke Driedger, Head of Consulting Creation, pilot Hamburg
Lars Bendix Düysen, Vice President Brand Partnership Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sony Music Entertainment Germany Max Egger, CEO, ŠKODA Austria Henning Falk, Client Service Director, DDB Hamburg GmbH Marcel Fenez, Global Leader, Entertainment and Media, PriceWaterhouseCoopers Felix Fenz, Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather Alexandra Findlay, Senior Business Development Manager, OMD EMEA Philipp Friedel, Head of Market Communication, Deutsche Telekom Dr. Ferdinand Froning, Managing Partner, Locavi GmbH Branded Entertainment Dr. Michaela Haberländer, Funding Advisor Digital Games, FilmFernsehFonds Bayern Robert Herrmann, Yahoo Director Strategic Solutions, Germany & Middle East Thomas Hesse, Head of Marketing, Media Markt Germany, redblue Marketing GmbH Ronald Horstman, Managing Director Studio71 & Board member of Collective Studio71 Björn Hoven, Founder & Director, Weischer.Storyhouse Jürgen Irlbacher, Creative Director Content, pilot Rebecca Kalisch-Klütz, Junior Referentin Corporate Communications, pilot Hamburg Peter Kasza, Business Director Visual Lab, C3 Creative Code and Content GmbH Marco Knies, Head of Production & Branded Entertainment, Studio71 Preethi Mariappan, Executive Creative Director, Razorfish Germany Nikki Mendonça, President, OMD EMEA Stefan Mohr, Chief of lab for Content Marketing Roundtable of BVDW; Managing Director, Jung von Matt/next GmbH Claudia Müller, Head of Entertainment Marketing, BMW Group Dirk Nyhuis, Strategic Projects, Tresor TV Marc André Palm, Marketing Director EMEA Central, Weber-Stephen Deutschland GmbH Thorsten Peters, Managing Director Creation, pilot Hamburg Oliver Rosenthal, Industry Leader Creative Agency, Google Karsten Ruddigkeit, Executive Creative Director, DDB Hamburg GmbH Dominik Scholta, Director, FUSE, Omnicom Media Group Germany GmbH Martin Seeger, Director, AdFactory, Austria Stefan Setzkorn, Chief Creative Officer, Track Marc Sickfeld, Director, FUSE – Omnicom Media Group Germany GmbH Thomas Spiller, Head of Brand Solutions, endemol beyond Nina Voncken, Social Media Manager, Techniker Krankenkasse Norman Wagner, Managing Partner, MediaCom Beyond Advertising, Germany Andreas Waldner, CEO, initiator and organiser of the Branded Entertainment Summit ProPKo and Product Placement Award PPA, WTV Entertainment Marketing, Germany Jordan Walker-Shuttlewood, Marketing and PR Director, OMD EMEA 110
This book was produced by BOBCM – a joint venture of the BCMA and DMC – in conjunction with DACH region partner and BCMA Affiliate Partner Sandra Freisinger-Heinl, and designer Mark Welland. The BCMA is the global industry body for branded content practitioners, run by practitioners, promoting best practice, sharing knowledge and growing the branded content industry. It promotes and grows the branded content industry in partnership with other relevant trade associations and industry groups, sharing best practice, researching, lobbying and managing events relating to the industry. It creates the opportunity to connect with the leading experts in the branded content industry. Branded content is predicted to be at the heart of every marketing strategy, and there is growing evidence that there will be a significant shift in budgets to support it. However, there is still some confusion as to how to do it, who should do it and how it is measured. The BCMA is best placed to define what branded content ‘is’ and what ‘it isn’t’ and measure the effectiveness through its investment in research and proprietary tools. Contact: Andrew Canter, CEO, BCMA; Chief Content Officer, Global Living Brands www.thebcma.info www.globallivingbrands.com Twitter @thebcma / @glblondon Founded in 1994, when the Internet was just emerging into the mainstream, DMC is a highly experienced digital marketing communications consultancy that specialises in using collaborative and social marketing approaches. Co-founder Justin Kirby – who is now VP, Strategic Content Marketing at US agency Tenthwave – conceived the BOBCM venture and curates all its content. He and Managing Editor Greta MacFarlane are responsible for the strategic planning, project management, editing, publishing and promotion of content across all BOBCM properties. Contact: Greta MacFarlane, Managing Editor, DMC; Justin Kirby, VP, Strategic Content Marketing, Tenthwave online@dmc.co.uk www.tenthwave.com Twitter @juzzie
Sandra Freisinger-Heinl is BOBCM’s DACH region partner, a BCMA Affiliate Partner, joint editor of this book, and freelance Managing Director of MA Media. As a branded entertainment consultant, strategist and journalist, Sandra connects products with content that fits the brand message. Branded content, especially designed for a brand, delivers marketing messages and company issues in an entertaining and informative way, mainly through digital and social media. MA Media’s product placement integrates brands in TV series and shows, movies, series on the web, videos on YouTube, music videos, video games and more. Sandra specialises in 360-degree concepts that support an emotional impact on customers. As a journalist, she co-edits the blog BEO Branded Entertainment Online and looks forward to interesting interviews with international specialists. Contact: MA Media GmbH, Perchtinger Strasse 6, D- 81379 München, Tel. +49 89 5436980, http://mamedia.de www.xing.com/profile/ Sandra_FreisingerHeinl www.linkedin.com/in/sandrafreisinger Former AKQA founder and creative head Mark Welland established his design company New Media Works in 1998. Mark has over 20 years of interactive design experience, including the creation of ebooks, apps and web apps for local and global brands and e-learning organisations. Mark is responsible for the creative development, design and production of the BOBCM series of books. Contact: www.markwelland.co.uk www.newmediaworks.co.uk Twitter @markwellandart www.facebook.com/markwellandart 112
BOBCM Managing Partner Justin Kirby is an Internet veteran who has been writing about the impact of interactive technologies on business and marketing since starting his own digital media consultancy, DMC, in the early 1990s. His books include ‘Connected Marketing: The Viral, Buzz and Word of Mouth Revolution’ (2005 and 2007), ‘Best of Branded Content Marketing: Volume I’ (2013) and ‘Best of Branded Content Marketing: Volume II’ (2014). He chairs and speaks at conferences around the globe, and heads up strategic content marketing at Tenthwave, the interactive agency from the US whose clients include Facebook, Google and eBay. Contact: www.linkedin.com/in/juzzie Twitter @juzzie BOBCM Managing Partner Andrew Canter is one of the leading practitioners in branded content and has over 25 years experience working in marketing communications. He is CEO of the Branded Content Marketing Association (BCMA) and Chief Content Officer at Global Living Brands (GLB). GLB provides global opinion monitoring and influencing, reputation enhancement, strategic marketing and branded content creation. Andrew sources and develops projects for the GLB Media Investment Fund, financing movies, TV and digital content. He has been instrumental in developing the BCMA’s proprietary content evaluation system contentmonitor, and he spearheads the development of BCMA chapters across the globe. Contact: www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-canter/ 4/470/386 Twitter @ac41 113 www.bobcm.net Join the international BOBCM LinkedIn Group
This book was proudly produced in association with: Headline Sponsor “We move brands” SevenOne AdFactory is the leading partner for the German-speaking advertising market when it comes to content near advertising in TV and digital media. Using the content and platforms of the ProSiebenSat.1 Media Group, the teams of SevenOne AdFactory create, produce, implement and evaluate creative and individual advertising solutions for all budget levels, offering the best possible stage for brands to reach their target groups in an emotional and effective way. Due to its strong expertise in the area of entertainment formats and product placement, SevenOne AdFactory became the pioneer of the branded entertainment movement in Germany. www.sevenone-adfactory.de Feature Sponsor SKW Schwarz is an independent German law firm. It advises companies of all sizes and private clients in all major fields of national and international business law. With offices in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg and Munich, it is present in the major German business hubs. With more than 115 lawyers, SKW Schwarz is – especially in the field of media and entertainment – one of the leading law firms in Germany. What started with films has diversified across all media and entertainment sectors: films and TV, press and publishers, music and sports, games, theatre and advertising. Its cross-location and cross-departmental cooperation procedures, as well as its memberships in international law firm associations, enables it to set up teams for more complex client matters and transactions, allowing it to offer its clients the best possible advice for their respective matters. www.skwschwarz.de 114

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Best of Branded Content Marketing 2015: Germany, Austria and Switzerland - Edited by Sandra Freisinger-Heinl

  • 3.
    1 2 34 5 6 Preface: Branded Content Made in Germany, Austria and Switzerland Introduction: The Rising Importance of Branded Content in Germany, Austria and Switzerland Market Report: Germany, Austria and Switzerland Introduction to Working with Branded Content in German- Speaking Countries Legal Aspects of Branded Content Under German Law Storytelling: “You need to grab awareness in the first second to make people watch” 7 8 9 10 11 12 Producing Content for TV: Connecting the DNA of a TV Show with a Brand Producing Content for the Web: The Millennial Influencer The Purpose of Branded Content Engagement: How to Build a Brand Fanbase with Music Content Marketing: It’s all about Distribution Case Study: Deutsche Telekom Familie Heins 13 14 15 16 17 18 Case Study: Fiat Urban Stories Case Study: Dell Tough Enough Case Study: Media Markt Rabbit Race Case Study: Techniker Krankenkasse #wireinander Case Study: Webers großes Grillfest Case Study: Hasbro NERF Toy Blaster 19 20 21 22 23 24 Case Study: ŠKODA Austria Die Große Simply- Clever-Show Research Findings in Branded Content Marketing The Three Biggest Myths About Social Video Advertising – Busted! Expert Insight Report Thanks About P2 P3 P8 P14 P16 P21 P23 P26 P32 P35 P40 P43 P48 P53 P59 P65 P69 P73 P77 P84 P92 P96 P109 P111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111 111111
  • 4.
    # By SandraFreisinger-Heinl, joint editor and co-author of BOBCM 2015 DACH book; Managing Director, MA Media Branded content is a big pool of wonderful ideas and opportunities for businesses. It’s so much more than just another marketing technique – in fact, it’s on its way to becoming a core activity for companies and their brands. This is the first edition of the Best of Branded Content Marketing (BOBCM) international ebook series exclusively for, from and about the German, Austrian and Swiss (DACH) region. I’m proud to be the local editor. I’m also thrilled that we now have a guide that sets some standards in this area and serves as a kind of ‘DIY tool’. The book focuses mainly on branded content made with moving images, as the use of this format continues to rise and offers a variety of ways to connect emotionally with viewers. All of our contributors shed blood, sweat and tears to develop branded content marketing within the DACH region! So this book is not just a technical guideline. As we provide insights from our daily work with brands and showcase the best examples of our projects, we hope that you will be inspired. Whenever we present and recommend ways of using branded content in this book, we take a close look at the specifics of the German-speaking market, including legal and research aspects. There’s still a long way to go. Our intention is to build up a community of experts in this field, to consult with and encourage brands and agencies to use this very effective marketing instrument we call branded content. You can connect with us on LinkedIn – please join the 650+ strong international BOBCM Group moderated by Justin Kirby. Some Germanic traits – such as organising production well and relying on technologies – will encourage the development of branded content marketing in our region. Some might inhibit it. For example, the desire to have evidence of value or success at any given time might kill off some excellent ideas, and make some brands and agencies cling to the use of traditional media only. We all have to be courageous to use branded content to its full potential in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. I personally want to thank the book’s main partner SevenOne AdFactory, an innovative company of broadcaster ProSieben SAT1 Media SE – particularly Petra Kroop who has a detailed knowledge of branded content trends and who supported this book in many ways. Thanks also to Margret Knitter from SKW Schwarz Rechtsanwälte for looking at the difficult legal areas of branded content marketing in order to increase our understanding. And I am very grateful to all the other dedicated contributors to this book. Equipped with all the ideas, experience and insights from this book, you can prepare to test the waters. You can dive into the ocean of branded content and use the power of the branded content wave to enrich your business and engage better with your customers. We all love good content – let’s go for it now!
  • 5.
    # By SabineEckhardt, Managing Director, SevenOne Media & SevenOne AdFactory According to creative talent Amir Kassaei, marketing should generate one thing above all: magic! The Chief Creative Officer of the DDB agency network is convinced that “companies that live and breathe marketing and make all their decisions from the standpoint of marketing are more successful than those that manage their business on the basis of sales alone.” That’s because only the former type of company gives sufficient thought to people and their needs, and truly recognises the importance of relevance. However, says Kassaei, such companies are in the minority in our data-fixated, real- time world driven by sales performance alone. What a shame! Magic lives off imagination, generating stories that inspire us, enchant us, captivate our attention. As always, a high quality idea is the most important ingredient, rather than the type of content or how it's delivered. In the last few years, however, consumers have come to expect much more from storytellers than they used to. In this era of information overload and bewildering topical diversity, it has become difficult to get through to individual people. Every individual is networked with the outside world through computers, smartphones, tablets, even wearables, for 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
  • 6.
    Possible ways ofreceiving content have multiplied within the shortest timeframe, and this development is not expected to slow down. To the same extent, advertisers are under growing pressure to deliver the kind of content to their target groups that motivates them to actively consider their brands. Therefore, content marketing and branded content are no longer just buzzwords, but essential communication techniques that every advertiser (regardless of budget) should employ intensively. Many are already doing this: according to a recent survey by the Swiss digital agency Namics, 77 percent of companies surveyed already have a content strategy or plan to develop one in the short to medium term.* The worst sin in content marketing: to be boring The key to breaking through the media overkill barrier is relevance. The messages aimed at consumers must whet the interest and even the fascination of individuals. They must offer something that stands out from the constant barrage of sensory inputs. Trivia, banalities and substitutable offerings immediately fall through the perception grate, and are punished with merciless disregard. Moreover, the required degree of relevance rises as the sheer number of offerings expands. But what are the chief characteristics of relevant content? The answer may sound simple compared to the difficulty of implementation: content should fascinate, inspire, inform, even provoke us. Content should captivate our attention and foment discussion. Above all, it should never bore us! The more we’re engaged and involved, the greater impact the content will have on us. If we can be motivated to take a thorough look at the content, we’ll also share it with our friends, comment on it, like it, et cetera, and that will set in motion a dynamic, self-sustaining process of widening dissemination, like falling dominoes. Brands are under constant real-time observation These days, content can be created in any number of ways, whether pushed, random, initiated, or even completely unwanted. Therefore, advertisers and brand vendors need to constantly see, read and hear what is being written, posted, or tweeted about their brand. Consumers and even non-consumers are constantly expressing unsolicited opinions, sharing their experiences, and calling upon or even challenging brand vendors to clarify, mediate, or give still more. Brands are under constant, real-time observation, a thousand times over. While this phenomenon poses risks, it also presents opportunities. Brands that generate attractive conversation material and moderate the dialogue actively with consumers will be rewarded with greater opportunities. 4* Source: Content Marketing Study 2014/2015, Namics, Zurich
  • 7.
    This isn’t alwayseasy, because – in addition to having heightened expectations for content and entertainment value – consumers are increasingly turned off by in-your-face advertising. In their stressful ‘always-on’ mode, consumers have developed a pronounced aversion to being interrupted or disturbed by advertising and marketing messages. Obtrusiveness is punished immediately and can even unleash an avalanche of negative reactions, possibly necessitating an arduous campaign of costly communication measures to smooth the ruffled feathers. Once defriended or unliked, the brand falls to last place in the attention ranking of the ex-fan. Rigorous content marketing is required in this case as well. Paid, owned, or earned? The combination of sound and image delivered by video ads has long proved to be the most important and most effective type of content. Therefore, videos are the new, all-purpose weapon in the battle for grabbing the attention of consumers, because they satisfy a number of communication objectives simultaneously. They convey detailed knowledge and product information, lure potential employees to a company, or provoke emotions and stimulate desire to purchase the advertised products. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that more and more companies are using videos to get their messages out. They employ entertainment formats to tell stories that fit their brands and involve the viewer permanently. The question of paid versus owned versus earned media nearly always arises in this context. Certainly, owned media (such as a company’s own website or YouTube channel) can play an important role in all stages of the purchasing process, as a reliable and appreciated guide on the customer‘s journey. On the other hand, paid media is unrivalled when it comes to reaching large audiences. Broad target groups can be reached in the shortest time. If a company wants its brand or new product to become known very quickly, wide-reach media is an indispensable element of the communication strategy. And this will not change in the future. However, the question of paid versus owned versus earned media should not be absolute. Instead, the different channels should be combined as effectively as possible, in such a way that they complement and inspire each other. This is something of an art. From reach marketer to content marketing provider Content marketing and branded content always involve storytelling. Consequently, not only the advertiser but also the media provider must make the evolutionary leap to becoming a brand storyteller. But how exactly does a company evolve from a conventional reach marketer into a creative content marketing provider? For this very purpose, ProSiebenSat.1 formed a specialised creative company for innovative communication solutions, SevenOne AdFactory, back in 2009. As a member of the ProSiebenSat.1 family, this company uses direct channels either to link advertising campaigns closely with broadcaster and format brands, or to develop consistent storytelling tailored to the specific requirements of the given brand, which can be played on nearly all platforms. This approach is summed up by the slogan “content near advertising.” In essence, the goal is always to showcase the brand in the best possible way. This can be done by networking across all media, or by means of a specifically developed advertising product. 5
  • 8.
