Introduction

Branded entertainment, also known as branded content or advertainment, is an

entertainment-based vehicle that is funded by and complementary to a brand's marketing
strategy. The purpose of a branded entertainment program is to give a brand the
opportunity to communicate its image to its target audience in an original way, by creating
positive links between the brand and the program. These projects are often the result of
a content partnership between brands, producers and broadcasters.

Branded entertainment started with the advent of television in the 1950s, and many
programs were sponsored and tied to one specific sponsor, like the early "soap operas". As
advertisers began to shift to thirty second commercials, the practice began to fade until the
late 1990s. Today they have become the way for advertisers to let their messages come
across in a "not so commercial" way, e.g. product placement or Advertiser funded
programming.

Although branded entertainment had a slight decrease in 2009, PQ Media predicts a steady
increase in 2010 and beyond. The recent increase in branded entertainment is one of the
consequences of the fragmentation of media and the decline in the power of the traditional
30-second TV spot. Traditional forms of advertising have become less and less effective in
reaching consumers fragmented over hundreds of channels and with the introduction of
new methods of delivering programming, such as internet streaming and digital video
recording devices such as TiVo. Advertisers are going back to the branded entertainment
methods of the early television industry to increase the exposure their advertising gets and
to create stronger ties between the program and their product.
Branded Entertainment is not simply product advertising or product placement - branded
entertainment is a piece of entertainment that perfectly aligns with the brand attributes,
and is a reflection of the advertiser's brand personality. A piece of branded entertainment
for Jack Daniels, for example, doesn't need to feature a bottle of Jack Daniels, it merely has
to fit within the entertainment preferences of its audience, to stick the experience of the
entertainment to the brand, then it could be distributed on the Jack Daniels site - making it
branded entertainment.

The difference between basic product placement and branded entertainment are the
people behind the projects. If done incorrectly, "branded entertainment" is considered
blatant product placement. But, if executed correctly, branded entertainment can be the
most powerful tool in advertising. A good example of product placement is in Lady Gaga's
9.5-minute video for Telephone, which includes 10 product placements and generated more
than 4 million views in its first 24 hours, as well as her video for Bad Romance, which also
includes multiple placements and has been viewed over 230 million times . Producers must
emphasize and understand the balance between entertainment and brand. First, obviously,
the brand and the type of entertainment have to match. Entertainment ranges
from podcasts to visitor centers and sometimes theme park rides. It has to be designed in a
way that attracts the consumer, not some giant logo in the corner of your TV while we're
trying to watch a show.

Product Placement
The most common way to integrate brands into programming is by using product
placement. Instead of simply using a product as a prop or background filler, the product will
be woven into the plot or dialogue of the program. For this reason, the term brand
integration is more commonly used. The objective is to create a link in the viewer between
the program and their product. This is also a guaranteed way for their advertising to be
seen, no matter what method the viewer chooses to watch the program in.

Office products retailer Staples and its entertainment marketing agency Davie Brown
Entertainment worked with the producers of NBC's popular show "The Office" to integrate
the MailMate shredder into the theme of the November 16, 2006, episode. Amid impending
layoffs, one of the show’s key characters showcases his value to the company through his
role as a “master shredder,” using his newest tool: The MailMate shredder from Staples.

The Current Situation

A confluence of technologies, including DVRs, cell phones and, most significantly, the
internet, has fragmented the consumer audience into bits and pieces that are extremely
difficult to reach on a wide scale. The result has been a radical metamorphosis of brand
advertising, product placement and program sponsorship into a seemingly boundless new
world of branded entertainment and content. In particular, the ubiquity of the internet has
created an entirely new dimension to branded entertainment that is just now beginning to
be explored. Innovative marketers are opening new frontiers to utilize the web and
seamlessly integrate their brand into online content and entertainment through social
networking sites, webisodes, blogs, online video games, virtual games and, increasingly,
user-generated content. In this brave new world, attraction rather than persuasion, is the
key to success.