    The thrill isn’teven close to gone Finally, more and more customers are looking for tailored communication solutions. Producing wonderful stories is not enough; the environment or context in which the content is embedded and distributed is just as important. Just imagine that you want to advertise your travel platform, but find it presented alongside a news picture of the sinking Costa Concordia. Such scenarios are the stuff of nightmares for marketing executives. Not only the platform, but also the direct contexts in which your campaign is conducted are critically important. A prime example of a good branded entertainment campaign is the current web series ‘Der Lack ist ab’ (‘The Thrill is Gone’) on MyVideo, featuring the well-known protagonists Kai Wiesinger and Bettina Zimmermann. Their marriage has become a tad stale, the children are almost old enough to leave home, and each spouse’s flaws are becoming all the more obvious to the other spouse. In short, the husband and wife are getting on each other’s nerves. But as always, there’s simply not enough time for a fresh start. This web series of 10-minute episodes exposes the turbulent life of a mid-40s couple and their stressful teenage children. Furthermore, it shows how modern marketing should function today: witty, imaginative, unobtrusive. SevenOne AdFactory recruited Vodafone and Opel as premium sponsors. This sponsorship expanded the brands’ web presence to traditional television under the unifying effect of consistent storytelling, as well as integrating the two celebrity actors into their regular campaigns. Branded entertainment: the advertising product of the future? Successful initiatives like ‘Der Lack ist ab’ are created in close cooperation with the client brand as well as their agency, in most cases. The intensive consultation between them often breeds formats that are both innovative and efficient, and can be deployed on media such as Facebook or Instagram in addition to ProSiebenSat.1 Group’s own platforms. With this kind of project, it’s vital for a media company to advise and support the client brand, and offer tailor-made communication solutions on brand-relevant platforms. This advisory service – consisting of the creative idea, platform and environment recommendations, and implementation – is an important factor contributing to the success of a branded entertainment campaign. Branded entertainment is the advertising product of the future, if it’s designed to be entertaining or if it provides valued information to the consumer. The previously mentioned Namics content marketing study found that most of the companies surveyed in Switzerland and Germany have been active in content marketing for at least four years. “Nonetheless, a majority of the surveyed companies consider themselves to have attained little maturity in their work with content marketing,” the study found. Content has become an important driver of the economy. In this age of real-time communication, brand vendors can choose from numerous ways of directly influencing customer relationships with their content. As part of a consistent marketing strategy, therefore, the production of proprietary content can be an effective and important complement to conventional communication measures. 6
  • 9.
    Stories that remainin the memory forever Due to the trend of digitisation, the entire industry is caught up in an extremely dynamic transformation; channels and platforms are constantly changing, new players and formats are emerging overnight. Many advertisers (and especially those that need to reach young target groups) are finding it more and more difficult to maintain the necessary perspective. No matter what the recipients’ age, however, the trick is to send the right message to the right person at the right time. In this digital era, in which opinions are formed or changed in a matter of minutes, brands amount to the sum of impressions that people have taken from a large number of channels. While those impressions may change at a faster pace than ever, a good story can remain in the consumer’s memory forever. 7
  • 10.
    # By SandraFreisinger-Heinl, joint editor and co-author of BOBCM 2015 DACH book; Managing Director, MA Media The use of branded content is increasing and becoming more and more important in Germany. Austria and Switzerland are hot on Germany’s heels. But what is branded content exactly? Germany’s Digital Association, Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft (BVDW) e.V., provides a definition for branded entertainment: “Entertainment on behalf of a brand or product. This brand-specific content for the web delivers the brand’s or product’s messages in entertaining formats (videos, games, etc.).” BVDW also supports a focus group on ‘moving image’ where video content is discussed, and a roundtable on content marketing. I would define branded content as a “marketing activity where content is produced and distributed on behalf of a brand or product.” But it’s even more than that, as it influences marketing strategies, PR, sales, personnel and so on. A German example that illustrates this point well is Deutsche Telekom ‘Familie Heins’. It features a family facing all the challenges of modern communication, presenting its daily life in multiple videos on the web and appearing in different locations in real life – including an Ed Sheeran concert and a casting call for the movie ‘Fack ju Göhte 2’. Telekom’s related commercials became a coherent
  • 11.
    extension of thisidea, including detailed product information. The campaign shows what happens when a brand places the idea of branded content at the core of a product strategy. In the DACH market, branded content activities can originate from marketing, media, or company management. Ideally, all departments and all agencies are involved, forget their silo mentality, and work together to generate relevant content for the brand and to engage with its consumers. Branded content in different lengths and formats There’s an amazing variety of successful branded content projects in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Categorising projects by length and media platforms used – (a simplification, as all good projects are multi- channel) – identifies five main groups: 1. Long formats and TV shows Branded content can stand alone or be part of a TV show, even a prime-time show. A Nissan car was elevated in more than one way on Germany’s famous Saturday Night TV show ‘Mein bester Feind’, presented by popular hosts Joko and Klass. Broadcaster ProSieben created a car bungee jumping game featuring Nissan for the show, wowing the participants and the show’s viewers. An entire TV show can be built around one product: ŠKODA Austria’s ‘Die Große Simply- Clever-Show’ was developed with Austrian TV channel ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4 to accompany the launch of the ŠKODA Fabia car. An interesting Swiss public TV series is ‘Mission Surprise’ for Swiss International Air Lines. This series of highly emotional surprise visits to Swiss people living in foreign countries was part of a larger campaign to strengthen the airline’s image. TV shows for brands can also be made in shorter formats, like the six-minute episodes of ‘Fiat Urban Stories’. This magazine-style TV 9
  • 12.
    series was broadcaston sixx to reach females and on ProSiebenMAXX to reach males. It involved famous TV presenter Annemarie Carpendale interviewing designers, extreme athletes and musicians from a Fiat 500 dubbed “the smallest TV studio ever”. 2. Short videos on TV and the web The majority of branded content is in shorter formats: advertorials and paid-for advertising space on TV, or videos that are seeded on the web. The hit last year was a simple idea, Edeka ‘Supergeil (feat. Friedrich Liechtenstein)’, which has clocked up more than 14 million views so far – just by saying combinations of the word super, like “super-sweet” and “super- products at Edeka food supermarkets”. Relating video content on TV to a popular programme makes sense. A classic example is ‘Maybelline Make-up School’ for L’Oréal, developed in connection with ‘Germany’s next Topmodel’. The Maybelline advertorials give advice on using make-up and feature make-up artist Boris Entrup creating special looks on models from the cast of the show. Videos can also have the high production values of film. Following its mission statement #MeetTheModernTrailblazers, luxury brand Montblanc filmed a high quality new storytelling campaign about bloggers, artists, designers and Montblanc craftspeople on a virtual trip. The video Telekom ‘Wi-Fi Dogs’ had a high quality requirement as well: to produce a credible campaign with the right cast. The result was ‘Jose’ promoting Telekom’s European Wi-Fi product with ‘dogs that are trained to search for Wi-Fi in holiday areas’. The first time you see it, you think, “Is that real?” That’s what they wanted and it was worth a Cannes Lion. The Swiss video ‘Kleenex Kiss of Life’ engages viewers just by connecting simple paper tissues to highly emotional moments in life. Piggybacking on a topical news story can also be engaging. The entertaining video 'Letter is better!’, created by Austrian Post, assumes that the NSA knows everything about our digital communications but can’t get inside real paper letters. Other videos show that branded content even works in the B2B sector, at least as part of an integrated campaign. This was recently proven by Dell ‘Tough Enough’, a sitcom shot in an office and aimed at IT administrators. 3. Branded content connected with concerts and events Sometimes you don’t believe that finance or insurance brands can tell good stories, but they can. Well-established German building society Schwäbisch Hall created ‘Band sucht Bleibe’ (‘Band looking for a place to stay’), in which singer-songwriter Tim Bendzko appeared on music TV channel VIVA and online asking viewers if they could put him up for a night in their homes as he travelled Germany on a concert tour. Car brand MINI worked with the band ‘The Vaccines’ as an integral part of the MINI John Cooper Works launch. To create a TV commercial, they used Instagram as the platform to receive user-submitted photos of places people wanted the new MINI to drive through. 10
  • 13.
    Swiss drinks brandRivella also used concerts and events to create emotive branded content. It developed its own event tour, #Pool Hero, in which funny challenges in swimming pools were staged. It was supported by famous Swiss YouTuber Bendrit Barja. 4. Social media influencers, hashtags, user- generated content, etc. This leads us to the next phenomenon: YouTube stars as influencers with high reach are becoming more and more important in the German-speaking branded content world. Brands are also creating their own concepts and starting their own branded YouTube channels. Coca Cola has popular CokeTV, a collaboration with young YouTubers presenting videos from events and taking part in new experiences. Entire concepts can be based around YouTubers, as illustrated by #wireinander from Techniker Krankenkasse. Although it’s difficult for a health insurance company to reach young people, this campaign succeeded by telling stories about YouTubers who had to change their lives after accidents or illness. Other young people then shared their own stories via #wireinander. The campaign involved YouTuber LeFloid who recently interviewed Angela Merkel, which shows his reputation in Germany. An international campaign in which user- generated content (UGC) played the main role is #lovemyfridge by Robert Bosch AG. It inspired users in 12 countries to post online declarations of love to their fridges. Food bloggers supported this initiative with their own love messages and cooked their favourite leftover recipes. Humorous and charming UGC was created. 5. Live branded content The latest trend we’re seeing in branded content is one that’s been recognised internationally as well. It’s the trend to go live and it works on TV and online. However, the use of live-streaming apps like Periscope and Meerkat is still rare. An outstanding campaign with an important live TV feature is Media Markt’s ‘Rabbit Race’ (Das große Osterhasen-Rasen). A series of races involving real rabbits that had been given humorous names and back stories was broadcast live on nine major German TV channels in prime time slots and live-streamed on three websites simultaneously. Sports presenter Frank Buschmann commentated and viewers could win reductions on their Easter shopping at Media Markt. Another live TV event, running annually for more than 10 years in Germany, is ‘WOK-WM’, in which stars go down an iced toboggan run in a wok (yes, an Asian cooking pot). Competing teams are named after brands like Dr. Oetker Pizzaburger, Rewe.de and handyflash. This year, a worldwide team of YouTubers from Studio71 – including Sarazar, 11
  • 14.
    LeFloid and Dner– took part, adding a new twist: enormous reach on social media driving young viewers to watch TV. Live branded content is also taking off on the web. Charity poker event ‘Let’s Play Poker pokerstars.de Show’ regularly brings together a group of card players and YouTubers in locations from the Caribbean to Berlin, and broadcasts live on MyVideo and YouTube. In ‘Webers großes Grillfest’, live web banner ads asked viewers to click and watch famous chef Johannes Lafer showing them how to cook a four-course meal on a BBQ in a live TV event. Viewers could join in by sending ingredient suggestions and questions via #WeberGrillFest. A glance at brands becoming media, and platforms being used by brands Brands engage the services of famous actors, artists, presenters and YouTubers to drive attention to their content. They invest significant effort in storytelling, whether emotional, comic, or functional. Many key players are involved, as you need a lot of factors to work well together in order to create great content. This has changed the agency world in DACH and found its expression in content and media hubs, too. Austria’s Red Bull Media House is well known for its advanced content strategy. It produces great content about action sports and even extreme basejumping (culminating in the ‘Stratos’ project with Felix Baumgartner in space). The brand has effectively ‘become’ a media house. Originally the job of TV ad producers and ad agencies, now all media agency networks, like MediaCom with Beyond Advertising and Omnicom with Fuse, have large departments supporting the creation and production of content for their clients. L’Oréal has gone one step further and invested in a German-wide sustainable strategy for its brands. In April last year, L’Oréal’s Content Factory was founded under the roof of WPP and a new agency model that reacts quickly to client interests was born. Roles change and the traditional lines of the client–agency–media triangle have become blurred, wrote W&V.* They explained that a lot of agencies are rebuilding and investing in digital as the advertising market changes. In general, the borders between media, creation, production and distribution are becoming less defined. C3 Creative Code and Content evolved from corporate publishing to cover all types of 12 * W&V 26-2015, W&V-Redaktion, ‘Alles kommt zusammen’, p.13 ff
  • 15.
    storytelling for brandsand is now one of the leading German content marketing agencies. Private TV broadcasters have also joined the content business, as they recognise the necessity and have the resources available in their different departments. Large private TV channels can create branded content and arm it with image and reach. Meanwhile, TV media houses are becoming interested in the younger target group, as many of the traditional media players sign up prominent YouTubers via subsidiary companies or collaborations. New media players are also getting on board as the importance of non-linear TV is about to grow. For example, Vice Media, with its innovative channels for millennials, has increased its presence in Germany. Germany’s AGF Arbeitsgemeinschaft Fernsehforschung is working on a measurement project, ‘Moving Image Currency’,** which will provide cross-media data on streaming ads. Google agreed to join the project, making it highly relevant for mobile video research. According to a Nielsen study cited in W&V, YouTube reaches an amazing 21.4 million unique viewers each month.** Web pay-tv broadcaster Netflix has only 0.2 million, but is not really relevant for branded content here yet, although this is predicted to change. German video platforms, like MyVideo with 3.5 million or T-Online with 2.2 million, also reach large audiences. Platforms like Vevo that focus on the music business can also be relevant partners for brands, as used for example in the Seat branded content campaign ‘On Tour’ (Auf Achse).*** Google’s YouTube provides tips on building a content plan and engaging with the community in the YouTube Creator Playbook for Brands. Social media are compulsory to distribute branded content and to engage with users by asking for comments or soliciting UGC. Since the Facebook video player was relaunched in 2014, the number of videos on the platform has risen rapidly. According to a Facebook source, Facebook usage intensity in the DACH region is higher than global usage intensity, and more rich media formats are shared. This is due to our good infrastructure with a 3G+ network, which make videos available more easily than in other parts of the world. 34 million people are active Facebook users in DACH, 27 million in Germany alone, which offers massive potential to integrate branded content into the Facebook stream and be discovered by the right people. Instagram is used for sharing emotive content such as photos and very short-form 15-second videos. The importance of mobile is growing rapidly in DACH. As a lot of branded content is watched on mobiles, some experts advise that videos should work without sound and be very short- form. Regardless, the decisive factor will be the user experience. In conclusion, the German-speaking market is increasing and perfecting the use of branded content and media platforms. In one episode of Telekom’s ‘Familie Heins’, Grandma Charlotte orders a rocket device to jazz up her grandson’s school presentation. She clearly knows how to grab attention, present a complex topic and engage a large number of viewers. That’s exactly what branded content in Germany, Austria and Switzerland does – it inspires. 13** W&V 27-2015, Thomas Nötting ‘Die Grenzen Verschwimmen’, p.23-25 (Nielsen 2014) *** www.horizont.net, Tim Theobald, Branded Content: Warum Seat und Vevo gemeinsam ‘Auf Achse’ gehen
  • 16.
    By Sandra Freisinger-Heinl, jointeditor and co-author of BOBCM 2015 DACH book; Managing Director, MA Media Branded content is very important to convey a brand’s story to its audience. But content is available in many variations and can be distributed on many media platforms. So how should businesses approach branded content and what should marketers bear in mind? If content is king (and distribution queen), context might be god,* because it’s necessary to consider the project environment as a whole. Content always has to serve a purpose. A narrative brand Every brand has its targets and slogans to substantiate its brand positioning. Let’s look briefly at the Red Bull brand and its marketing slogan ‘Gives you wings’. Former Red Bull Manager Wolfgang Puetz stated: “The brand message has to be distributed via all manner of storytelling and multiplied. Storytelling is the most valid way to emotionalise company and brand messages, and content distribution to spread them. Ideally not the product itself will be advertised, but a story around the product will be told, which is emotionalised. (…) It’s becoming increasingly essential * Michael Buergi, Adweek USA, stated: “If content is king, context is god!” in MIPTV Forum presentation ‘Video is the new black’, 14 April 2015
  • 17.
    to talk withyour customers and, best case, to make them want to tell your story to others.”** It’s basically all about content creation, engagement and distribution. Brands should also look at which teams and agencies they partner with to achieve the best results, as branded content falls within many areas of expertise. The necessary change or collaboration can be challenging if, for example, the media agency is used to being in charge of commercials and allocating the advertising budget. In practice To develop a branded content project for a brand, you have to plot several points along the customer journey. The questions WHAT, WITH WHOM and WHERE TO DELIVER have to be answered, in order to finally MEASURE your relevant KPIs. Content has to be different if it’s made for TV – which is of great importance and prestige in German-speaking countries – and if it’s made for the web, which is definitely essential to all campaigns. You also have to comply with LEGALITIES at all times – an aspect that’s not exclusive to the DACH region, however it’s crucial here. No matter what your project, different content should be used for different platforms. To keep your customers happy, they have to be able to discover interesting pieces of content regularly. How you set your branded content project priorities is a tough choice, but many roads lead to Rome. You can read about working with every kind of option in the following feature articles by DACH branded content experts. 15** Werben & Verkaufen, So erklärt ein früherer Red-bull-Manager Brand Storytelling, 26 February 2015 Source: BOBCM Strategic Considerations of Branded Content
  • 18.
    Storytelling # By HannaBickel, LL.M. (New York University), Rechtsanwältin (Legal Attorney registered at the German bar), SKW Schwarz Rechtsanwälte and Margret Knitter, LL.M. (University of Edinburgh), Rechtsanwältin (Legal Attorney registered at the German bar), SKW Schwarz Rechtsanwälte Introduction The general idea of branded content is to reach an audience in order to promote a brand without annoying the consumer. The goal is to produce content so informative, amusing, or engaging that the consumer actively chooses to read, watch, or listen to the content out of his or her own interest. Ideally, branded content shouldn’t feel like advertising. It should be entertaining and tell a story in order to communicate a certain brand image, thereby establishing a stronger relationship between the customer and the brand. To reach this goal of providing genuinely interesting content, the lines between entertainment, editorial and advertising are deliberately blurred. As such, the consumer may not always be aware of the commercial character of the content. Yet this lack of consumer awareness of commercial communication is exactly the vulnerable aspect of branded content addressed by German legal standards prohibiting concealed advertising. According to German unfair competition law, it constitutes an act of unfair competition to promote the commercial activity of a company by concealing the advertising character of a communication with the consumer. In addition, the German Interstate Broadcasting Treaty (Rundfunkstaatsvertrag), the German
  • 19.
    Telemedia Act (Telemediengesetz)and the Federal States’ Press Acts (Landespressegesetze) provide that advertising or commercial content must be clearly identifiable as such and therefore clearly separated from editorial content. These regulations guarantee unbiased opinion- making through two aspects. The consumer must be able to react to advertising content by: 1. critically judging and questioning it, and 2. rejecting it. The consumer may be especially limited in his or her own judgment if content seems to be objective and neutral when it’s actually produced or supported in some way by a company for the purpose of promoting its own products, services and image. For example, when advertorials are placed in the media in a neutral and objective setting, the consumer expects the content to be objectively and neutrally researched and, therefore, tends to question the truth of the content to a lesser extent. In contrast, a consumer is inclined to scrutinise advertising more critically when it’s more blatant in its commercial orientation and content. These regulations don’t forbid branded content per se, but rather delineate the conditions under which advertising content must be designated as such in order to avoid misleading the consumer. In the following sections, we’ll provide guidance on the handling of different forms of branded content under these regulations by way of examples from recent court decisions. Of course, there are other legal aspects that can always become contentious, such as rights clearance issues, data protection issues, the publication of unlawful misleading advertising statements, et cetera. These topics are not the subject of this chapter, because they apply to all advertising activities and are not specifically related to branded content. Advertorials: Principle of separation between advertising and editorial content; clear identification as commercial content Branded content may be unlawful under the previously mentioned legal principles if it conveys the impression to the well-informed consumer of being editorial content created and published by a neutral and objective source. Advertorials are a mix between advertising and editorial content and, therefore, specifically aimed at blurring the lines between the two. The placement of an advertorial in the neutral setting of a third-party medium with editorial content – for example, on an editorial website, blog, or video blog – further adds to the impression of objectivity of such content that has in fact been created by an advertising company. For these reasons, advertorials placed in a medium providing at least partially editorial content are especially vulnerable, according to the principle of separation. Placement of advertorials with payment of a fee Whenever a paid-for advertorial promoting a company’s products or services is placed in editorial media, it’s unlawful if it’s not clearly identifiable as advertising. 17 Advertising or commercial content must be clearly identifiable as such and … clearly separated from editorial content.
  • 20.
    In these cases,the content itself doesn’t necessarily need to include passages that positively portray a certain product to be deemed unlawful; it’s sufficient if the article or video simply names a company or product, or includes product placement. The fact that the naming of a company in an editorial setting is paid for makes the content misleading per se, unless it’s clearly identifiable as advertising. If advertorial content is not clearly identifiable as advertising, it must be accompanied by the word ‘Advertisement’ (‘Anzeige’) or ‘Commercial’ (‘Werbesendung’) in a position, colour and type style that are clearly visible in order to avoid misleading the consumer. The following court decision provides an example of content that was held to be clearly identifiable as advertising even though it wasn’t designated as an advertisement. The website in dispute was a preview page that included banner advertising and several teasers linking to both editorial and commercial articles on other websites. The teasers each consisted of a photograph next to two or three lines of text. The teaser in question included the following wording: Vita 34. Pregnant? Get prepared now! Opt for cord blood before birth more This teaser was held to be clearly identifiable as advertising as the name of the company ‘Vita 34’ was clearly understood as a brand name responsible for the content the teaser linked to, even to people not familiar with the brand. Placement of advertorials without payment of a fee When an advertorial placed in editorial media isn’t paid for – even if it’s created, for example, by a blogger to promote his or her own blog – it may still need to be designated as advertising if it excessively promotes a company or its products and services. This applies to any advertorial content – for example, videos or articles placed on YouTube or another website, including blogs and video blogs. Admissible editorial content not considered to be concealed advertising must have a journalistic cause – that is, it must cover a topic of interest to the audience of the medium involved. For example, an article about a specific diet programme presented by the German celebrity Verona Pooth on a magazine’s website was regarded to have a good journalistic cause, as dieting is a topic of general interest to the readers of the magazine. Beyond that, the content must be reasonably objective and the positive portrayal of the product or company must not go beyond what’s necessary to provide an analysis of the subject. While it’s not generally unlawful to present only one product or company, an article can be unlawful if it promotes that product excessively. This is the case if the product is portrayed very positively using soliciting language, and without actually discussing and analysing the product features. In the aforementioned case, the Court regarded the article about the diet programme as excessively promotional since the programme was presented using general attributes such as “wholesome”, “valuable”, “delicious”, but the article failed to discuss the programme and its concepts in detail. The accompanying sports programme, for example, was merely 18 When an advertorial placed in editorial media isn’t paid for … it may still need to be designated as advertising.
  • 21.
    described as includingspecifically tailored exercises without specifying them in further detail. The article could therefore only be published if it was clearly designated as advertising. The same would apply to a product test in a video blog, such as on YouTube, in which the product is praised without any critical approach or material discussion of the product features in detail. Advertorials placed in company’s own medium Even if advertorial content isn’t placed in a third-party medium, it may be regarded as concealed advertising if its commercial character is not clearly identifiable by the consumer at first sight and without further analysis. Obviously, consumers will expect advertising content on a company’s official website or social network profile and not be misled. The situation is different if the content is placed on a blog or website run by a company itself for the promotion of its own products or services, or especially created for a campaign, when the site doesn’t disclose clearly that the company is the author. The DACIA case is a good example of this. In 2013, the automobile manufacturer DACIA had promoted its “reasonably priced” SUV in a blog satirically addressing the pathological status symbol-driven consumer behaviour in the automotive market. The Court ruled that consumers linking to the blog via the URL www.status-symptome.de from other advertising material by DACIA, such as their official webpage, certainly expected advertising upon entering the webpage, even though the page was designed like a blog. However, the Court assumed that many consumers would link to the blog on the recommendations of friends on Facebook who had liked and shared the blog. In such a private setting, these users wouldn’t be aware of the blog’s advertising content, because the generic link www.status- symptome.de doesn’t refer to a company or otherwise make clear that the content is advertising. As the consumer is supposed to have the opportunity to reject advertising before consumption of the content, the Court found it not sufficient that only after reading and analysing the blog was it identifiable as advertising content. However, if the content had been clearly designated as an ‘Advertisement’ (‘Anzeige’), it would not have been deemed unlawful concealed advertising. The placement of the advertisement label ‘Anzeige’ should remain visible even when scrolling down. The same situation may apply to, for example, video clips placed on YouTube that aren’t clearly branded and thus not clearly attributed to a certain company. Obvious commercial content must be identifiable before consumption In cases in which branded content is clearly identifiable as advertising, the content itself doesn’t need to be labeled as advertising. However, the consumer is still protected under German law from exposing him/herself to 19 Even if advertorial content isn’t placed in a third-party medium, it may be regarded as concealed advertising.
  • 22.
    advertising content withoutbeing informed of its advertising nature beforehand. This is extremely relevant for viral campaigns. In a viral campaign, the commercial may be entertaining in some way and, therefore, shared on Facebook and the like for its entertaining quality, even though it’s clearly branded and identified as advertising. However, in these cases the links shared must still make clear that the following content is commercial in a way that enables the consumer to reject it. The following example – which hasn’t yet been decided by the Courts – further demonstrates this principle. In a recent viral campaign, the rental car company SIXT, known for amusing and somewhat edgy commercials, has had the advertising agency Jung von Matt produce two music videos starring the singers Matthias Reim and Roberto Blanco. It was recently reported in the press that these two singers are broke. In the videos, they present songs conveying the message that, whether broke or not, they’re still impressing the girls with a rental car from SIXT. The entire commercial contained SIXT branding in its visual and audio elements. If – hypothetically speaking – the link to these videos was presented only making reference to the artists and not to SIXT, the presentation of the link would probably be deemed unlawful, even though the video itself is clearly commercial. Consumers might follow the link in search of a new song by the singer and not expect advertising. Any link mentioning the well-known brand SIXT and thereby making clear that the video contains commercial and advertising content would, however, probably not raise any legal issues. When planning viral marketing campaigns, bear in mind that content on blogs is further disseminated by private individuals sharing links to it. In this way, the content is presented in a non-commercial environment in which the addressee doesn’t necessarily expect advertising. To cover this situation, the name of the link should make clear that the link leads to advertising content. In cases in which a brand name is very generic and not clearly identifiable as a brand, it may even be necessary to describe the material linked to as commercial or advertising content. The same applies to links presented in an editorial environment. For example, the presentation of a link to the SIXT ad next to an article discussing the rental car market would be unlawful, if it didn’t clearly disclose that the link will direct viewers to a website containing advertising content. Conclusion To make a long story short, the dissemination of branded content doesn’t raise legal issues, as long as the content’s advertising character is not concealed from the consumer and the content is clearly separated from editorial content. However, since the concept of branded content is to provide content so interesting that it’s actively consumed by potential customers, it shouldn’t lose its impact by openly communicating a commercial purpose. 20
  • 23.
    Storytelling # Interview with PalleFinderup Diederichsen, Head of MediaCom Beyond Advertising, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) by Sandra Freisinger-Heinl BOBCM Germany (BG): Let’s start with your view on branded content in Europe. What’s Germany’s position in this field? Palle Finderup Diederichsen (PFD): The use of branded content is gathering pace quickly everywhere. In Europe, the UK is still leading, followed by France. Both started early with branded content. Germany, Italy and Scandinavia are catching up, but for different reasons in each region: Scandinavia has mobile as ‘the tool’; Italy is traditionally good in design and fashion, and produces stylish branded content; Germany is good at conducting studies and using relevant data – several key market research projects are done there; Austria and Switzerland are latecomers, but they’re starting to do experiential outdoor executions, mainly through our German office. BG: What is ‘good video content’ and where do you distribute it? PFD: From the early days of video, we’ve been involved in what good content looks like. In the past year alone, we can see how much the structure of video has changed. Today’s audience will watch your video most probably on a social platform like Facebook. So this means it’s in a very busy environment, it’s autoplaying and silent. Therefore, a good video today has to capture the interest of your audience without using sound, in a very cluttered environment. That’s very different to the heyday of
  • 24.
    TV; it’s aboutbeing loud in a different way and it influences everything from the actual execution to how it will be distributed. Where do you put your video to make it a success? If it’s good, you can promote it using just a press release, or believe in viral engagement. If it’s not very good, you have to put it up on places such as YouTube in a ‘must- see format’ like a pre-roll, which you can’t skip. Non-skippable is the solution of choice when the content is poor. BG: How does storytelling work best nowadays? PFD: It’s a very interesting area, because again this depends on what’s seen as ‘good content’ and the impact it has on how you tell stories. The traditional storytelling curve of a Hollywood movie, which has been adopted by many other stories, means that you build tension that peaks about 70% of the way in and then develops the resolution for the rest of the story. It’s the classic storytelling curve. In videos today, in social on the smart phone, you have to engage people from the very first second. And we also know from all our research, if you want people to engage with your content and to share it with their network, you have to be on a high at the end as well. So that’s a transformation of the storytelling curve. BG: How do you predict or measure which content really works? PFD: We use emotional recognition tools and technology, such as Unruly ShareRank and Realeyes, to help us predict shareability. We then use this data in combination with our own data to inform our approach to content distribution. Emotional recognition through webcams shows us how people react: are they happy, are they sad, are they curious, or what are they? We track that and then we use it to inform our creative composition and also to inform our distribution. This measurement method has a bigger impact on distribution. 22 New way of storytelling ‘Hollywood’ storytelling curve Storytelling curve for branded content Source: Palle Finderup Diederichsen
  • 25.
    Storytelling # Interview with JobstBenthues, Managing Director, RedSeven Entertainment GmbH by Sandra Freisinger-Heinl Many brands would like to tap into the high reach of TV with their own successful show using a branded content format. Jobst Benthues, Managing Director of RedSeven Entertainment GmbH, explains how this works and tells us the winning factors to bear in mind when creating branded entertainment for TV. BOBCM Germany (BG): How do you develop successful branded entertainment for TV? Jobst Benthues (JB): It’s all about good content – always. Every successful TV programme is also a suitable vehicle to carry a branded promotional story. So it makes sense to bring the experience of a TV production company into the mix when developing your branded content initiative. Previously, ideas often came from advertising agencies. Now, branded content formats are being developed and produced by the professionals who already specialise in making TV shows – we call it media created by media experts. Most importantly, this process needs to focus on content, and that requires an insider
  • 26.
    approach so thatthe TV programme is produced in the right way for the relevant brand. This is essential for success. Ideally, a show with a branded content format should also work without a brand. Just like a normal TV show, the branded content has to excite the viewers. A good example of this is ‘Maybelline Make-Up School’ for L’Oréal, which airs every year alongside the show ‘Germany’s next Topmodel’. For more than 10 years now, this branded content programme has been more or less as successful as the model casting show itself. Why? In Maybelline Make-Up School, celebrity make-up artist Boris Entrup gives beauty advice by presenting the latest looks from Germany’s next Topmodel on models from the cast. This entertains and reaches L’Oréal’s precise target group. However, Maybelline Make-Up School would also be interesting to young girls if it didn’t have the branded element – that’s what makes it so successful. BG: What are the key factors to bear in mind during the format development process? JB: You need to start with a strong programme idea. TV broadcasters decide on new formats by establishing the specific challenges of certain time slots. TV production companies work out the best kind of format to use in each slot. Then the brand comes into play. What appeal does the brand contribute? Which key messages should be communicated? And – most importantly – would a viewer also watch the show if it’s a broadcast without a brand association, in a normal TV format? The format of a branded content show has to be appropriate for the broadcaster and the brand, and it has to work on multiple levels. It has to be created in a way that enables the show (and therefore the brand) to achieve maximum reach and that you can extend across social media and second screen. BG: How do you make TV viewers enthusiastic about a branded content format and a brand? JB: With branded content, you can create the same incentive to view as with normal TV shows. The viewer of an advertorial-style show can feel entertained and informed in the same way as they do when watching any TV show. One example of this is ‘Fiat Urban Stories’, a lifestyle TV show featuring the iconic Fiat 500 car. In the show, popular German TV presenter Annemarie Carpendale interviews various interesting people – artists, comedians, musicians, athletes – in various cities, inside a roving Fiat 500 car. This show married interesting content with the right celebrity 24
  • 27.
    presenter and atwist on distribution – different episodes were broadcast on women’s TV channel sixx and on men’s channel ProSieben MAXX. (You can read a case study about this branded content marketing campaign here.) Ultimately, you shouldn’t differentiate between branded entertainment and other entertainment on TV. You must approach the development of branded content with the same rigour as producing Germany’s next Topmodel, The Taste, or other TV shows. Only then will you reach a large audience and the right kind of viewers for a specific brand. 25
  • 28.
    # It seems likethe online video content business is finally coming of age. YouTube has been the global incumbent for a decade, and now Facebook and Twitter are about to kick off their crusade into the online video territory. The same goes for live streaming platforms: Twitch.TV has offered streaming services to up-and-coming game casters since the early 2000s. But it was not until 2014 that ecommerce giant Amazon bought the platform for roughly US$1billion, shortly before complementary streaming services like YouNow, Meerkat and Twitter’s Periscope were about to become popular. In this age of online video, marketers usually have one big question: “How do we produce great integrated web content that will lead to increased awareness for our brand?” Well, the answer is: “It depends on who you ask.” By Ronald Horstman, Managing Director, Studio71 & Board Member of Collective Studio71 and Marco Knies, Head of Production & Branded Entertainment, Studio71
  • 29.
    At Studio71, weusually recommend asking your prospective audience – and by asking we mean watch, listen and learn. In our experience, the first step to creating great web content is to define a specific target group, go where they are and watch what they watch, listen to their conversations and learn what they like so far and would like to see in the future. To most marketers looking deeper into branded online video content, the target audiences are generation Y or the so-called millennials. Born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s, this demographic cohort grew up as digital natives who use computers, smart phones and online tools like social media platforms almost intuitively. Millennial teenagers born in the late 1990s and early 2000s are especially interesting to brands, since they’re used to all kinds of online communication tools, they like to interact with each other and like-minded peers online, and they express themselves through their social media profiles. By doing so, they have tremendous influence on their peer group, but also on the rest of the (older) online communities. The social media reach of some of these millennials has grown so rapidly that they’ve become social influencers. Nicknames such as ‘Pewdiepie’, ‘Rhett&Link’, ‘dFashion’, ‘Sarazar’, ‘MissesVlog’ or ‘Dner’ might not be familiar to you, but to your kids these influencers are more important than well-known bands or movie actors, which makes them extremely valuable to brands that want to reach the young millennial target group. So if you ask your teenage audience what or who makes great web content, there’s a fair chance that the answer will be “Kelly aka MissesVlog” – well, at least if you live in Germany. As a brand creating content for the web, this means you should think about collaborating with influential creators that match your brand values and have a high reach in your preferred target group. Usually, these creators have huge social media followings on YouTube and complementary platforms such as Facebook, 27 “Define a target group, go where they are, watch what they watch, listen to their conversations, learn what they like so far and would like to see in the future.” “The social media reach of some of these millennials has grown so rapidly that they’ve become social influencers.”
  • 30.
    Twitter and Snapchat,which helps co-branded content travel quickly and far across these different platforms. Audiences can be informed via different channels that new episodes are online and, thus, be reached on any given social network they prefer. If you work with social influencers, authenticity is the overall paradigm. These people became popular because of the way they are and the content they create. Changing either of those two factors with a branded content campaign will very likely result in negative audience feedback – remember, you want access to their community. Therefore, we usually come up with a creative concept that’s based on the brand’s core values, but realised in a way that’s oriented towards the influential creator’s style of presentation. In 2014, gaming publisher Ubisoft and their agency Maxus Global wanted to promote the new FarCry4 release, an open-world game taking place in Kyrat, a fictional country based on Nepal. They were looking for social influencers to reach the gaming community as well as more mainstream audiences. Together, we came up with a branded content idea that offered both: the biggest German gamers and Let’s Players Gronkh and Sarazar also operate a travel channel on YouTube called ‘DieSuperhomies’, showing them as they explore fascinating countries and share their spectacular experiences. This was the perfect match. We sent the two top-tier social influencers to Nepal with our camera crew to explore the country and compare the real-world locations to the fictional game sets. In four 20-minute, FarCry4-branded episodes, the Superhomies discovered ancient Kathmandu, rafted through the powerful current of Trishuli River, paraglided across stunning Lake Pokhara and took a helicopter flight to the heady heights of Mount Everest – all enabled by and related to FarCry4, but very subtly and only on occasions that editorially justified the cross-promotion. Community feedback was overwhelming: over 1.2 million video views in the first couple of weeks, over 5,000 comments, more than 60,000 likes on YouTube alone – and yes, 337 dislikes. This example demonstrates perfectly the nature of branded content on YouTube: even though the four videos were labeled as advertising for reasons of legally sound transparency, the audience didn’t mind at all – on the contrary, the community even celebrated the candid announcement at the beginning of the first video, showing Ubisoft as the enabler of such great content as part of the FarCry4 campaign. Releasing branded content in top-tier creator channels is of course the supreme discipline if you are focusing on short-term campaigns. Many brands aiming for longer-term relationships with their customers ask us to create and push their own brand channels. There’s a difference between owning an online video channel and having a proper content strategy for this channel. To be successful, most channels need a programming schedule of one or two videos per week to make their audience come back regularly. While the usual recommendation in terms of video length is six to eight minutes, content can be shorter or 28 “If you work with social influencers, authenticity is the overall paradigm.”
  • 31.
    longer as longas viewers keep watching for more than half of the episode’s running time. On YouTube, for example, most brands monitor subscribers and video views, but the real KPI is watch time, at least when it comes to search optimisation. The longer your audience watches, the more relevant your content seems to be and the higher your videos are ranked by the algorithm for video recommendations that pushes traffic into your channel. One of the most successful German brand channels on YouTube, especially among millennial teenagers, is CokeTV. After the first season of CokeTV, Coca-Cola Germany and their lead agency Ogilvy & Mather came to us to push the channel even further. “The community even celebrated the candid announcement at the beginning of the first video, showing Ubisoft as the enabler of such great content.” 29 “Keep your audience entertained and you will grow.” Source: www.studio71.com
  • 32.