Yet despite the massive technological changes that have forced advertisers to refashion
their tried-and-true sponsorship and branding techniques, the personal touch remains at
the core of successful brand marketing. Specifically, live events continue to play an integral
role in marketing strategies. The combination of high-tech with high-touch media is
resulting in experimental and often interactive brand campaigns that allow marketers to
create more targeted and purposeful ways to drive consumer awareness, loyalty and action.

Today, branded entertainment is a comprehensive marketing strategy that is being utilized

with increasing regularity and has mushroomed into an integrated and multi-channel
approach that incorporates a wide swath of marketing techniques designed to connect with
consumers in multiple touch points.

TOP Executive Insights

1. More than two-thirds of marketing executives are using live events as a key component of
their branded entertainment strategies. According to survey, 67% of respondents said they
are investing in events as part of their branded entertainment strategy.

2. The overall importance of branded entertainment continues to climb in the strategic

planning of leading marketers. According to the survey, 68% of respondents, or more than
two-thirds, are investing in some type of branded entertainment.

3. In budgeting terms, 21% of survey respondents are allocating more than 20% of their
marketing budgets to branded entertainment; 29% have earmarked 10-20% of their
marketing budgets specifically to branded entertainment initiatives.

4. Emi’s findings offer key evidence that despite the dominance of technology in today’s
marketing landscape, the personal touch is still critical to successfully reaching and
resonating with target audiences; branded entertainment as a whole has become an
integral and strategic part of the marketing landscape.

5. EMI defines branded entertainment as the strategic and programmatic use of relevant
content or entertainment as a focal point to attract, engage and influence targeted
audiences.

6. With a constant appetite for new entertainment, branded entertainment has become a
critical (and often experimental) part of the arsenal now used by leading marketers.

7. Branded entertainment has truly come of age, with a strategic focus that now allows
brand marketers to use a diverse set of media and tactics to reach and resonate with their
target audiences. Along with staples such as TV, movies and radio, there are new choices
using the internet including webisodes, blogs, virtual and video games, mobile devices and
user-generated content.
How marketers now define Branded Entertainment
While some marketing executives have defined branded entertainment as narrowly as
product placement in a tv show or movie, others cite events blended with a brand or the
integration of a brand’s product and message into entertainment programming. Branded
entertainment is the strategic and programmatic use of relevant content or entertainment
as a focal point to attract, engage and influence targeted audiences. A well executed
branded entertainment program should employ content in multiple formats to build and
deepen audience relationships, including such media as tv programs, film, video games, web
programming and activities, mobile applications and social networking.

Branded entertainment, which is also sometimes called brand integration or advertainment,

can now encompass nationwide tours involving top-name musical acts “presented By”
major sponsors, complete with ubiquitous signage, advertising, giveaways and promotions;
as well as corporate sponsorships of athletic teams and stadiums.

Benefits and Possible problems

Not only does the media become a promotional channel, but the inclusion of real life
products appeals to viewers as a recommendation from a friend. Brand placements not only
benefit brand owners, but make a fictional scene more believable. An audience instantly
connects with a fictional character using the real life product due to the viewers’
relatedness with the product from the real world.

For instance, the impact of the brand FedEx appearing in Castaway. While brand placement
in television programmes, video games and animations typically target a fixed group of
consumers, brand placement in films cover a wider audience and have a longer shelf life
beyond the screening in cinemas whether by way of DVD or television.

Generally, placements involve the brand owner paying a certain fee for the placement. This
considerably contributes to reducing production costs such as in the recent film, Aisha,
where costs are said to be considerably cut through the prominent placement of L’Oreal and
Christian Dior products. In other instances, producers may need specific permission and may
even pay a fee to the brand owner to depict brands, for instance, the use of names and
logos of football teams or players in a videogame.

In certain cases, however, there is no fixed flow of revenue for the incorporation of a brand
and the brand is used passively, as a part of production without the explicit permission of
the brand owner. Such unauthorised use of a brand could likely be a trademark violation
and potentially create legal issues depending on the context of incorporation. The risk of
damage to the trademark is particularly likely if such incorporation is seen to be harmful to
the reputation of the brand.

In the film Life in a Metro, a character in the story attempted suicide by drinking phenyl and
a recognisable bottle of Kli-nol was depicted without the permission of the brand owner
much to his displeasure. If not used wisely, brand placement in digital media could
potentially tarnish the reputation of the brand and leave the producer vulnerable to legal
risk. However, when the brand is used in the normal course of a film without actively
displaying the brand to the detriment of the owner, such placements may generally be
acceptable to and even benefit the brand owner.

Branded entertainment is bound to become even more popular since it is mutually

beneficial to both the producer and the brand owner. In order to ensure the safe use of a
brand and to avoid any possible legal hurdles, producers should be mindful that the active
integration of brands, more often than not, requires the consent of the brand owner.
Despite the dominance of technology in today’s marketing landscape, the personal touch is
still critical to successfully reaching and resonating with target audiences. Further a key
benefit of branded entertainment is its ability to make stronger emotional connections with
the target audiences.

In a nutshell, the benefits are:

 Alignment of brand with relevant content

 Build brand affinity
 Ability to make stronger emotional connection
 Avoidance of traditional commercial clutter
 Protection from increased consumer control
 A trendy/sexy communications tool

Example

While branded entertainment content on Indian television can be dated to as far back as the
launch of Bournvita Quiz Contest; the space recently got an impetus with WPP's Group M
inking a JV with Raveena Raj Kohlli for the same.

The JV company - Show M - has launched a show called Wheel Smart Sreemati on

Doordarshan for Hindustan Lever Limited. "It's about finding one smart housewife through
the game of 'chausar' as smartness is also a proposition of the brand. In fact, there is very
little branding in the programme, through the show we have tried to convey what the brand
is all about. There are various ways of integrating the brand or creating branded content.

Show M will be involved with brands not just on the visual but also on the audio medium.
While TV will be a key component in the branded content space; the company will also look
at other mediums like mobile, home viewing, internet and radio, which would be
strategically in line with the brand communication or funded by the brand. The idea is to
take a brand out of advertising stream and put it into the communications stream.

The agency is in talks most channels in the general entertainment space like Zee, Sony and
also with DD.

Branded Content
Content continues to play a crucial role in the branded entertainment arsenal now used by
leading marketers. Many marketers have offered varying definitions of branded content,
including, “persuasive communication that furthers brand recognition and loyalty,” and
“brand that is involved in content beyond entertainment into educational, informative
materials.”

Regardless of definition, new and innovative ways of merging brands into content or
entertainment vehicles are being experimented with on a daily basis. Major marketers such
as Unilever, Ford motor co. and McDonald’s have all repurposed or created new content in
compelling branded entertainment campaigns that have increased brand awareness and
sales. McDonald’s, for example, combined both existing and new content with music and
alternate delivery formats to launch a concert promotion that resonated with a targeted
Young adult audience.

Google has also gotten into the branded content act, turning its display ad units into mini-
films sponsored by advertisers, as reported in the New York Times. Others have also tried
similar, successful sponsorship partnerships.

Original versus Existing Content

Compelling content is essential to the success of any branded entertainment campaign.
Consider the content’s relevance in the marketplace and to the audience, as well as the
most appropriate distribution, its scalability, and, of course, cost. While it may be less
expensive and faster to utilize existing content, it may not be as flexible or as meaningful to
the audience. Here are the pros and cons of each:’

Original Content Advantages:

 created exclusively for the brand

 can be changed or rewritten
 Scalable
 Under your control, ownership
 provides the opportunity to develop new platforms
 establishes lasting connection to the brand
Original Content Disadvantages:

 can have higher costs

 Longer development timeline

Existing Content Advantages:

 pre-defined creative and audience

 proven to resonate with consumers
 cost effective
 rights of ownership

Existing Content Disadvantages:

 Limited creative control

 may not completely fit brand or distribution
 may restrict new distribution platforms

Best Practices
The following case studies showcase how leading marketers are successfully incorporating
branded entertainment into their advertising campaigns to engage their target audiences.