    Source: Coca-Cola DeutschlandPress Release, 13 July 2015 Together, we tried something new and built a format that rocketed the brand’s YouTube channel to over 200,000 subscribers and more than 13 million video views just 17 months after its creation, with an average watch time of over 50%. Popular German YouTuber Dner hosts the weekly CokeTVMoments episodes during which CokeTV enables community members and fellow YouTubers to enjoy unique experiences together with Dner for the very first time. The audience engages deeply with the weekly content by posting their own CokeTVMoment wishes, hoping to be picked for one of the next episodes. CokeTVMoments have included swimming with sea lions, building igloos almost 3,000 metres above sea level and learning how to free run. The six- to 10-minute format perfectly reflects the brand’s drivers of happiness – things like being active, being together, giving to others, trying new things and living in the moment. However, the way the format is produced is far from a corporate commercial. Every aspect of production is influenced by the way video bloggers create content, while at the same time making sure the production values follow Coca-Cola’s high quality standards. The question remains: “How do you produce great integrated web content that will lead to increased awareness for your brand?” 30 “Every aspect of production is influenced by the way video bloggers create content, while at the same time making sure the production values follow Coca-Cola’s high quality standards.”
  • 33.
    Well, the answerstill is: “It depends on who you ask.” But if you ask us as a global, multi-channel network, our experiences with creators and all kinds of social influencers, with brands and branded content production show that there seem to be five key aspects to bear in mind: 31
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    Storytelling # Interview with PreethiMariappan, Executive Creative Director, Razorfish Germany by Sandra Freisinger-Heinl BOBCM Germany (BG): What brand objectives can be solved by branded content? Preethi Mariappan (PM): Content can be used to drive brand reputation and thought leadership. It can be used to connect to a new audience that you need to open up and engage. Ultimately though, content has to serve a business objective and drive results. I think we’re all trying to find ways to deliver a seamless content- to-commerce journey. These are all viable objectives when we consider branded content. However, I don’t think we should be fencing in branded content to an exclusive set of objectives. It’s a fairly new phenomenon and we’ll probably see many different approaches for different brands. Branded content aligns to brand purpose for the long term. I think the big question we need to be asking here is: “What is the value I deliver as a brand with my content, how will it help me engage my customers or form a community, and how does it serve my brand mission?” BG: What are the key factors to consider for content creation and distribution? PM: Creativity in content hinges on understanding the zeitgeist and the cultural context of your audience.
  • 35.
    Co-creating with yourown customers, fans and influencers is obviously key for acceptance and sharing. You need to assess where people are already engaged with your brand topics, or identify a need for it. If you want to belong to a group, you have to hear what the group is talking about – and have something relevant to say – in order to participate. If we look at our client IKEA, we see that interior and home decor is a huge topic on the web and within their community. With IKEA Hej, we co- create content actively with the community and influencers whose voices matter. The brand experience is democratised and shared, driving an uptake in leads. Also, a distributed content approach means you need to think about creating content that feels native to the platform and to how people consume and share. Think Pinterest versus LinkedIn. Or YouTube versus Vine. For instance, we launched IKEA’s street art poster collection with a live event streamed to Instagram where there is a natural affinity for this type of content. Sometimes I see a good piece of content, but then companies end up sharing the same thing on Facebook, YouTube, et cetera. I think ‘spray and pray’ as a tactic simply doesn’t work. BG: Any specifications on the type of content to use? PM: Content specifications are very specific to the brand and its objectives. A content mix is a healthy approach, from fan-based or user- created content, to influencer- or brand-created. The same applies to the format mix from video and visual to editorial. Or choosing when or how to mix snackable, mobile-first content pieces with long-form content, whether video or editorial. A sound strategy and editorial calendar needs to underpin great creative content. 33
  • 36.
    Also, people don’tcare for one awesome piece of content if you’re hoping for engagement beyond simple views. You need to consider an ‘always on’ content approach. I think the influencer piece is the newest formula within branded content – for instance, working with YouTubers or Instagrammers relevant for the brand. These are the ‘new celebrities’; producing content together with them is the ‘new TV’. This also changed how we think about creative content crafting. Today, content needs to be real, not sugar-coated. What the content influencers create is not very crafted by marketing standards, but it’s authentic. BG: Do you have any key statistics on brand investment in content versus media? PM: Brands in Germany often invest 20% in content and 80% in media. I think the ratio clearly needs to change to 60% in content and 40% in media at least, if we’re to create purposeful sticky content and start relying less on a media push-type approach. But actually it needs to be about content and distribution, not content and media! We need to stop thinking of content, media and distribution in silos to be truly effective. I think we’re still learning how to do this within both agencies and client organisations, since this calls for new structures, processes and ways of working together between multiple partners. 34
  • 37.
    # What’s the secretof successful and outstanding brands? What do Apple, Coca-Cola, BMW and the like have in common? Sure, they all provide good technological, tasty, or stylish products, but there is an emotional dimension about them as well. These brands have ‘fans’ – the ‘fans of the brands’ who love to engage with them. Engagement is the buzzword and seems to be one of the key factors to success in branded content. But how can you trigger engagement? Branded content can support the connection of fans to a brand and can help to increase the fanbase in certain ways, for example by working with celebrities, sharing social and real events. And there’s another factor to branded content that seems to be highly effective: music. Music provides unique user experiences. It’s all about creating inspiring moments to link consumers to a brand. So music can be this ‘connective element’ to create relevant actions for the core business of the brand. This is best explained by using a prominent example, the MINI car brand. For the launch of the MINI John Cooper Works model, the British band ‘The Vaccines’ was chosen as a partner. The band appeared in the TV commercial, in person and with their hit single ‘Handsome’. Subsequently, the campaign was extended into the area of social By Lars Bendix Düysen, Vice President Brand Partnership Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Sony Music Entertainment Germany
  • 38.
    media and brandedentertainment. Fans could apply to win a ‘money-can’t-buy moment’ and to meet the band who played a secret concert. The band met with a super-fan to hand over concert tickets and even a birthday cake. Afterwards, the fan had the chance to play a song with the band at the show. That was all filmed and captured as a ‘MINI Moment’. To show how this works, let’s take a closer look at the overarching idea ‘MINI meets Music' with the ‘MINI Blockbuster' modules and ‘MINI Moments’ branded content. The objective is to integrate the MINI car brand with the digital lifestyle of the band. MINI should become a native part of this world. To this end, a 12-month marketing plan was developed. The aim of the cooperation between MINI and Sony Music was always to strengthen MINI’s core business, hence the launch dates of new MINI models were taken into consideration while developing the marketing plan. Sony Music Brand Partnership & Music Licensing aligned closely with agencies working for MINI. During a joint set-up meeting for MINI meets Music, Sony Music’s marketing managers presented artists that fit the MINI brand challenges and needs. 1. MINI Blockbuster The agency Mediaplus, Serviceplan Group conceived the basic media concept MINI Blockbuster. This focused on traditional media in the ‘Blockbuster TV time slot’ on ProSieben. Via a TV spot, viewers were asked to send in to Instagram photos of urban places a MINI car should drive past, to help create a new spot for the MINI John Cooper Works. To make this call for content ‘sexy’, Sony asked The Vaccines to participate in it. To activate even more User Generated Content (UGC), the band encouraged the audience to send in their photos. Great feedback on Instagram and cool photos were received to create the MINI TV spot that included The Vaccines again. 36
  • 39.
  • 40.
    2. MINI Moments Thestory continues. Being advised by Sony Music, The Vaccines informed fans, via social media and Berlin Radio FluxFM, about a secret gig for just 70 people taking place in a trendy location, the Monkey Bar at the Twentyfive Hours Hotel in Berlin. Now it gets even more interesting, because this activity generated the highest level of customer engagement with the MINI brand from a branded content campaign. Fans of The Vaccines could apply to attend the gig by sending a video message on YouTube, telling the community why they “desperately need to be there”, and they could name a friend to go with them. One of the fans, Theo, was having his 18th birthday on the day of the gig and was “dying to see the band”. First of all, he received a refusal. But secretly Sony contacted his friend to play a trick on super-fan Theo. Theo’s friends arrived at his home in a MINI John Cooper Works that had hidden cameras in it. As they drove along, one of the stars of The Vaccines announced on radio FluxFM that Theo was in fact a VIP guest for the gig that evening. Later, Theo got to play the guitar with the band. To drive awareness for the MINI Moments branded content, Sony Music provided MINI with access to Sony digital platforms with wide reach, such as Spotify and Sony’s Music’s own digital brand Filtr Germany that generates millions of views every month. In addition, a Spotify Playlist for every MINI model was created. 3. The constant noise On top of those special initiatives, MINI uses music and content as a tool to generate constant ‘noise’ throughout the year. Sony also provides gig tickets and merchandise on MINI’s brand channels in order to foster ongoing communication with their customers. The MINI example illustrates several possible tools and activation routes to consider when using music as a highly effective connective factor in branded content. Music and branded entertainment are emotional triggers for engagement. Music fans can become fans of an associated brand if you give them the opportunity to love and engage with the brand. That’s the total opposite of using pushy, price- based communication. 38
  • 41.
    # By OliverDietrich, Director Creative & Conception, SevenOne AdFactory GmbH, who implemented MINI Blockbuster on TV 39 1. What was special about MINI Blockbuster on ProSieben? What was unique about the concept was that we managed to combine social media and TV, and therefore implemented the first transmedia TV spot in Germany. This was done with a particular look and sound that strengthened the qualities of the MINI John Cooper Works. It was a creative idea for a creative brand, which worked well on all relevant platforms, as it was new and connecting different media. An additional effect was that we inspired a target group of young people who are usually far away from TV to watch TV. 2. What was your part in developing the concept? The starting position was the insight that a typical TV commercial is not sufficient for an exceptional car. We had to do something new, something played across all platforms and something trendy. So we connected the advantages and the competence of Instagram with the advantages of TV commercials and with the large reach of TV. It was about bringing together great, individual and authentic pictorial worlds and emotional video storytelling, to share it and to show it. Combined with great music and a band that was new, innovative and hip, we brought together the different components as a whole, as an authentic MINI Blockbuster. The result was real innovation. 3. How did you encourage the target group to participate using photos on Instagram? The MINI John Cooper Works is a legend - fans didn’t have to be tempted to show their loyalty and love. But they had to know where to participate and how to become part of the MINI campaign, which was achieved by our multimedia call for content. This was made possible by targeting the call via the whole network of relevant platforms and channels at ProSiebenSAT.1 Media Group. This variety of media enabled tailored cross-linkage, especially during the important period of the call for pictures.
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    # If you’re readingthis article, you’ve made a big step towards successful content marketing: you’re thinking about distribution. Far too often the ‘marketing’ aspect of content marketing is left behind or completely forgotten. Producing valuable and relevant content is only half the story. Without a strategic plan for the distribution and investment in audience reach, content will remain unseen and without impact. Currently, content marketing is one of the most popular topics in marketing. However companies often really struggle to define adequate KPIs for content measurement, or they just overestimate what they can actually achieve. Fragmentation of media consumption, rejection of advertising and the use of ad blockers, low visibility of display ads – whatever the problem, content is supposed to be the cure, providing brands with highly involved target groups – and, of course, free reach on top! Sorry to say, folks, this is not quite the case. By Thorsten Peters, Managing Director Creation, pilot Hamburg and Frauke Driedger, Head of Consulting Creation, pilot Hamburg
  • 43.
    What's the ‘right’content for my target group?  As more advertisers produce content, more and more of it will compete for consumers’ attention. Hence, to ensure visibility, brands need to develop a distribution strategy. This strategy needs to be developed at an early stage, incorporating the question “What specific content is relevant for the chosen target groups?” Brands tend to decide this using their current knowledge of their target groups, however sound research is highly advisable. Often, the content is produced first and only later in the process questions regarding its distribution arise. This misses out on the huge potential of the interface between media and creative. If distribution and content creation are strategically developed together and closely interlinked, the content can be optimised for the defined channels, their requirements and usage. 
 The best content distribution strategy? Work on it!  An ideal distribution strategy needs to be developed individually for each brand and concept. The starting point should be the brand’s content marketing goals and the target group. What media channels and devices do they use? In which situations and what for? Only after these questions are answered can distribution channels and efficient measures be defined.  
 Owned, paid and earned media - deal with it!  An ideal distribution strategy always consists of owned, paid and earned media, each used to a different extent depending on the brand’s goals.  Owned media is the starting point of every content distribution process. The brand’s website, social media channels, a newsletter, offline touchpoints such as point of sale – every additional touchpoint with the target group increases the content’s visibility and scalability. However, not every channel is suitable for every piece of content. Questions that need to be answered include: What brand channels already exist? Are they appropriate? Are new channels needed and if so which ones? Then, interaction between the different channels should be clearly defined. Content hubs can help further to aggregate the content and connect the various channels. However, owned media by itself cannot yet guarantee high visibility. Investment in paid media is vital to secure the content’s reach and guarantees a good balance between production costs and reach. Especially during a campaign’s launch, paid media should be used to leverage the reach of both owned and earned media. The budget for paid media should be determined with regard to the goals, the target group and the size of existing owned communities. In terms of measurement, all standard online marketing metrics are generally suitable to use for branded content. However, it’s crucial that the content is in the spotlight, not the brand. 41
  • 44.
    Long-term collaboration withpartners is also very important. Multipliers and media partners who embed and share your branded content online will strengthen the content’s acceptance and credibility with consumers. For smaller budgets and target groups, it’s best to increase the content’s visibility on owned media channels (e.g. using social media advertising) that establish long-term customer relationships. To broaden the reach further, digital advertising should be used – for example, live streaming inside display ads, as used for the distribution of ‘Webers großes Grillfest’. 
 A bit of fine-tuning While owned and paid media can be planned, earned media – whereby consumers feel compelled to share your content peer to peer – is not really calculable. However, brands can ensure maximum dissemination by making content easily shareable online and across mobile devices, and by establishing good relationships with relevant multipliers, such as bloggers and aggregators. By individually addressing their needs and interests, brands can build up high engagement and increase the amount of earned media. For example, consider using multipliers to distribute personalised content as part of the content production process. As individual as content distribution may be, the most important aspect is to actually consider content distribution full stop, and to consider it at an early stage in your plans for branded content marketing. This is the only way to ensure that relevant content gets the attention it deserves – and finally does the job!  42
  • 46.
    In 2014, DeutscheTelekom merged all its mobile, broadband, phone and home entertainment services into one new product called 'MagentaEINS'. This move was driven on one hand by the desire to increase convenience for customers and, on the other, by the fact that customers perceive those services more and more as a single unit, representing the day-to-day usage of individuals and families, rather than separate products. Telekom asked DDB Hamburg to create a marketing campaign to promote this new offering. 44
  • 47.
    DDB came upwith a branded content idea: to develop a movie series about a family who would experience all the Deutsche Telekom products within their daily life – like so many other families in Germany do. 'Familie Heins' was born. Together with production company UFA, scriptwriter Johannes Boss and well-known movie director Simon Verhoeven, DDB developed a story with episodes, each featuring a particular MagentaEINS benefit or product. 45 Each month, an episode of the Familie Heins story aired as a TV commercial, accompanied by long versions and side stories on the Familie Heins YouTube channel. (All media planning and buying was done by MediaCom.) To extend the campaign reach, the story expanded in many more day- to-day moments, creating a distinctive blur of advertising fiction and reality. For example: • One episode showed the experiences of daughter Clara Heins and her boyfriend, YouTube star Sami Slimani, at one of Telekom’s ‘Street Gig’ music events. • Two episodes showed the adventures of the Familie Heins men at the Cologne carnival – recorded that morning and broadcast as a TV commercial only a few hours later that very same day, marking a milestone in real-time advertising. • An episode made during the Queen of England’s visit to Berlin involved Clara Heins posting footage only minutes after she filmed the Queen passing by. • Another episode showed Clara Heins becoming a real cast member in the sequel to the successful German movie 'Fack Ju Göhte', together with lead actor Elyas M’Barek.
  • 48.
    46 "Our plan wasto create a family that’s different from other ad families. The special thing about Familie Heins is that we’ve invented genuine characters, as used in fiction storytelling. Each of the family members has a special backstory with likes, needs, historical events, etc. This gives us endless possibilities for our storytelling.” Karsten Ruddigkeit, Executive Creative Director, DDB Hamburg
  • 49.
    47 "With the changedbehaviour in media usage as one strong driver, the importance of content-based communication has increased massively. With our campaign 'MagentaEINS' featuring our cast 'Familie Heins', we are consistently following this direction by managing the distribution of our own video content in various channels – for example, social media platforms, digital adverts, TV commercials, as well as our own web platforms and social media channels. For us, the close conjunction of paid and earned media has become one of the key success factors.” Philipp Friedel, Senior Vice President Market Communication, Deutsche Telekom Each main episode of the Familie Heins story underwent Telekom’s standard advertising material test. The results regarding power of attention, acceptance, product understanding, interest in information, interest in usage, purchase intention and brand fit shattered all benchmarks. In addition, positive effects on Telekom’s overall brand monitor were achieved.
  • 51.
    Fiat Germany waslooking for an original and authentic TV content partnership to promote the Fiat 500 and the new Fiat 500 CULT in 2014. The campaign needed to embody the Italian spirit at heart, but without using any clichés, and include a strategy to target both female and male audiences successfully. 49
  • 52.
    Fiat Germany andits agency partner SevenOne AdFactory worked together to develop a modern, fun-to-watch, magazine- style branded TV programme – ‘Fiat Urban Stories’. The idea involved well-known TV host Annemarie Carpendale meeting fascinating real people, such as artists, magicians and athletes, who were living their dream in the big city. She would invite them into her iconic Fiat 500 – Germany’s smallest and most intimate TV studio – to talk about their passions, creating relevant, genuine stories of our time that organically involved the car. Using the ProSiebenSat.1 network’s resources and synergies, the weekly episodes were produced by in-house TV production company RedSeven, resulting in a credible editorial look and feel, and greater relevance for TV viewers. 50 The distribution activity had a special twist. In order to address the female and male target groups in the most effective way, a two-channel strategy was chosen: eight episodes of six minutes each were broadcast on sixx, Germany’s number one TV channel for women, and another eight episodes aired on men's channel ProSiebenMAXX. For sixx, the host met the likes of models, designers and photographers, while on ProSiebenMAXX she interviewed racing drivers, comedians, musicians and similar. The branded entertainment show was advertised on German mainstream TV channel ProSieben via 20-second teaser ad spots. In addition, online ads on the network’s platforms complemented the campaign. During the on-air phase, viewers were encouraged to get involved in sweepstakes (to win an appearance in an episode), social media activities and test drive opportunities on the campaign’s website. The TV episodes were also made available to watch on the site.