CASE STUDY I: “The ROOKIE”

Brand: Unilever’s Degree antiperspirant

Agency: In-house
Executives at Unilever’s Degree antiperspirant brand were looking for a way to extend their
brand by tying it into the TV action series “24.” According to Sam chadha, Director of
marketing, Deodorants, the Degree brand stands for performance. “Guys want to lead a
fulfilling life, but they need protection from risk in their lives.” The company decided to use
a branded entertainment campaign to achieve its goals. Instead of having series star Jack
Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) use the Degree product on-camera, Unilever wrote and shot an
original webisode series called “The Rookie.” It was similar to “24,” In fact Chadha hired the
entire staff of “24” to produce the show, but never mentioned the product until the very
end. Instead, during the webisode’s entire ten-minute run, a full-color shot of the
antiperspirant appeared on the viewer’s computer screen.

The producers of “24” were impressed by how faithfully the webisode captured the feel of
the series, so much so that they included “the rookie” in their limited box-set DvD of “24.”

The Results

Despite a cost that Chadha declined to reveal, “The Rookie” webisode series paid off
handsomely for Unilever and Degree. During the three-month period when the webisode
was the sole promotion Degree utilized, the brand was up 22 percent, making it the fastest-
growing brand in the antiperspirant category. Unaided awareness of the brand grew from
23 percent to 26 percent while total brand awareness increased among the key target
demographic of 25-34 year-olds. Lastly, Degree’s brand imagery around masculinity,
embracing challenge and protection, improved significantly over previous levels.

CASE STUDY II: KIM & SEANA

Brand: Ford motor co.

Agency: TBA Global

Ford motor co. sought to connect its brand with the Young adult (Ya) audience to showcase
its new fully integrated, voice-activated, in-car communication and entertainment system
called Sync, powered by Microsoft. The strategy was to show the product in a way that
would engage the target audience and make Sync a part of the Ya lifestyle. The result was a
branded entertainment web series, “Kim and Seana,” which follows two gen-Y
singer/songwriters who take to the road to discover themselves, as well as music and new
opportunities. The content needed to be fun and compelling to get the target audience to
watch the videos and share them with their friends.

When “Kim & Seana” launched, profiles were built on five to seven social networking sites,
including MySpace and Facebook. The story kicked off at new York city’s CMJ music festival,
with friends kim and Seana covering the event and checking out performances from some of
the up-and-coming bands and emerging artists. From New York, the characters took their
story on the road, visiting destinations like CMJ in Chicago and the Country Music Awards in
Nashville.

Weekly webisodes featured fresh content, including daily video footage, blogs and photos,
as the girls followed the music scene across the country. The Ford Sync technology and
vehicle were featured in each webisode. Viewers were educated on the Sync technology as
the girls used it to stay connected to friends, family and business while on the road.

The webisodes and ancillary videos were distributed to 40-plus websites, while bloggers and
entertainment sites picked up and distributed the content across the internet. The second
distribution phase released the entire webisode series onto crackle.com, Sony’s
entertainment portal. Building on the buzz and excitement surrounding “Kim and Seana,”
Ford’s objective going forward is to offer the entire series, rich media content, interactive
games and marketing offers through these sites and more.

The Results

Kim and Seana quickly reached over one million views within the first three weeks on the
site. Within the first four weeks, consumers sent hundreds of entertainment messages and
suggestions on places to go, bands to see, restaurants to eat at, and more. According to the
brand’s executives, the campaign achieved a 75 percent response rate from those who were
targeted with the marketing message. in addition, the program met the brand’s objectives
on brand/product integration, and consumer engagement and interaction.

CASE STUDY III: MCDONALD’S LIVE

Brand: McDonald’s

Agency: TBA Global

Other Partners: Arc Worldwide; Golin Harris

McDonald’s was looking for a fresh idea to reach a larger share of the Young adult (Ya)
audience, with an emphasis on 18-24 year-olds, and highlight its core brand value of
opportunity. The company and its lead agency, TBA Global, developed “McDonald’s Live,”
which would use music – the Ya market’s number one passion – as its centerpiece.
McDonald’s Live would be national in scope, but feature local extensions to connect all
McDonald’s marketing tactics and integrate online and offline communications, including
events, advertising, pr, promotions, internal communications and channel marketing.

McDonald’s Live showcased emerging artists through a series of 14 free, live mini-concerts
at McDonald’s restaurants in 10 markets across the country. The tour launched in Los
Angeles and included Denver (Single File), Chicago (Sean Kingston), Philadelphia (Kevin
Michael) and Bloomfield, N.J. (Keri Hilson, One Republic.)

McDonald’s leveraged existing partnerships with media outlets such as MTV and Yahoo!
music, to promote McDonald’s Live and its participating artists online and on the air.
McDonald’s Live created an engaging online experience that included on-demand video
downloads of the concerts and a “vote for your favorite artist” campaign. New partnerships
with local radio stations in the 10 concert markets completed the 360-degree marketing
platform with pre-event promotional mentions, in-studio interviews, listener contests and
giveaways, website postings, email and text message blasts to fans. Street teams and live
remote broadcasts at the events were hosted by top DJ talent, and featured meet-and-
greets with the artists after the shows.

The Results

McDonald’s Live exceeded its objectives in all major categories, including day-of-concert
restaurant sales, attendance, website traffic, publicity, artist quality and impact on
restaurant operations. McDonald’s Live resulted in an immediate sales increase at the host
restaurants, with one flagship location setting an all-time sales record. In total, the campaign
generated over 200 million brand impressions with ad value exceeding $5.3 million. Over
one million votes were tallied for favorite artists. Fan visits totalled more than 675,000, with
about 705,000 requests for artist video plays. The artists themselves created and posted
McDonald’s Live content prominently on their MySpace pages, encouraging fans to visit
mcdlive.com and vote for them to be featured in a McDonald’s TV ad. This resulted in a 30-
day viral campaign that reached more than two million MySpace users.

McDonald’s Live was a media draw in each of the 10 cities it visited. Each concert market
developed a partnership with a top local radio station and benefited from an average of 100
commercials, on-air mentions and call-ins promoting the concert. The total value of these
local partnerships was more than $175,000.

Lastly, brand relevance among Yas increased across a number of key measurements.
Seventy-six percent said their perception of the McDonald’s brand had improved, while 72
percent said McDonald’s had a connection to their lifestyle. The effort contemporized the
brand for 83 percent of brand survey respondents.

Branded entertainment in emerging digital platforms

Digital and interactive media have created a new breed of media consumers. They have an
incredibly short attention span, high standards and strong opinions. They are immune to
traditional advertising tactics and they don’t want their content to be interrupted. They no
longer think in terms of TV or movies or channels or formats. They want to be entertained
on their terms – where, when and how it suits them best. They want to engage in something
that they can talk about. They want to share something that, in the very act of sharing,
defines who they are. They want to discuss it, change it, mark it, make it their own. They are
no longer viewers; they are participants. Entertainment is no longer a broadcast; it’s an
experience.
Since the early days of sponsored radio and TV programs, the Brand has successfully
exploited entertainment to deliver its consumer message. But leveraging entertainment to
connect with today’s media consumer has required the Brand to assume a new role. Seeking
a deeper connection with its audience, the Brand has become the storyteller, the studio, the
producer, and, as referenced in our previous paper “Marketer v Media,” even the
distributor or publisher. The result is an entertainment experience that can engage the
Brand’s consumers in ways more relevant and meaningful than ever before.