  • 53.
  • 54.
    52 “The ‘Fiat UrbanStories’ initiative is a great example of how to leverage the power of free TV and entertaining storytelling perfectly for our partner brands in a smart and targeted way, putting branded content at the heart of an integrated communication campaign.” Petra Kroop, Director Brand Integration, SevenOne AdFactory The unique, true-life storytelling in this branded entertainment campaign was the optimal solution for the iconic Fiat 500, in order to set up a new and effective communication strategy with the brand’s potential customers.
  • 56.
    Dell is verywell known as a manufacturer of great value laptops and desktop computers.  However, half its business revenue comes from providing IT infrastructure products, such as servers and related expertise, to corporate IT departments. In summer 2014, Dell Germany challenged its agency partner MediaCom Germany to get Dell’s corporate IT solutions on the consideration lists of the country’s IT Decision Makers (ITDMs). The overriding objective was to generate 12,000 leads within this hard-to-convince B2B audience. The first problem was that B2B marketing to ITDMs is very different to B2C marketing to your typical consumer. Not only are B2B purchases based more on logic than emotion, but also – particularly when it comes to critical infrastructure such as IT – businesses tend to have a set-in-stone, preferred supplier purchasing process to streamline time and costs. New suppliers have a long furrow to plough, working extra hard to earn ITDMs’ trust just to get on the consideration list, let alone make a sale. The bottom line is that the key budget holder is highly risk averse, brand loyal and reluctant to change. This led to the second problem: MediaCom’s research revealed that Dell wasn’t seen as a relevant or trusted brand, particularly among Germany’s important medium-sized businesses. The brand wasn’t even on the consideration list for the vast majority of ITDMs, lagging behind HP and IBM. Consideration levels for Dell were stuck at 27%, just above half the level of its main competitors who both scored 52%. And the final problem was that Dell hadn’t ever spoken to this ITDM audience. The lack of dialogue had allowed prejudice to grow, and Dell was widely seen as an American company that didn’t understand the German market. 54
  • 57.
    To help developa campaign strategy, MediaCom spent hours talking and listening to ITDMs. This led to the earth-shattering discovery that ITDMs weren’t even the key target market! Most ITDMs don’t actually know that much about IT – IT equipment is just one more thing to buy, alongside company cars and managing the facilities. ITDMs rely on an informal network of IT colleagues to advise them, with administrators being the critical link in the chain.   IT administrators are the savvy people who maintain IT infrastructure every day. They deal with error messages, tricky software updates, and – most challenging of all – the frustration of being surrounded by computer illiterates. MediaCom realised that showing IT administrators that Dell understood their pain was crucial to building a better relationship and starting to get Dell more involved in the purchase decision-making journey.  From this insight came the inspiration to develop a branded content marketing campaign that would make Dell part of the IT administrators’ daily world in an engaging and entertaining way. Dell would become the heartbeat of a new community where IT administrators could tell each other how they felt about the rest of the office, enabling them to let off steam. MediaCom Beyond Advertising and their production partner Hogarth created a 16- webisode sitcom, telling the day-to-day stories and struggles that only IT administrators could truly understand. The campaign message was “Life is Tough Enough, Take IT easy”. 55
  • 58.
    The sitcom waspromoted through ads on Germany’s most popular IT websites, as well as tightly targeted Facebook video ads and blogger outreach. These promotions connected people to a new Dell ‘Tough Enough’ Tumblr page created for the campaign, where IT administrators could create memes, contribute their stories of the ‘Dumbest Assumable User’ (DAU) in their companies, and use the bespoke DAU generator to turn their stories into gif images that could be shared.  Integrated with Facebook and Twitter, the highly visual campaign site was a magnet for the funniest stories that IT administrators could provide, ranging from users who couldn’t type in their passwords to those who didn’t know that home Wi-Fi wouldn’t work outside the home…  In addition, free merchandise, such as mugs and buzzers featuring the worst DAU stories, was offered to IT administrators who provided their contact details in return – fulfilling the aim of generating meaningful leads. Finally, the Tumblr site was linked to Dell’s business website that ran interviews with IT administrators talking about the challenges they faced in their daily lives. ITDMs weren’t completely forgotten: carefully targeted print and outdoor ads designed to reach them on business trips invited them to peek behind the IT door; and QR codes encouraged them to connect with the campaign content. 56
  • 59.
    57 In only fourmonths, the Dell ‘Tough Enough’ campaign resulted in:
  • 60.
    58 “The Dell ‘ToughEnough’ campaign was so successful because, rather than talking to the target audience about servers or back-end infrastructure, we created branded content that entertained them while still enabling them to relate to the brand. We made them laugh and, most importantly, we also made it easy for them to share their own stories.” Norman Wagner, Managing Partner, MediaCom Beyond Advertising, Germany The innovative Dell ‘Tough Enough’ campaign won a bevy of awards in 2015, including two gold awards at the Global Festival of Media Awards (for Best Targeted Campaign and Best Community Development), and a silver Cannes Media Lion. As we go to publication, it’s also the most shortlisted campaign overall at the M&M Global Awards. It produced a whole host of positive benefits for the brand, even more laudable given the B2B category and the brand’s low starting point for consideration by IT administrators. The first episode of the sitcom was the most successful Facebook IT category post ever. In one week, it generated more than 120,000 organic views, 3,000 shares and more than 1,000 comments.  The campaign merchandise became a must-have for IT administrators. It generated over 15,000 qualified business leads, saving Dell more than 50% on the normal cost per lead and beating the campaign target by 25%.  Within a very short space of time, thanks to this campaign, Dell has joined the IT conversation in Germany and is now a genuine contender the next time its target audience considers a new hardware purchase. Dell and MediaCom are the throes of extending the campaign with a follow-up that’s due to go live as we go to publication in September 2015, making use of the same sitcom characters and involving the 213,000-strong IT community with a new sales twist.
  • 62.
    For their 2015promotional Easter campaign, Germany’s leading consumer electronics retailer, Media Markt, was looking for a new and innovative approach. Media Markt’s aim was to increase awareness during the Easter period and tempt customers into their stores. In order to cut through the clutter and differentiate from the numerous other Easter promotions, the campaign had to be smart, bold and entertaining. 60
  • 63.
    Together with Ogilvyand Endemol Beyond, Media Markt developed a unique live sports event: the Media Markt ‘Rabbit Race’ (Das große Osterhasen-Rasen). The idea: 10 rabbits, wearing the starting numbers 0 to 9, would compete in a sprint race series hosted by the popular sports commentator Frank Buschmann. To encourage Media Markt customers to get behind the Rabbit Race, every Media Markt shopping receipt doubled as an official betting slip. For example, if you had a receipt number ending in a ‘4’, you backed rabbit number four. There were three two-minute-long race broadcasts on 1, 2 and 4 April 2015, and it paid off to cheer for your rabbit each time – customers whose receipt numbers matched the winning bunny’s number received 50 percent cashback on their purchase in the form of a Media Markt voucher. The rabbits were presented as celebrity characters with fun names to help trigger conversation and support among the general public. From aging superstar Turboflausch, to bad boy athlete Der Zermöhrer and adrenalin junkie mountaineer Puschel to the Limit, the rabbits took on popular personas and fans were able to find out details of their special dietary habits, career profiles, music preferences and more. Of course, the rabbits also had a (real life) professional trainer caring for them. 61
  • 64.
    In a mediafirst, the Rabbit Race series was broadcast live during prime time ad breaks on the nine leading German free-to-air TV stations (SAT.1, ProSieben, kabel eins, RTL, SUPER RTL, RTL NITRO, VOX, n-tv and the Disney Channel) simultaneously, as well as online on YouTube’s homepage, the Media Markt website and Germany’s most popular news site Bild.de. In addition to the Race series itself, there was an integrated communication campaign using traditional advertising, PR and social media. In the weeks before the live event, the Rabbit Race was heavily promoted with complementary branded content – such as profiles of each rabbit, collectors’ cards, training insight, celebrity interviews and press conferences with the rabbits, behind-the- scenes reports, and other interactive, engaging elements – which was shared across social media by fans. Media Markt also responded to social media comments during and after the event, including posting personal greeting cards online for supporters. 62
  • 65.
    # 63 “The Rabbit Raceis yet more proof of Media Markt’s creative innovation: Germany’s biggest supplier of consumer electronics is itself becoming an entertainer and turning a promotional campaign into a sporting event for the whole family.” Felix Fenz, Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather
  • 66.
    64 “The courage tocreate and implement an outstandingly unique idea, and most especially the perfect synchronisation of all the service providers involved, were the two factors of major importance for the success of our Rabbit Race campaign. Our creative agency Ogilvy developed the spectacular design of the idea, which immediately thrilled us. Also, we decided to simulcast the Rabbit Race live on Germany’s major private TV channels – something that has never been done in this way before. The implementation of the live race was carried out smoothly in collaboration with Endemol Beyond. I’m convinced that the professionalism of all our partners, as well as the collective enthusiasm for the Rabbit Race, drove its exceptional success.” Thomas Hesse, Head of Marketing, Media Markt Germany, redblue Marketing GmbH The Rabbit Race concept combined branded content marketing with real-time advertising, resulting in much more than a traditional advertising campaign alone would have delivered – this became a national sports entertainment event and a media first. From this innovative initiative, Media Markt generated strong awareness during the busy Easter period, a significant sales impact, and an enhanced reputation as a forward-thinking brand that understands how to entertain and connect with its market.
  • 68.
    The problem: youngpeople are generally not at all interested in insurance and diseases. Nevertheless, this young target group is very important to Techniker Krankenkasse, Germany’s major health insurance company. It wants to be part of its clients’ lives from the beginning. Techniker Krankenkasse understood that brands could learn a lot from talented, young YouTubers – all the more when the business objective is to build up long-term, authentic relationships with people on social platforms. For that reason, Techniker Krankenkasse – together with Google and endemol beyond – developed a concept for a branded content marketing campaign that uses the strengths of the YouTube platform in an intelligent way and coincidentally speaks the language of the young target group. The idea was to provide a virtual home for everyone who’s confronted with drawbacks in their health during their early years, and to populate it with real-life stories from young people who had addressed their health issues with help from their community. Called #wireinander, the campaign started with the creation and production of videos of 66
  • 69.
    six popular GermanYouTubers, each providing an emotional account of their personal health story, such as a teenage girl dealing with depression, a young man having to change his dream of becoming a surgeon after a devastating bike accident, and an aspiring street dancer overcoming a serious back injury. A microsite for the campaign was built and populated with the video clips, a Twitter feed, links to Instagram and Facebook, health advice from Techniker Krankenkasse and more related content – including video stories from the YouTubers’ fans, filmed on the streets of major cities across Germany. Techniker Krankenkasse also ran a competition for site visitors, raffling off a blue box containing one item from each of the six YouTubers. The campaign launched in November 2014. Aside from distribution via the campaign website, the video clips were posted on the real video bloggers’ personal YouTube channels which had wide coverage. The clips followed the unwritten rules of YouTube and communicated Techniker Krankenkasse’s involvement transparently. The YouTubers provided additional creative value by encouraging their young communities to speak up and share their own stories using the hashtag #wireinander. The campaign was also supported by TV and print advertising. Once set in motion, the campaign hashtag became a virtual movement for the younger generation that continues to share its stories in this way today. 67
  • 70.
    Every day, thousandsof young people share their health-related stories using #wireinander across multiple social media platforms. The first part of the campaign has already exceeded expectations (the second part is still running as we go to publication), thanks to a coherent overall concept and a well-conceived distribution process. A Google Brand Lift survey reported that the #wireinander campaign achieved the most successful results of any YouTube campaign in Germany’s finance sector during all of 2014. 68 “Storytelling is a good way to not just reach but also touch and involve target groups on an emotional level. It is important to us to find authentic stories and not to interfere with the way the protagonist wants to tell his or her personal story. Being able to share the campaign's message via the YouTubers' own channels helped us to engage with the target group and led to a lot of dialogues. The brand awareness and acceptance in the target group increased significantly.” Nina Voncken, Social Media Manager, Techniker Krankenkasse “The USP of the #wireinander campaign was the connection of YouTube stars’ emotional, far-reaching stories and the genuine integration of the Techniker Krankenkasse brand. The hashtag #wireinander served as the basis of digital communication, and enabled all users to participate directly and interactively in the campaign.” Thomas Spiller, Head of Brand Solutions, endemol beyond
  • 72.
    Every spring, barbecuemaster Weber traditionally welcomes the season by running dealer events in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. There, at the point of sale, barbecue enthusiasts watch innovative product demonstrations and taste delicious food. The challenge was to transfer this event to the digital world, to make it entertaining, and to create compelling opportunities for interaction with the brand. It was focused on getting the barbecue fans emotionally connected with the brand – to inspire them by encouraging them to participate and experiment. Branded content in the format of an interactive live event offered – as opposed to traditional advertising – the optimal approach to orchestrate the barbecue theme in an urban and entertaining way, and to enter into a sustained dialogue with the target group. At the beginning of spring 2015, the interactive barbecue event ‘Webers großes Grillfest’ was launched and staged by pilot Hamburg (conception, editorial, production) and Fuenfwerken Design AG (lead agency brand and corporate design, creation, consulting and conception). The event was implemented by fischerAppelt (social media, public relations, 70 Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaGCmnznMLM
  • 73.
    blogger relations, communitymanagement) and anyMOTION GRAPHICS GmbH who produced the campaign website and supported live streaming. Star chef Johann Lafer and Weber’s professional barbecuer Klaus Breinig showed viewers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland how to create a perfect four-course barbecue meal. Viewers were challenged to barbecue live in tandem with the professionals in their own gardens at home. The event was broadcast live on 15 March 2015 from the Berlin SAGE Club, presented by famous TV hosts Steven Gaetjen and Jeannine Michaelsen. The online barbecue event was promoted in advance through a radio and display ad campaign, teaser videos and ads in social media. The live stream of the event was presented on the Weber website and through innovative video banners in advertising spaces on Bild.de, Chefkoch.de, online newspaper and radio station home pages, so these sites’ visitors could immediately follow the barbecue show live. Even before the live event started, barbecue fans could participate in the show. A competition asked them to nominate ingredients for one of the four barbecue courses. They voted for their favourites via an online tool, and then chef Johann Lafer created a recipe from the community’s most popular choices and cooked it on the grill. Using the hashtag #WeberGrillFest, the enthusiastic barbecue community sent in photos, comments and questions during the live event, and these were collected on a social wall on the event website. The show hosts and chefs responded in real time to these posts via tablet, and they integrated them into the live event on location. The success of the ‘Webers großes Grillfest’ live interactive event was measured by reach and by engagement of the target group as evidenced by length of stay, shares, comments and interactions. The event was designed in a way that enabled freshly created and edited content, such as short recipe videos, to be used for Weber’s social channels like YouTube and Facebook directly after the live streaming. 71
  • 74.
    The live eventwas advertised on radio and online, reaching more than 200 million total contacts. The four-hour live stream achieved more than two million views by sending the live signal to the target group via live streaming banners on many different media sites. Webers großes Grillfest turned out to be a resounding success and the brand was delighted with the massive interest. 72 “The live event reached more than two million contacts and was a real sensation within the participating countries – springtime couldn’t have started any better.” Marc André Palm, Marketing Director EMEA Central, Weber-Stephen Deutschland GmbH “With this innovative community event, we created substantial, relevant content for enthusiastic barbecue brand experts and new customers. Unlike using conventional advertising, with branded content Weber could establish a dialogue with the target group in an entertaining way, and inspire an emotional connection and passion for the brand.” Thorsten Peters, Managing Director Creation, pilot Hamburg
  • 76.
    Video games area global phenomenon – in Germany alone, there are over 29 million gamers. But this activity is increasingly eating up the younger generation’s free time, with up to 136 minutes per day spent video gaming in 2014! Toy manufacturer Hasbro decided that it was time for physical fun to fight back. The company asked agency partner OMD to help it turn digital gamers into real-life gamers using Hasbro’s NERF foam dart blaster toy brand. The challenge was to make a lost generation enthusiastic about this range of non-digital toy guns, re-energising grown-up ‘youth’ to take part in physical action and fun. 74
  • 77.
    OMD came upwith a branded content strategy based on the insight that NERF blaster action and entertainment always starts right away. There are no rules, no need for additional equipment – just immediate fun! The plan was to make people feel the fun of playing in the real world again, as well as enabling them to share this fun digitally with their friends. The hardest test would be to convince hardcore digital game fans to get involved. So OMD devised a campaign that would conquer the epicentre of the digital gamer’s world, partnering with the most famous influencers of this generation: 15 top YouTube stars gate- crashed the Gamescom international digital game fair in Cologne in 2014, equipped with NERF toy blasters. The campaign literally fired up! The whole fair became an analogue playground, proving the strength of real-life fun with NERF to the most ardent digital gamers. The Gamescom event action was recorded and instantly uploaded by the YouTube stars to their own YouTube channels, multiplying and boosting Hasbro’s real-life fun message far outside the borders of the fair itself. In addition, an integrated, sustainable wave of branded content creation was kicked off via the YouTube stars who carried on the NERF story at home. They encouraged their fans to record their own fun NERF action moments and use the hashtag #NerfNicht to share these real-life NERF action videos online with more friends. 75
  • 78.
    The results exceededall expectations: Most impressively, underlining the massive resonance of the campaign in the market, Hasbro sold 40%+ more NERF toy blasters than the previous year. 76 “Hasbro’s NERF branded entertainment campaign beat the digital industry with their own weapons, unlocking additional growth potential for the fun blaster range and turning it into the leading brand in Hasbro’s portfolio in Germany.” Dominik Scholta, Director, FUSE
  • 80.
    With about 70new car launches each year in Austria, it’s essential for a car manufacturer to accompany the launch of a new model with a unique marketing campaign that stands out from the crowd and stays in people’s minds. In addition, it’s quite a challenge to access a new target group, in particular the younger demographic, with a high-involvement product like a car. This was, however, the goal for ŠKODA Austria with its new ŠKODA Fabia model when it asked ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4 – the biggest private TV channel in Austria – to come up with a marketing campaign concept. 78
  • 81.