The ideology behind Branded Entertainment

Entertaining Advertising or Branded Entertainment?

One of the greatest mistakes brands make as they execute branded entertainment efforts is
that they intentionally or inadvertently create disposable content. Advertising is disposable
_ even the most effective, award-winning ads; it’s supposed to be. Its singular purpose is to
meet a marketing challenge: to get someone to recognize a brand, to try a product, to buy a
product. The content in advertising is simply a delivery mechanism and whether or not that
content lives on is secondary to the objective of generating the advertising result. However,
when a Brand creates entertainment and not just entertaining advertising, there is an
opportunity for the Consumer to participate in a long-term experience. Consumers will
connect with content when it is relevant, when it makes an emotional impact and when it
delivers a tangible value – practical knowledge, entertainment or social currency. When
those criteria are met, the Consumer will come back for more. Again and again. If that
connection is strong enough, they’ll bring others along with them. If executed responsibly,
the Brand can participate as well. And it all begins with a great story.

A compelling plot activates basic human programming: the Consumer wonders “what
happens next?”, and becomes invested in the experience. For the Brand, this can result in
loyalty and frequency of interactions throughout the experience.
When the Consumer can relate to a character and situation, she is much more likely to
connect with the content in a meaningful way. In the context of the Brand, the character
can establish a relevance and pathos that gives the Consumer the sensation that “they get
me.”
A believable world or immersive environment provides the Consumer with new and
impactful ways to engage in the story. The Brand deploys its story in the new media
universe, and the number of touchpoints becomes infinite.
It doesn’t need to be a sweeping epic – a great story can be told in thirty seconds; it’s all
about creating drama and a reason to care about how it turns out. And when the Brand
gives story priority over its own business objectives, the resulting experience can truly be
dramatic.

The Roles of the Brand and the Consumer

It’s vital to identify the roles that both the Brand and the Consumer play in the branded
entertainment experience. If possible, the Brand’s role should be a driving force in
developing and producing the idea. The following role definitions are broad and it’s
assumed that, from concept to concept, the roles will be unique to the particular
circumstances.

The Brand as Proud Sponsor: This is the simplest and least invasive way the Brand can
provide value in the consumer entertainment experience. The Proud Sponsor’s “brought to
you by…” approach has been around as long as entertainers have been funded. But just as
entertainment media has evolved from radio to TV to internet, so too has sponsorship. The
proliferation of cable networks and online programming has broadened the spectrum of
content sponsorship options, allowing Brands to engage highly targeted audiences with
relevant content. Branded entertainment in the digital space offers even more opportunities
for the Brand to strengthen its position with the content and ultimately the Consumer.

The Brand as Lead Character: Telling a story in which the Brand plays a character is perhaps
the most challenging approach to branded entertainment. Unless the Brand is positioned in
a way that is immediately believable, accepted and embraced by the audience, the whole
thing can stink of advertising and may be perceived as one big, long commercial. One of the
misconceptions is that the Brand needs to solve a problem or “save the day.” While the
Brand can sometimes successfully play the part of “hero,” the role of Lead Character simply
means that the Brand’s participation is fundamental to the story telling.

The Brand as Shadow Conspirator: What if a Brand created an entertainment property and
completely disassociated itself from the result? Not in the interest of mitigating the risk of
the property’s reception, but rather for strategic purposes? For instance, an apparel
company funds a documentary film whose only purpose is to start an honest conversation in
the market place as a point of entry for the company’s new product launch–or even just as
insight during research and development. Or, an original short film series that’s part of an
alternate reality game leading up to a movie premiere. The role of Shadow Conspirator
allows the Brand to affect opinion or evoke a reaction without muddying the proverbial
waters. There are many factors that should be considered before the role of the Brand is
determined. A brand with broader awareness and reach may be able to leverage the
benefits of Shadow Conspirator role, whereas a challenger brand may find the Lead
Character role provides more opportunities for positive exposure. Regardless of which level
of participation best suits the Brand, defining its role at the genesis of the concept is
essential.