    ŠKODA Austria hadrealised that, in order to address a new and younger target group in this competence-driven sector, they needed to reinvent the ŠKODA Fabia model as well as its marketing strategy. The car manufacturer focused on sportiness, design elements and new functionality targeting primarily young adults. But to bring the message of this new star to the public and address a completely new group of people, there’s more to it than using a traditional marketing mix. To solve these challenges, ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4 drew on their core skills – producing TV content and combining it with digital media concepts. They soon came up with the idea of co-creating a made-to-measure, branded content TV format distributed across all their media platforms, with the new ŠKODA Fabia taking the lead part: ‘Die Große Simply- Clever-Show’ was born. This pilot TV show was a 45-minute, prime- time quiz-game show hosted by one of the TV channel’s most famous faces, Norbert Oberhauser, who guided his four contestants through a game in, on and around its main character – the ŠKODA Fabia. The show was divided into three parts: quiz, action and finale. Before Norbert let the games begin, each of the players had to pick a key numbered from key 1 to 4 and positioned prominently next to the grand prize. Only one of the four keys unlocked the ŠKODA Fabia. Armed with their lucky keys, the competitors started the first round, the quiz. They had to answer multiple-choice questions on the subject of mobility, scoring points for correct answers. As well as general questions, the players had to prove their ŠKODA brand knowledge. The contestant with the lowest score had to surrender his or her key to the competitor with the most points and drop out of the contest. Welcome to part two: action. In this round, the three remaining contestants had to compete in various games around the car, such as ‘Rearview Mirror Stress Test’ or ‘Duel on the Roof’. Again, the participant with the lowest score dropped out, leaving their key to the temporary winner. During the entire show, all the viewers at home could also choose which key number they 79
  • 82.
    thought would unlockthe ŠKODA Fabia, and have a chance to win a ŠKODA Fabia Combi. In this way, the campaign featured both of the new generation ŠKODA Fabia models and generated user interaction during the live show. Viewers could either participate via phone voting or online, including posting on Facebook to encourage others to join the game. Now to the final round in which the remaining two participants tried one after the other to see if their key unlocked the car and made them its new owner. At the same time, the name of the winning viewer was shown live on the screen. The campaign was spread all over the ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4 portfolio, as well as over the ŠKODA Austria network. The four contestants were cast during the first phase of the campaign, via TV-based trailers and online ads that encouraged people to sign up for the chance to win the ŠKODA Fabia positioned prominently in the middle of the studio. ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4 also created a microsite linked to from the show’s logo on the PULS 4 homepage and directly from the various online ads. The microsite included information about the new ŠKODA Fabia and a countdown of the days to the show. A teaser ad was also placed all over the ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4 online network to encourage people to apply to participate in the show. In the second phase of the campaign, the show was promoted via a trailer running on all of the group’s TV channels, in combination with various online ads that also highlighted the live finale for viewers at home. The show itself was broadcast within a prime-time slot on a Saturday evening, on the biggest Austrian private TV channel, and shown in a re- run. In addition, a video clip of the live show was placed on the campaign microsite over a two-month period. After the show broadcast, the car was presented to the winner at the Viennese Car Salon 2015 and featured on PULS 4 morning TV show ‘Café Puls’, as well as the TV car magazine ‘Go! Das Motormagazin’. There were also various press releases from ŠKODA Austria and ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4 covering the marketing campaign and the TV programme. 80
  • 83.
    In addition tothis B2C campaign for the new ŠKODA Fabia, ŠKODA Austria searched for a way to communicate with their dealers simultaneously. So ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4, in cooperation with ŠKODA Austria, organised a full-day event for dealers on the day of Die Große Simply-Clever-Show TV shoot. Dealers were invited to PULS 4 headquarters in Vienna to meet the show’s contestants, get an exclusive look behind the scenes of a TV studio, and become part of the live studio audience. After this exciting new experience, they ended the day at an informal after-party with the crew, production partners and show participants. They were also allowed to bring family or friends, thus sharing this unique experience with their loved ones. This was a fitting end to a great collaboration where everyone felt part of the project. 81
  • 84.
    82 “With ‘Die GroßeSimply-Clever- Show’ we took a certain risk, we dared to adopt a new course. We were very positively surprised about all the feedback from outside, the feedback from our dealers and sales team. We are glad that we took this risk together. In PULS 4 we found a new soulmate.” Max Egger, CEO, ŠKODA Austria
  • 85.
    83 “One of thehighlights of this project was the cooperation between our team and the PULS 4 team. If a proposal was floated, it was taken up, discussed and then – enriched with improvement – the suggestion was implemented quickly. The two teams grew together in an incredibly positive spirit with the focus always on the big picture, ‘Die Große Simply-Clever-Show’.” Mag. Thomas Diesenberger, Marketing Director, ŠKODA Austria Die Große Simply-Clever-Show was an outstanding pilot project that showed how a brand and TV programme can meld together, and create both awareness for the brand and added value for the TV channel and its audience. The campaign kickstarted sales for ŠKODA Austria and introduced the product to a younger audience. As a pioneer for a range of subsequent projects, it was a success for both the brand and ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4, taking TV advertising to a completely new level. In addition, the campaign brought the brand and its values closer to the audience, opening up potential new ways of original and unique advertising. By involving not only consumers but also car dealers, the campaign managed to spread its full effect along the whole distribution chain. Finally, the project helped strengthen the relationship between the parties involved – ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4 is already working on an innovative new campaign with ŠKODA Austria, putting into practice the knowledge gained from this pilot project.
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    # Market trends Dealingwith branded content marketing can mean both great opportunities and great confusion. A variety of content forms can be communicated on a multitude of channels and platforms. But with all these possibilities at hand, what’s the best choice to make? As so often, the most reasonable answer here might be: “It depends.” It depends on the brand’s goals, its products or services, its target audience, its resources and so on. But it also depends on the development of the market. Market trends may not provide a success guarantee, but they can help guide strategic decision-making in branded content marketing. The Global Entertainment and Media Outlook 2015-2019 by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) reveals six global key insights into Internet advertising: 1. Internet advertising (including revenues from paid search) will become the largest advertising segment, and overtake TV advertising revenue in 2017. 2. Mobile growth will make it exceed display in 2018. 3. Internet advertising will increasingly become device-agnostic. 4. Search will remain the largest single contributor to Internet advertising, but 5. Video exhibits the fastest growth in wired Internet advertising. 6. Measurement is getting better, but understanding how media is consumed will remain a significant challenge. By Sophie Berke, Research Associate, HMKW Berlin (University of Applied Sciences for Media, Communication and Management)
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    Looking at thedevelopment of branded content means looking at progress in both Internet and TV advertising. Within the PwC Outlook, Internet advertising comprises advertiser spending through wired Internet connection (including search, display, classified and video advertising), as well as mobile devices, with revenue that’s digital. The TV advertising segment includes broadcast and online – online here meaning revenues from broadcaster-owned websites only. How about the trends in branded content marketing within the DACH markets then? Here’s a quick look at the Compound Annual Growth Rates (CAGRs) of the Internet and TV advertising segment: DACH Internet advertising trends Until 2019, this segment will experience growth of 9.0% in Austria (reaching total revenue of €601m), 5.8% in Germany (reaching €7.346m) and 14.6% in Switzerland (reaching €1.513m). 85 Figure: Internet advertising outlook for Austria, Germany, Switzerland with total revenues in € until 2019.
 Source: PwC Entertainment and Media Outlook 2015-2019 Entertainment and Media Outlook 2015-2019
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    Is it surprisingthat mobile Internet advertising and video Internet advertising are the fastest growing sub-segments? • The mobile Internet advertising CAGRs will reach 17.4% in Austria, 20.8% in Germany and 22.0% in Switzerland. • CAGRs of video Internet advertising stand at 23.2% in Austria, 18.0% in Germany and 28.9% in Switzerland. • In comparison, display Internet advertising has a CAGR of 3.4% and paid search Internet advertising a CAGR of 4.7% in the German market. • Still, in all three territories, paid search will remain the biggest sub-segment in Internet advertising. DACH TV advertising trends It now appears safe to say that people predicting the complete death of TV advertising were wrong, as the segment will keep on growing in all three markets until at least 2019.  It's clear however that growth in Internet advertising will be significantly higher. In fact, according to Magna Global, revenues in this segment have already overtaken TV advertising revenues in Germany in 2009, due to high revenues from the search sub-segment that accounts for almost half of Internet ad revenues. In Switzerland, Internet ad revenues will overtake TV in 2017. Only in Austria will the 2019 revenues in TV still be slightly higher than the ones in Internet advertising.  But, even if the TV segment is not growing as fast as digital – (can we blame it?) – it will maintain a significant role in all three markets. We’ve seen this coming, now the figures prove it: think about investing in mobile and video content when going digital with branded content. And apart from that, keep considering all possibilities in order to create a great project. Because it remains clear that each project is unique and requires new adjustments and a considered selection of content forms, media channels and marketing mix. In order to create such an excellent and original project, branded content has to be engaging, relevant and customised, because expectations from today’s consumers and changes in technology make good storytelling increasingly relevant. The latest study, ‘Return On Inspiration. New World Content Marketing’, by Yahoo Germany underlines this: the success of content marketing cannot only be measured by sales figures. Content that is perceived as inspiring and innovative by the consumer can lead to an increase in purchase intent, willingness to share the content, and attraction towards the brand. The study also detected six steps in developing inspiring content: 1. The look and design is crucial to rouse curiosity 2. Content should offer value that helps the consumer learn 3. Convincing stories go hand in hand with honesty 4. Put the consumer’s intentions in focus rather than the brand’s 5. Authenticity can win the consumer’s trust 6. The more entertaining the content, the more likely it will be shared What current studies almost always have in common is that they discuss success dimensions and measurement needs in 86
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    branded content marketing.Indeed, the more we invest in branded content and the more we learn about it, the more important it gets to find adequate measurement tools. But how can we move this process along if definitions and distinctions of terms such as content marketing, branded content and branded entertainment are still unclear? It seems there is no other way than for us to keep working on a conceptualisation of branded content marketing, in order to help measurement find its way in the future. Framing branded content marketing In the latest Horizont Content Marketing Report, the German trade magazine for marketing and media describes ‘content marketing’ as the production and distribution of content and a strategic approach of reaching target audiences. In fact, content marketing is often associated with the domain of publishing and/or the ability to build a marketing campaign around a specific piece of content. Research findings from Oxford Brookes University and the Branded Content Marketing Association’s (BCMA’s) global research partner Ipsos MORI led to defining ‘branded content’ as “any content that can be associated with a brand in the eye of the beholder”. The findings also revealed four key strategies in the production of branded content: it can be entertaining, informative, educational, or functional (e.g. in the form of an app). Even though projects often focus on one of these strategies, they can also be combined. Continuing to systemise at this stage leads to four forms of branded content: branded entertainment, branded information, branded education and branded function. The term ‘branded entertainment’ has been studied by various academics over the past few years. My own research since 2008, and current research projects together with Uroš Goričan, have led to the following definition of branded entertainment: as an instrument of corporate communications, it encompasses any piece of content that entails the brand’s message, objectives, or personality. It is developed and produced by and/or together with the brand, and competes with existing media entertainment formats by focusing on the entertainment experience of the viewer. Branded entertainment formats include TV show, film, social film, short movie, event, or game on a multitude of channels such as TV, cinema, web, mobile, print, radio, or offline (also called real life – for example, events), being either fictional or nonfictional. Taking content marketing, branded content and branded entertainment as different elements but also closely linked to each other, a conceptualisation of branded content marketing could look like this: 87
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    Within this concept,branded entertainment is a form of branded content, together with branded information, branded education and branded function. After being developed and produced, any form of branded content needs to be distributed through media channels and communicated with appropriate tools. Therefore, branded content can be seen as a part of content marketing – without content there is nothing to market. Depending on the company, content marketing will include or exclude the development and production of branded content, which is why the boundaries between branded content and content marketing need to be seen as flexible. With the constant flow of content and its constantly changing marketplace, we may have to accept that definitions of terms will remain somewhat vague or discordant. Measurement tools will be changing and evolving in the same way. In the end, the only assumption all marketers and academics may agree on is that there is no ‘one size fits all’ to measuring branded content marketing. However, several helpful tools do exist on the market, and it’s essential to continue developing new ones that complement them, in order to broaden the understanding of how media is consumed. Measurement perspectives “Measurement is getting better, but understanding how media is consumed will remain a significant challenge.” This key insight from the PwC Outlook supports one of the trends in current German entertainment research: evaluating how content is perceived is a major topic here. One suggestion deriving from the Concept of Branded Content Marketing and Measurement is that a branded content project can be called a success if both the advertising value and campaign objectives have reached the expected results. In most cases, campaign objectives are measured on the level of the campaign with and for the content (content marketing), and the advertising value is measured on the level of the content offer (branded content). This is the case for all four forms of branded content: entertainment, information, education and function. Now in the case of branded entertainment, current research leads to the following suggestion: the success of a project is not only defined by the campaign objectives and the advertising value, it also occurs when the entertainment experience is assessed as positive by the audience. Because in branded entertainment, it does not suffice that the brand message gets across (branded), the recipient also needs to like what s/he sees (entertainment). If the brand message is well transported, a powerful entertainment experience has the capability of further strengthening the advertising value. Measurement tools already exist that manage to evaluate both the advertising value created by the content and the achievement of the advertising goals by the marketing campaign. The BCMA contentmonitor, for example, measures the advertising value of branded content by using key metrics such as cut through, recall, awareness, consideration and purchase intent. The CEPTM Test developed with Dr. Robert Heath evaluates the emotional and cognitive response to the content, as it states that a strong emotional and rational persuasion tends to have an impact on long- term brand building as well as imparting information. On another level, the contentmonitor evaluates campaign objectives by analysing if different campaign elements have met their goals, and by detecting lessons for the media plan and marketing mix. 89
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    Concerning branded entertainment,the question is: how can we evaluate the entertainment value perceived by the media user; how do we measure the entertainment experience? We all have different opinions on what is entertaining to us and why one particular piece of content appears more entertaining than another. This is one of the reasons why it’s impossible to simply ask “Do you feel entertained by this piece of content?” and expect an answer that’s comparable to others. It’s also difficult to use a definition of entertainment in order to make it measurable, because even academic researchers in the field are struggling to find a universally functional description. The way out of this dead end might be to understand the psychological relationship the media user has with the content and to evaluate the influence this has on the entertainment experience. The Concept of Branded Entertainment Experience Evaluation, developed together with Uroš Goričan, helped identify potential evaluation steps in measuring the entertainment value of branded content. This was done by linking transmedia storytelling tools to relevant phases in the reception process. Survey tools are currently being developed to evaluate the intensity of: the attention to the storyworld, the identification with the character, the personal relevance originating from the conflict, and the interaction on and with the channels. Research findings show that a positive assessment of these four elements in the reception process represent a positive entertainment experience. 90
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    Where to gofrom here? There might not be a one-size-fits-all method to measure the success of branded content. However, defining specific dimensions (the campaign objectives, advertising value – and, in the case of branded entertainment, the entertainment experience as well) can help provide anchor points for decisions about measuring a project’s success: How do I evaluate my campaign objectives? How do I evaluate the advertising and entertainment value of my project? We’ll need to continue developing measurement methods, in order to have different tools at hand that work for different project types. It will also become more and more relevant in the future to make the analysis of the entertainment experience of a project possible. In the end, the better we can measure, the more we can learn from our mistakes, create better projects, make wiser investments and encourage the future growth of the market. 91
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    # Social video advertisingis exploding across Germany. Over the last 12 months, the number of shares generated by German video ads has increased by an incredible 181.2%, with average share rates also rising from 1.3% to 1.9% during the same period.* Such a huge growth in online video sharing offers marketers an exciting opportunity to engage audiences at scale. However, with so much more competition, German brands are going to have to work harder to gain cut-through. But what’s the secret to social video success? Well, while creating a viral video may be top of a lot of marketers’ wishlists, actually creating the next VW ‘The Force’ or Edeka ‘Supergeil’ is far from easy. As with any hot marketing trend, it can sometimes be hard separating the facts from the fiction. So what are the biggest myths around creating a social video hit that will rack up millions of shares online? By Martin Dräger, Managing Director, Unruly Germany * Source: Unruly Analytics, 52 w/e 30th April 2015 vs. 52 w/e 30th April 2014
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    Myth 1: Contenthas to be funny to be Internet famous Humour is undoubtedly one of the most effective emotional triggers in social video advertising. After all, everyone loves to laugh. The problem is, too many brands try to be funny and fail. Different people find different things funny – plus humour doesn’t always translate across borders. It’s also the most overused emotional trigger, making it harder to stand out from the crowd. We recommend you look at invoking emotions other than humour. The most common emotional sharing triggers in Germany are happiness and exhilaration, not hilarity, while happiness is the most common sharing trigger worldwide. When used effectively, they can be just as successful as a funny ad. Advertisers also tend to overlook the importance of giving viewers a reason to share their content. So always consider what the social motivations are to share your ad online. This also differs worldwide: in the UK, the most common reason is to recommend a product or service; in Germany, it’s to start a conversation. Myth 2: Good content will rise to the surface This is one of the biggest mistakes brands make when they’re launching a video online, the idea that if it’s good content it will somehow rise to the surface – it will go viral. It doesn’t work like that now. With 300 hours of content uploaded to YouTube every minute, it’s hard to get noticed. This is why it’s more important than ever before for brands to have a smart distribution strategy in place. Your distribution strategy is just as important as your content strategy. For example, the average German ad attracts 39% of its total shares within the first three days of launch, so it’s absolutely crucial for advertisers to go big at the start of a campaign. It¹s also important for marketers to think outside of YouTube, which means other video platforms and sites within the Open Web or the blogosphere, as YouTube only accounted for 25.5% of German online video views by the end of 2014.** Myth 3: You can’t predict viral success There’s a long-held myth in the ad industry that virality is unpredictable. That’s just a cop-out. Big data is now available, enabling businesses to run regressional analysis across massive data sets. There are also volumes of academic research that can help identify robustly what those sharing metrics and variables are. So you can definitely predict a viral hit – for example, we do it here at video ad tech company Unruly with our Unruly ShareRank algorithm. We have 80% success in predicting virality on our global algorithm and 90% success on our local algorithms. This means brands can operationalise success. Rather than have a one-off hit and wonder how, you can understand precisely why your content has been successful and build on that for the next time around. 94 ** Source: DE - comScore Video Metrix, January 2015, ads and content video views
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    # By SandraFreisinger-Heinl, joint editor and co-author of BOBCM 2015 DACH book; Managing Director, MA Media Who knows the DACH branded content market best? The people who spend all day, every day involved in it! We asked more than 25 German, Swiss and Austrian branded content experts – producers, broadcasters, media and advertising agencies, music, cinema and games businesses, multi- channel networks, platform owners, publishers, brands, lawyers, consultants and creatives – to share their experience and insights with us. All their feedback is presented in the following pages of this chapter, after this overview of some highlights: 1. To discover the status quo, we compiled answers to the question: “In what situations do you recommend using branded content?” Key feedback includes: • to raise brand awareness • to improve brand image and increase brand loyalty • to enable unique user experiences • for community building • to link to an emotive story • to engage with your target group • to entertain, engage, involve • to turn viewers into happy customers • to turn customers into fans • to communicate product benefits • for product launches • to build a narrative brand, with a story that fits naturally and is authentic • to provide emotive moments, something to laugh about, not interruptive advertising but entertainment • for every brand, especially lifestyle and tech • as an anchor in brand communication • never standalone and only with an activation concept 2. We also wanted an expert view of the future. We gathered together eight predictions from replies to the question: “What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year?” 1. Higher quality standards will be required. Branded content will be perfect, emotional and magic. 2. Reliability, truth and trust will be mandatory for brands all the time. Never trick your audience! 3. Very short-format storytelling will arrive, especially as usage is shifting heavily to mobile. 4. TV isn’t obsolete at all, especially for long-format content. 5. Virtual Reality is opening up a huge space, including live content and Facebook 3D Glasses. 6. Live streaming and real-time distribution via Periscope, Meerkat et cetera will increase. 7. Branded content will be the core element of a campaign and we’ll be creating a whole world around it, with apps and songs. Personally, I recommend using branded content to set standards in brand communication, to entertain and to build a trust-based relationship with users. Mobile will keep us all busy and Virtual Reality will astound us.
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    # Marcel Fenez, GlobalLeader, Entertainment and Media, PricewaterhouseCoopers We should rather talk about brand-funded content, including native advertising and content. As we describe in our ‘Global Entertainment and Media Outlook’, native will include elements of digital, while other types of brand-funded content will be found in TV. Brand-funded content is growing. But we find it quite difficult to value it, because people value it in different ways around the world. Wherever I travel, I ask people which content there is and I get different answers. Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Branded content will work for most brands and there is no reason why any brand should not consider it. However, I think there are certain brands that will work better if we think of what is good branded content. Good branded content is good content from those brands that are good storytellers. Brands that produce good stories are brands that are compelling. Lifestyle brands will always work for this. And there are certain high-tech brands that will work very well, if they are involved in a good story. Those brands that are married to good storytelling will work best. We all like a good story, we all like stars and we all like to be entertained. Traditionally, this is done through TV and video. If we look for innovation, everyone can produce cool content. But we also look for consistency, and one thing the TV broadcasters have is a legacy of content production and a legacy of organisation that helps to deliver content on a consistent basis. TV is traditionally very strong in Germany. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? In most parts of the world, brand-funded content is becoming a strong area. It is really what works well from the consumer’s and from the advertiser’s points of view. It will be increasing in almost every country and the real drivers for it are the same in almost every market. The real driver is the fact that consumers will be much more discerning about the advertising with which they feel comfortable. With more and more fragmentation in terms of distribution channels, brand-funded content becomes even more compelling. It becomes less dependent on the distribution channel and it stands better on its own as content. It definitely will become a stronger part of how brands communicate their messages. 97
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    # Petra Kroop, DirectorBrand Integration, SevenOne AdFactory Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Companies will achieve positive results with branded content marketing when their purpose is to get their potential and existing customers to engage and connect more deeply with the brand. Branded content is the key to involving your audience in an authentic and credible way, and enabling them to interact and communicate with the brand and more widely. The most important thing is deciding on an effective, sustainable strategy for high quality content creation and distribution, so you end up with the most engaged and satisfied customers. I recommend using branded content as a central, key element of marketing when you have: • product launches or relaunches in need of explanation, or with special features or USPs you want to share with an audience or community. • brands or products that need to engage with customers and prospects using storytelling instead of just product information. • existing brands and products in a highly competitive market where you’re forced to reach new target groups and develop sustainable relationships with customers. Digital is not the ‘be all and end all’ media solution for branded content. The main argument for TV is that it’s already – and will continue to be in the next few years – the driver for big reach and coverage in Germany. For branded content marketing strategies including TV, I recommend longer (5+ minutes) content formats on small but highly targeted TV stations, in combination with shorter, edited versions on the big TV channels to get the reach and awareness brands need. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? Whether it's entertaining, informative, or functional, branded content will no longer be the exception – it will be a must for most brands! Also, branded content ideas will no longer be isolated, standalone solutions. Branded content marketing strategies will be most successful when they include both traditional and special advertisements across all media. Enhancing the quality of content to a high level and using new technologies to measure branded content marketing strategies will prove the lasting, positive effects of branded content marketing. 98
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    Martin Seeger, Director, AdFactory,Austria Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? For us – as Austria’s leading private multiscreen sales and production house – it is a pleasing development that branded entertainment and product placement is gaining even more importance in our clients’ media strategies.      Especially in two cases, it makes sense to opt for branded content: 1. When it’s about making a brand more alive through an experience. 2. When the product itself needs more explanation. In both cases the key to success is to provide the viewer with good entertainment. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? No trends. As explained above, good quality entertainment is the key. While many brands still think that their brand logo should be visible constantly, this contradicts the consumer’s behaviour. Storytelling must be thrilling, exciting and entertaining. Only then, the consumers take in the brand in a positive way, because of the story it is telling. Ronald Horstman, Managing Director, Studio71; Board Member, Collective Studio71 Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? In our world, branded content should allow advertisers to position themselves as enablers of unique experiences. Creating relevant content triggers audience engagement with this content and thus with the brand itself. Therefore, branded content is best suited for marketers who want to raise brand awareness, improve their image in the relevant target group and build sustainable customer relationships through valuing their target group, not just as customers but also as audience members. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? Branded content will help push the online video market even further in the upcoming years, and brands will target their audiences not just nationally, but use synergies through international approaches. However, with hours of online video content being uploaded every minute, successful branded content projects will depend on the right ingredients to reach large audiences. Winning matching social influencers with relevance in a brand's specific target group will be a key factor. Brands will have to rub shoulders with top-tier global multi- channel networks (MCNs) and social influencers, leading to an evolution in the way social media and online marketing is done: working with MCNs, marketers will have to trust in the influencers' expertise to activate fans and followers, surrender part of their creative control of the content and embark on a new level of co-creation to have access to large communities. Margret Knitter, LL.M. (University of Edinburgh), Rechtsanwältin Certified Expert for Intellectual Property, SKW Schwarz Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Branded content is an exciting instrument to turn brands into experiences. We think branded content campaigns can be advantageous in all kinds of situations and are especially helpful to establish a strong connection between existing or potential customers and the brand.    Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? We notice that video blogs are becoming more relevant as these instruments communicate information about a product and incentivise impulse purchases at the same time. That way, the consumer feels informed and entertained rather than interrupted by the presentation of a product, and makes a purchase on the spot online. These formats can be legally challenging as they are obviously aimed at concealing the advertorial character of the content. 99
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    Stefan Setzkorn, Chief CreativeOfficer, Track; Juror, Cannes Lions Branded Content & Entertainment Jury 2015 Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Branded content is nothing new; it has always been the higher goal of communication. But a brand can use branded content today in so many different ways to spread its ideas. The most important question always is, how to lead it into a purchase decision. I remember an episode of TV series ‘Madmen’ featuring a New York advertising agency in the 1960s. The advertisers had very little money to promote a special ham, so they decided to engage two women to do battle in a department store to get ‘the last ham’. That promoted a product in those times. Nowadays we can rely on content going viral and spreading the word even more. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? Branded content has to be perfect. Technology is only a ‘means to an end’ to develop a great make-up app, as L’Oréal did with ‘Make-up Genius’, or to feature the sound of opening a Coke bottle, as Dolby Surround did with its cinema clip ‘Celebrate the sound of Coke’. The content has to be perfect, emotional and magic. It is only one out of 10 good movies that wins the Oscar and the standard of branded content appears to be higher each year. Robert Herrmann, Yahoo Director Strategic Solutions, Germany & Middle East Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Branded content is a must in every situation in the age of web 3.0, and we always need to keep in mind that it has to be relevant and inspiring. The more value content adds, the more it inspires consumers to engage – which is equally true for branded and organic content.  Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? Especially for mobile, branded content will experience strong growth as there are still many unused chances for marketers. A recent Yahoo study revealed that 48% of Smartphone Dominant users say they will be more likely to notice advertising if integrated into relevant content - and there's room for more! Preethi Mariappan, Executive Creative Director, Razorfish Germany Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? The spectrum is so broad and it is so specific to what you are as a brand and what your problem is. The use of content is so varied and it is hard to pinpoint. I don’t think there is a rulebook of using content only for commerce or using content only for engagement. I think you have to look at these things in a ‘blended’ way to say branded content does drive engagement that’s for the community. It does sell something in a context in which they want to buy it and in a way that makes them want to buy it. I don’t think you can nail it down to ‘when to use branded content’, but you have to ask ‘how to use content if this is my objective’. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? One interesting thing that came up this year is Virtual Reality (VR). We are opening up this huge space now. You can already see content free from its screens, free from desktops. You can already see content in context in real life, see content when you are at the store. Or if you are able to see content in an immersive way because you can interact with VR, augmented. I really think content will head more in this direction, where it will be part of 100
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    your life. Justas the use of technology becomes more and more invisible as we go along. Content is sort of carried along with this. That could be the ‘big thing’, because now we use content on screens. It will be very interesting to see what content will look like if it is produced for life. Jürgen Irlbacher, Creative Director Content, pilot Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Almost every brand can gain by having a content marketing or branded entertainment strategy. Some brands, via their nature, lend themselves to the form. It makes sense for a brand such as Weber Grill to invest in content such as BBQ recipes and tutorials. An own live broadcast with a star cook goes one step further and rounds off a content strategy. The tyre company Michelin has found its content focus with the very successful Michelin Guide. And they've been doing this for over 100 years! Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? To engage target groups, brands need to turn themselves into broadcasters. I would go one step further: Marketing Directors need to be programme makers! Up until now they have been accustomed to placing their advertising message in the context of strong entertainment brands such as ‘The Voice’ or ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’. In the future, such formats will come directly from the advertiser – just portioned differently and delivered via digital and multiple channels. Let’s take Volkswagen for instance: if Robbie Williams were to search for the next music star, as Dieter Bohlen does on RTL, branded entertainment would be on a completely new level. Claudia Müller, Head of Entertainment Marketing, BMW Group Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Depending on the time-to-market, lifecycle, global reach and specific target audience of each entertainment tool in alignment with a company´s brand strategy and product characteristics, the portfolio of branded content opportunities is multi-fold: Music videos and video games are the best platforms for long-term brand image building to a younger audience, as well as some ad hoc pushes for new products and innovations. TV shows support the repeated and sustainable establishment of a product within a certain lifestyle and setting. Movies allow for a hook on the branded content, and take it into brand and product storytelling in different ways – online and offline, in owned, earned and paid channels. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? Be authentic! The global audience will want to receive content right when they want it and where they want it. This calls for an increasing interest and investment from global brands in branded content. But becoming part of an entertainment property in an authentic way is one thing – finding the right platform matching each brand’s needs and product launch communication strategy will be another. Be in touch! Deriving some customer-related extra and takeaway will be another challenge. Turning some branded content into online and offline branded activation – for example, offering some extra emotional encounter with the brand, the product and the stars, such as fans meeting movie stars, or an exclusive ‘meet and greet’ – will be the pay-off expected by a fan community. Be reliable and sustainable! In order to leave some long-lasting, reliable footprints in any of the entertainment areas, a mid- to long-term commitment and partnership with a respectable partner in the entertainment industry is crucial. Brands that manage to not only become long-lasting, reliable partners for the entertainment industry, but also take the risk to exploit existing partnerships and set innovative benchmarks in new territories, will be able to be perceived as cool and reliable brands for both the entertainment industry and their global fan base. 101
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    Lars Bendix Düysen, VicePresident Brand Partnership Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Sony Music Entertainment Germany; Jury Member, Midem Music Marketing Competition 2015 Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Branded content is for brands that are ready to enter the next age of communication. Focussing on digital and especially social media, branded entertainment offers a very innovative form of customer engagement. A good example for innovative communication is our client BMW Group and their brand MINI. We integrate a variety of MINI models into the lifestyle of musicians and show MINI as a native part of their daily life. Contrary to traditional push marketing, customers now have the opportunity to interact and engage with the campaign as we offer superfans the chance to meet their favourite band. As part of that, we produce highly emotional segmented entertainment content. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? Brands now have the chance to become a genuine partner of musicians in the creative process. A good example is Converse with their highly appealing ‘Rubber Tracks’. Converse enables artists to record and produce their ideas by giving them access to a professional sample library and studio time.   Business with brands and agencies has not been explored and leveraged to the full potential in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The music industry has now discovered this area as a highly attractive growth area that demands empathy and communication skills to understand the needs and challenges of our new partners. Sony Music’s unique consumer segmentation builds a solid basis for acting analytically and developing highly efficient consumer insight-driven solutions. Branded content therefore becomes an important element of the change process in the digital music industry. Boris Bolz, Chief Commercial Officer, Mediakraft Networks Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Branded content opens up great opportunities for a company that wants to reach precisely a young target group. Online stars and a network like Mediakraft can especially help to create an innovative environment for brands. Video content has become a permanent companion of the young generation. Online has played an increasingly important role in the advertising industry, simply because the media consumption of the young audience has moved to a large extent to the Internet. Here, online video is a communication tool that generates by far the greatest sustainability and effective range. By directly addressing the audience, much larger portions of information and brand messages are remembered. With YouTube or similar platforms, it is possible to convey this information and brand messages in a much higher emotional manner. This is a great opportunity that companies should not miss. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? We believe there will be an increasing demand for implementing video content strategies through cooperations. In the end, branded goods manufacturers, distributors and service providers will all go for their own online TV platforms. At Mediakraft, we help companies to turn these strategies into projects, either in a closed system or on an open social media platform. We call these systems flagship sites. A flagship site is committed to the same quality criteria as a flagship store, and should reflect the brand world completely and perfectly. The flagship site is a curated brand portal for relevant video messages. Video content will achieve a higher awareness, reach and quality than we can imagine today. Target group- specific video marketing can thus effectively increase the brand awareness of a company. 102
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    Dirk Nyhuis, Strategic Projects, TresorTV Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? We are interested in a cooperation if it is possible to combine the intentional effect of a format with the communication aims of the brand, by blending the content organically and thereby creating a coherent entertainment experience. The stronger and more emotional the content, the higher the effect. This is how the viewer additionally and casually turns into a happy consumer. Via context of entertainment, advertisers have the ability to come into dialogue with their consumers.   Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? Branded content within TV formats is on the rise. This is why entertainment programmes need to be pushed more into the epicentre of campaigns. Agencies will further score with short messages; the topic of authenticity will increasingly find its place in longer formats. These innovative concepts – combining advertising expertise and brand know-how with production competence and classic, emotional storytelling – create great viewing fun and entertainment for customers.  Björn Hoven, Founder & Director, Weischer.Storyhouse Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? 