The Consumer as Viewer: In a digital age saturated with gadgets and technologies that
allow all manners of active participation including chatting, sharing, self-publishing, video
editing and more, it’s somewhat surprising to discover that the majority of interactions with
a branded entertainment experience are passive viewing. But, it’s an important point of
entry that can lead to much more active involvement, and so it’s highly important that the
core content in a property be of the utmost storytelling quality. The Consumer as Viewer is
not just a number; she has a great deal of power. She has the power to choose how much or
how little to watch. She has the power to rate, to vote and to “like.” And most importantly,
she has the power to share. The fate of a property rests in the hands of the Viewers, and
that’s a mighty power to wield.
The Consumer as Contributor: The moment the Consumer shares a piece of content, she
has become a Contributor. And her act of passing the experience along to a friend in an
email or posting it on her Facebook wall actually changes the content itself. Her impression
of the property is interpreted by others and sets the context through which they will
experience the content themselves. When a Brand can understand and embrace that
power, the Contributor becomes more and more valuable. Her comments on an episode,
her dialogue with one of the characters on Twitter, her vote for a story ending, her mash-up
of video clips – all forms of personal expression that, simultaneously, transform the greater
entertainment experience. And when guided and rewarded by the Brand, the Contributor
can become even more powerful.

The Consumer as Champion: If the right mechanisms are put in place, Consumers can
become so inspired or incented to participate that they become Champions and may even
begin doing the work of the Brand. For instance, an educational web experience with a
series of instructional videos that establishes a social ranking system: when a Contributor
earns a certain number of contribution points and a certain rank by her peers, she reaches a
Champion level of authority within the system that permits her to actually create and
publish her own videos – not simply as user generated content, but as a qualified part of the
core content. Of course, not only does the Champion add value within the experience, but
by her nature, she typically will have a strong social presence and can become a chat
leader/key influencer for the experience driving even more participation.

The Consumer is an independent player in the experience, and her role is defined not by the
Brand but by her actions. However, the Brand can create touchpoints throughout the
experience to influence the choices the Consumer makes and invite her to take on more a
more meaningful role.

The value of a branded entertainment experience needs to be symbiotic, and it’s often most

helpful to look at it through the eyes of the Consumer. An effective branded entertainment

experience will allow the Brand to deliver three key takeaways for the Consumer:

Entertainment: “I laughed”. Or “I cried.” Or “I just had my socks knocked off.” It’s a quality

entertainment experience, and the Consumer appreciates that it was delivered by the

Brand.

Emotion: “I cared”. The experience was highly relevant to the Consumer–she has a reason

to watch it–and the Brand makes a deeper connection with the Consumer because she

thinks “they really get me.”

Knowledge: “I learned.” The Consumer gets a real, tangible learning value from the

experience. This is not necessarily a tutorial or course as the knowledge could be something

as simple as “Wow. I didn’t realize the band had released a third album.”

These components comprise the value quotient for branded entertainment. A great story is
the foundation, but it’s vital for the Brand to assure that these three ingredients –
entertainment, emotion and knowledge – are blended appropriately to create the most
effective experience.

The Evolution of Storytelling to a Distributed Model

It’s difficult to broadly define branded entertainment in the interactive space for several

reasons. First, the migration of entertainment companies from the bosom of broadcast to
the wild west of the internet has been rocky to say the least. Struggling to understand what

the web video-watching market will bear, media giants have created hit-or-miss business

models, most of which have been misses culminating in repurposed TV and movie content

wrapped in very old media advertising packages.