 Use branded content whenever you want to really connect yourself with your target group. In doing so, we focus strongly on branded content linked to current movie releases. Over 500 movie releases and festivals offer a magical variety of options. Depending on the strategic goals, you can choose a unique arthouse movie or a big blockbuster. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? We have developed a variety of platforms, formats and special ads for the cinema, but also online and in the ‘Digital Out of Home’ landscape. Recently, we launched the cinema app ‘cinime’ in our market. It connects the power of the big screen to the magic of the small screen. Nikki Mendonça, President, OMD EMEA Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Content has been a buzzword for some time now, but the ever-increasing demand from clients coupled with almost daily tech advances mean that it’s becoming more important than ever. For some time at OMD we have considered it a crucial part of our fully integrated solution for clients and that will only continue.  Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? It’s easy to say that the world is changing so fast that the rules are changing almost daily. For example, the exponential growth of video and distribution options being supplemented by live streaming from Periscope and other apps will open up a range of exciting options. Equally, every marketing plan now has to at least consider a role for digital influencers, with new personalities and online communities constantly emerging.  103
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    Philipp Friedel, Head ofMarket Communication, Deutsche Telekom Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? There is no universal answer where branded content would make sense or not. In our case, branded content is one good option if we want to entertain our target group and communicate our product benefits. It is a decision each decision maker has to make on his own. Dr. Michaela Haberlander, Funding Advisor Digital Games, FilmFernsehFonds Bayern Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Bavarian game developers have access to public funding for their creative ideas - I'm their funding advisor. The monies we provide are given as a loan and have to be paid back, but under very soft conditions. Game developers are hungry for success and fame. But how can they survive in an increasingly competitive market where everybody can become their own publisher and literally millions of games are being offered to the app stores every day? How do game developers succeed in creating awareness and an audience for their games? Community building is not the only factor but a very decisive one for success, and it starts at the very conception of a game. Game developers 'talk' about their games in any way possible by branding their content at any time, on any platform and with any media partner who crosses their path. This means an uninterrupted presence on all social media and their respective websites by offering crowdfunding campaigns, making-ofs, play- tests, and of course the all-important Let’s Plays on YouTube. This is common practice and every game developer – regardless of being indie or established – has become a master of its own branded content marketing campaigns. Is this lesson valid for any other industries trying to make contact with their audience, consumer, or client? You name it… I'd bet you! Marc Sickfeld, Director, FUSE - Omnicom Media Group Germany GmbH Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Branded content needs to find an anchor in the brand's communication plan, thus, it must be strategically reasonable, target-group relevant and sustainable. So, it is less about single situations and more about a strategic process where situations will influence the content or storytelling. For example, thinking about our client McDonald's, the challenge is to unite brand-led ‘situations’ (various promotional products or messages, to keep it intrinsic) under one strategic (branded) content roof that is dynamic and flexible on the one hand and consumer-engaging on the other. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? I see two emerging trends for 2016 and beyond: 1. (Very) Short-format storytelling, especially for youth targets which comes along with fast fragmentation, the increasing relevance of mobile content consumption and the rising influence of social storytellers. Focusing thoughts on digital branded content this means a significant step-change in the way stories need to be told today. 2. Real-time (branded) content distribution – I am excited to see if and how, for example, Periscope, Meerkat and the like will have any relevant impact on the segment of branded content (development, creation, circulation, engagement). Especially for content owners, those live-streaming channels can be a useful add-on to distribute exclusive content direct and raw. 104
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    Andreas Waldner, CEO, initiatorand organiser of the Branded Entertainment Summit ProPKo and Product Placement Award PPA, WTV Entertainment Marketing, Germany Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Entertainment, fiction and information formats are at the heart of media productions using a branded content approach. If a company, brand, or product can be linked to an emotional story with public interest, do it – but only if there’s a relevant, credible background to what’s reported. Based on my business experience and my association with the Branded Entertainment Summit ProPKo, various cases studies show the phenomenal potential of branded content. The overall results are on the whole superior to other forms of marketing alone. Still, it’s always a challenge to convince brand executives of these facts and make them understand its relevance to their business – some barely believe the results we can show. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? The transition between advertising and editorial is crucial. Here, transparency and credibility is mandatory. My prediction is a further trend towards these factors, which includes openly naming the sender of the message and not trying to misguide the audience. Dr. Ferdinand Froning, Managing Partner, Locavi GmbH Branded Entertainment Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? From our point of view as an agency working for clients such as Mercedes Benz, I figured out you should use branded content when you: • really want to connect with your social media-savvy core target groups. • have to tell and share an authentic story about your brand or product, which also matters to your target groups. • want to increase the audience engagement level with your marketing messages, even though you might have to sacrifice reach.   Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? 1. Only the stories or messages that matter to consumers, not just to the brand, will break through the clutter. 2. We’ll see brands teaming up more and more with professional entertainment producers to benefit from their storytelling expertise. 3. Branded content will more often serve as the core element of product campaigns with strong paid media support. Stefan Mohr, Chief of lab for Content Marketing Roundtable of BVDW; Managing Director, Jung von Matt/next GmbH   Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Whenever you find a theme or a story that fits naturally with a brand, it’s highly recommended to think about aligning both. This can be extended to technologies and platforms, if they have a value or a feature supporting brand stories.   Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? The increasing demand for branded content solutions will lead to more unseen use of technology and platforms. The constant work on never-before-seen cases will surprise us with combinations of brands, content and technology that are truly entertaining. Furthermore, I expect to see more brands starting to leave their known fields and to set sail into fields that they were not associated with before, like digital services and entertainment. 105
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    Oliver Rosenthal, Industry LeaderCreative Agency, Google Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? In general, all advertising should be compelling branded content. Google has developed a strategy framework called ‘Hero, Hub, Hygiene’ which refers to different approaches regarding content: entertaining, informative and educational. This structure gives brand strategists a clear recommendation when to use which kind of content. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? Branded content means video, video means digital and digital means mobile. Every brand needs to have a digital content strategy that reflects people's behaviour, which is shifting heavily to mobile platforms. We already see more than 50% access for YouTube coming from mobile devices, continuously increasing. Norman Wagner, Managing Partner, MediaCom Beyond Advertising Germany Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? The main goals for creating branded content are awareness and brand values. On the other hand, branded content by itself has no significant benefits compared to other types of marketing approaches to achieve these goals. But once branded content is integrated into a complete communication system, it has the potential to become ‘everything’.  Then you can achieve all manner of outcomes, even in B2B lead generation, as shown by Dell’s recent ‘Tough Enough’ campaign. So branded content stands or falls on the system you build around it. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? Live streaming is definitely one of the trends – for example, using Periscope and Snapchat. But the major trend for the upcoming years in branded content will be Virtual Reality (VR). Many key players like Facebook, Google, Samsung and Sony invest heavily in this technology and we will see a surge of VR content in 2015. It’s a great opportunity for brands to be innovative and if they do not have a VR strategy yet, they should start today. Jobst Benthues, Managing Director, RedSeven Entertainment GmbH Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? When it comes to branded content on TV, the most crucial thing is to align the emotional live environment of a TV show with the requirements of the brand. From our point of view as content producers, it’s very important to approach the production of a branded content TV programme in exactly the same way as we approach producing every TV show. RedSeven’s mission statement ‘Corporate Media by Media Experts’ works for all brands and means to work hard to involve the audience, with the same quality in production and using all the resources at our disposal. The intention is to bring the core values of a TV show in line with the brand values, to achieve a perfect brand fit across both. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? Branded content will be available everywhere, all the time, and definitely on TV – TV isn’t obsolete at all! 106
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    Alice Bottaro, Creative Director,DDB Berlin GmbH Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content?   Branded content isn’t the right solution for every brief, but it can be incredibly powerful to create awareness and build a narrative around a brand. For me, there are mostly two things to consider: do something that’s good enough to be watched spontaneously by people, and tell a story that feels credible when associated with your brand. Our Wi–Fi Dogs films, for example, tell a story that might seem absurd – however, it makes complete sense when associated with a brand like Deutsche Telekom. Also, it’s based on a human truth, something the viewer can relate to and laugh about. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? Everyone is talking about branded content and everybody wants to do it – so we need to create something good to have a chance of survival. What’s interesting is that, when the content is successful, we have the chance to create entire ‘worlds’ around it – from websites to apps, from songs to merchandising. This opens up entire new possibilities and gives creatives the chance to work on different fields. Thomas Hesse, Head of Marketing, Media Markt Germany, redblue Marketing GmbH Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Branded content is crucial for us, because we want to reach and permanently stay in communication with our customers. Not only via campaigns in paid media, but also through gradually more content in earned and owned media channels. 365 days a year of customer access utilising every possible channel available, with a strong and consistent message that comes directly from the brand’s core. ‘Osterhasen-Rasen’ was just the first success that clearly demonstrates and proves this new way for content marketing. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? Creating brand experiences is a strong way to gain the customer’s loyalty. The experience merges a store’s offline communication with the online world – and this has been taking place faster than ever. Communication will expand beyond the two-dimensional media space towards new three-dimensional brand spaces, where customers decide what kind of information and entertainment they wish to receive. We want to invite our customers to enter into the new world of Media Markt as a brand experience, so that they stay, enjoy and widely share their experiences. Peter Kasza, Business Director Visual Lab, C3 Creative Code and Content GmbH Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? I would highly recommend using branded content for brand building. This is what we do for Deutsche Telekom's music magazine ‘Electronic Beats’. Electronic Beats is a 360° content ecosystem with print, online, video, audio, social media and live events. This shows that, for an ongoing and sustainable brand communication, nothing comes close to relevant content – and it shows how important it is for brands to focus their whole strategy on branded content. A one-shot video does not have much impact in the long run.   Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? I see two trends. For brands seeking quantity reach the content output will have to remain high. In addition, though, excellent quality will become more and more important to stand out from the crowd. Furthermore, I see a shift towards ‘organic reach’. Whereas up to now clients support content campaigns via traditional media, in the future more and more clients will expect content to perform on its own. 107
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    Thomas Spiller, Head ofBrand Solutions, Endemol Beyond GmbH
 Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? We recommend a branded content approach when brands want to communicate with their customers on an equal footing. Authentic storytelling is the way to turn customers into fans and to engage with them in the long term. At Endemol Beyond, we use our production expertise as a starting point to connect marketing messages with emotional storytelling. In this way, we can create digital brand environments. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? The big buzzwords will be “quality“ and “professionalising digital brand messages on the web”. High-quality content on YouTube or elsewhere in the digital space will attract more attention. In addition, integrated communication will become more important and therefore we’ll see a stronger link forming between digital content and traditional advertising. The future will be about not only publishing individual marketing messages, but also following a structured approach across all content platforms. Jens-Uwe Bornemann, Senior Vice President Digital Europe, FremantleMedia Group Ltd; Senior Vice President Digital, UFA GmbH Q1. In what situations do you recommend using branded content? Branded content means to entertain, engage, involve your audience. No interruptive advertising – it’s entertainment, it’s an emotional charge to the brand. Our experts at UFA LAB use original storytelling to create great content that users want to share with their friends. So use branded content to enrich your brand, touch and bind your customers, and to get a brand that people are not only interested in, but also want to be part of. Q2. What emerging trends and insights into branded content do you have for the coming year? One of the most important trends is trust. Brands shouldn't 'trick' audiences, but instead create real value. Transparency will dictate brand-customer relationships. Make it human. The best branded content will be human and won't ask for an immediate return or immediate value. Instead, its value will evolve over time. It appears that the more digital innovation helps us reach audiences more efficiently, the greater the need for authenticity and real people in campaigns. This means there will be a strong need for brands to create a positive impact in their consumers’ minds. In response to this model of content production, content co-creation between brands and professional storytellers will become a popular trend. We will support this by creating own formats of high-level, next-generation online video productions involving credible multipliers, and curate that content in communities of interests and verticals. 108
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    BOBCM is verygrateful to the following people for contributing to this book’s content: Sandra Freisinger-Heinl, Local partner and joint editor of BOBCM 2015 DACH book; Managing Director, MA Media Sabine Eckhardt, Managing Director, SevenOne Media & SevenOne AdFactory Petra Kroop, Director Brand Integration, SevenOne AdFactory Margret Knitter, LL.M (University of Edinburgh), Rechtsanwältin (Legal Attorney registered at German bar), SKW Schwarz Rechtsanwälte Hanna Bickel, LL.M. (New York University), Rechtsanwältin (Legal Attorney registered at the German bar), SKW Schwarz Rechtsanwälte Christian Backen, Managing Director, DDB Hamburg GmbH Jobst Benthues, Managing Director, RedSeven Entertainment GmbH Sophie Berke, Research Associate, HMKW Berlin (University of Applied Sciences for Media, Communication and Management) Boris Bolz, Chief Commercial Officer, Mediakraft Networks Jens-Uwe Bornemann, Senior Vice President Digital Europe, FremantleMedia Group Ltd.; Senior Vice President Digital, UFA GmbH Alice Bottaro, Creative Director, DDB Berlin GmbH Mark Bullingham, Managing Director, OMD FUSE EMEA Palle Finderup Diederichsen, Head of MediaCom Beyond Advertising, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) Mag. Thomas Diesenberger, Marketing Director, ŠKODA Austria Oliver Dietrich, Director Creative & Conception, SevenOne AdFactory Martin Dräger, Managing Director, Unruly Germany Frauke Driedger, Head of Consulting Creation, pilot Hamburg
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    Lars Bendix Düysen,Vice President Brand Partnership Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sony Music Entertainment Germany Max Egger, CEO, ŠKODA Austria Henning Falk, Client Service Director, DDB Hamburg GmbH Marcel Fenez, Global Leader, Entertainment and Media, PriceWaterhouseCoopers Felix Fenz, Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather Alexandra Findlay, Senior Business Development Manager, OMD EMEA Philipp Friedel, Head of Market Communication, Deutsche Telekom Dr. Ferdinand Froning, Managing Partner, Locavi GmbH Branded Entertainment Dr. Michaela Haberländer, Funding Advisor Digital Games, FilmFernsehFonds Bayern Robert Herrmann, Yahoo Director Strategic Solutions, Germany & Middle East Thomas Hesse, Head of Marketing, Media Markt Germany, redblue Marketing GmbH Ronald Horstman, Managing Director Studio71 & Board member of Collective Studio71 Björn Hoven, Founder & Director, Weischer.Storyhouse Jürgen Irlbacher, Creative Director Content, pilot Rebecca Kalisch-Klütz, Junior Referentin Corporate Communications, pilot Hamburg Peter Kasza, Business Director Visual Lab, C3 Creative Code and Content GmbH Marco Knies, Head of Production & Branded Entertainment, Studio71 Preethi Mariappan, Executive Creative Director, Razorfish Germany Nikki Mendonça, President, OMD EMEA Stefan Mohr, Chief of lab for Content Marketing Roundtable of BVDW; Managing Director, Jung von Matt/next GmbH Claudia Müller, Head of Entertainment Marketing, BMW Group Dirk Nyhuis, Strategic Projects, Tresor TV Marc André Palm, Marketing Director EMEA Central, Weber-Stephen Deutschland GmbH Thorsten Peters, Managing Director Creation, pilot Hamburg Oliver Rosenthal, Industry Leader Creative Agency, Google Karsten Ruddigkeit, Executive Creative Director, DDB Hamburg GmbH Dominik Scholta, Director, FUSE, Omnicom Media Group Germany GmbH Martin Seeger, Director, AdFactory, Austria Stefan Setzkorn, Chief Creative Officer, Track Marc Sickfeld, Director, FUSE – Omnicom Media Group Germany GmbH Thomas Spiller, Head of Brand Solutions, endemol beyond Nina Voncken, Social Media Manager, Techniker Krankenkasse Norman Wagner, Managing Partner, MediaCom Beyond Advertising, Germany Andreas Waldner, CEO, initiator and organiser of the Branded Entertainment Summit ProPKo and Product Placement Award PPA, WTV Entertainment Marketing, Germany Jordan Walker-Shuttlewood, Marketing and PR Director, OMD EMEA 110
  • 113.
    This book wasproduced by BOBCM – a joint venture of the BCMA and DMC – in conjunction with DACH region partner and BCMA Affiliate Partner Sandra Freisinger-Heinl, and designer Mark Welland. The BCMA is the global industry body for branded content practitioners, run by practitioners, promoting best practice, sharing knowledge and growing the branded content industry. It promotes and grows the branded content industry in partnership with other relevant trade associations and industry groups, sharing best practice, researching, lobbying and managing events relating to the industry. It creates the opportunity to connect with the leading experts in the branded content industry. Branded content is predicted to be at the heart of every marketing strategy, and there is growing evidence that there will be a significant shift in budgets to support it. However, there is still some confusion as to how to do it, who should do it and how it is measured. The BCMA is best placed to define what branded content ‘is’ and what ‘it isn’t’ and measure the effectiveness through its investment in research and proprietary tools. Contact: Andrew Canter, CEO, BCMA; Chief Content Officer, Global Living Brands www.thebcma.info www.globallivingbrands.com Twitter @thebcma / @glblondon Founded in 1994, when the Internet was just emerging into the mainstream, DMC is a highly experienced digital marketing communications consultancy that specialises in using collaborative and social marketing approaches. Co-founder Justin Kirby – who is now VP, Strategic Content Marketing at US agency Tenthwave – conceived the BOBCM venture and curates all its content. He and Managing Editor Greta MacFarlane are responsible for the strategic planning, project management, editing, publishing and promotion of content across all BOBCM properties. Contact: Greta MacFarlane, Managing Editor, DMC; Justin Kirby, VP, Strategic Content Marketing, Tenthwave online@dmc.co.uk www.tenthwave.com Twitter @juzzie
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    Sandra Freisinger-Heinl isBOBCM’s DACH region partner, a BCMA Affiliate Partner, joint editor of this book, and freelance Managing Director of MA Media. As a branded entertainment consultant, strategist and journalist, Sandra connects products with content that fits the brand message. Branded content, especially designed for a brand, delivers marketing messages and company issues in an entertaining and informative way, mainly through digital and social media. MA Media’s product placement integrates brands in TV series and shows, movies, series on the web, videos on YouTube, music videos, video games and more. Sandra specialises in 360-degree concepts that support an emotional impact on customers. As a journalist, she co-edits the blog BEO Branded Entertainment Online and looks forward to interesting interviews with international specialists. Contact: MA Media GmbH, Perchtinger Strasse 6, D- 81379 München, Tel. +49 89 5436980, http://mamedia.de www.xing.com/profile/ Sandra_FreisingerHeinl www.linkedin.com/in/sandrafreisinger Former AKQA founder and creative head Mark Welland established his design company New Media Works in 1998. Mark has over 20 years of interactive design experience, including the creation of ebooks, apps and web apps for local and global brands and e-learning organisations. Mark is responsible for the creative development, design and production of the BOBCM series of books. Contact: www.markwelland.co.uk www.newmediaworks.co.uk Twitter @markwellandart www.facebook.com/markwellandart 112
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    BOBCM Managing PartnerJustin Kirby is an Internet veteran who has been writing about the impact of interactive technologies on business and marketing since starting his own digital media consultancy, DMC, in the early 1990s. His books include ‘Connected Marketing: The Viral, Buzz and Word of Mouth Revolution’ (2005 and 2007), ‘Best of Branded Content Marketing: Volume I’ (2013) and ‘Best of Branded Content Marketing: Volume II’ (2014). He chairs and speaks at conferences around the globe, and heads up strategic content marketing at Tenthwave, the interactive agency from the US whose clients include Facebook, Google and eBay. Contact: www.linkedin.com/in/juzzie Twitter @juzzie BOBCM Managing Partner Andrew Canter is one of the leading practitioners in branded content and has over 25 years experience working in marketing communications. He is CEO of the Branded Content Marketing Association (BCMA) and Chief Content Officer at Global Living Brands (GLB). GLB provides global opinion monitoring and influencing, reputation enhancement, strategic marketing and branded content creation. Andrew sources and develops projects for the GLB Media Investment Fund, financing movies, TV and digital content. He has been instrumental in developing the BCMA’s proprietary content evaluation system contentmonitor, and he spearheads the development of BCMA chapters across the globe. Contact: www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-canter/ 4/470/386 Twitter @ac41 113 www.bobcm.net Join the international BOBCM LinkedIn Group
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    This book wasproudly produced in association with: Headline Sponsor “We move brands” SevenOne AdFactory is the leading partner for the German-speaking advertising market when it comes to content near advertising in TV and digital media. Using the content and platforms of the ProSiebenSat.1 Media Group, the teams of SevenOne AdFactory create, produce, implement and evaluate creative and individual advertising solutions for all budget levels, offering the best possible stage for brands to reach their target groups in an emotional and effective way. Due to its strong expertise in the area of entertainment formats and product placement, SevenOne AdFactory became the pioneer of the branded entertainment movement in Germany. www.sevenone-adfactory.de Feature Sponsor SKW Schwarz is an independent German law firm. It advises companies of all sizes and private clients in all major fields of national and international business law. With offices in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg and Munich, it is present in the major German business hubs. With more than 115 lawyers, SKW Schwarz is – especially in the field of media and entertainment – one of the leading law firms in Germany. What started with films has diversified across all media and entertainment sectors: films and TV, press and publishers, music and sports, games, theatre and advertising. Its cross-location and cross-departmental cooperation procedures, as well as its memberships in international law firm associations, enables it to set up teams for more complex client matters and transactions, allowing it to offer its clients the best possible advice for their respective matters. www.skwschwarz.de 114