Second, the concept of “content consumption” is evolving at an incredible rate. The
broadcast model continues to fragment with many TV owners abandoning appointment
viewing and watching what they want, when they want with DVRs and internet-connected
set-top boxes. But many digitally savvy consumers have foregone the “TV experience”
altogether, turning to their computers, iPods, iPads, and mobile phones to watch shorter-
form content in places and times that better suit their increasingly busy lives. These people,
though completely dissatisfied with the passive and cumbersome experience of viewing
content, still seek entertainment; of course, it’s just that it’s in interactive form – video
games, location-based mobile apps, even Twitter feeds, Facebook walls and Flickr streams.

The evolution of the entertainment consumer continues to complicate the business of

entertainment. While most entertainment organizations have yet to discover the silver
bullet business model for content on the web, brands have discovered a different “ROI” and,
as such, have the distinct advantage of looking at interactive channels from a different
perspective. The Brand doesn’t necessarily need to realize revenue from its entertainment
property – in fact, a paid model may be counterintuitive to its purpose. In many cases, the
real return for a Brand is simply quality exposure with the right people and greater potential
for loyalty.

Distributed Storytelling Case Study

YOU SUCK AT PHOTOSHOP
In early 2008, a video created by this document’s author Troy Hitch entitled “You Suck at
Photoshop” made a splash on Digg.com, spearheading what would become a web video
phenomenon: two seasons, twenty episodes, three Webby awards, one of Time Magazine’s
Top 10 TV Episodes of 2008 and nearly 30 million views later, “You Suck At Photoshop” is
considered one of the most original and inventive digital entertainment experiences of all
time. What made this seemingly disposable mock tutorial series last? It all started with a
character named Donnie Hoyle.

Donnie Hoyle teaches you how to use Photoshop because he’s better than you. And
because Photoshop is the only way he can express himself. And if he doesn’t vent about his
failing marriage to an unfaithful wife, his dead-end job, his hirsute Facebook stalker, his
World of Warcraft guild and his problems with fertility, then how will you ever get any
better at Photoshop?
This simple character became the focal point of an epic story: an everyman whose world is
crumbling around him – and who’s powerless to do anything about it – who’s on a crash
course with destiny. In Season One, Donnie reluctantly agrees to dissolve his marriage to his
unfaithful wife only to slip into another disastrous relationship. In a desperate attempt to
leave his miserable world behind, Donnie uses Photoshop’s vanishing point tool to remove
himself from existence. Season Two followed a similar plot: failing to prove that he is too
infertile to have impregnated his ex wife, Donnie triggers a series of unfortunate events
causing everyone in his life to threaten to kill him. The series concludes in a thrilling finale
when Donnie is murdered by a mysterious assailant.

“You Suck At Photoshop” is an unexpected entertainment experience. Inspired by the fact

that Photoshop tutorials are one of the most searched genres of video content on the web,
the series lived in a space fertile for discovery. And when viewers discovered it, they were
surprised, delighted and confused: “this is hilarious, but I actually learned something about
Photoshop too. WTF?” Its ability to entertain and educate was only one part of the series’
unique approach. “You Suck at Photoshop”’s lo-fi production was arresting. The viewer
never sees any of the characters; the story is told in voiceover, Skype calls, Facebook chats,
intercoms and emails all overlapping simple screencasts of Donnie’s computer desktop. On
their own, the “You Suck At Photoshop” episodes are a compelling storytelling experience.
But there is a lot more to the story.

Through a series of social media interactions, alternate reality gaming threads, audience
contributions and the full surrender of the series’ ending to the whim of the audience, “You
Suck At Photoshop” became a transmedia darling and a runaway success.

Conclusion
Branded entertainment has truly come of age, with a strategic focus that now allows brand
marketers to use a diverse set of media and tactics to reach and resonate with their target
audiences. Along with staples such as tv, movies and radio, there are new choices using the
internet including webisodes, blogs, virtual and video games, mobile devices and user-
generated content.

Yet even marketers that are thriving in this high-tech landscape recognize that it is the high-
touch aspects of their campaigns that will be the difference between success and failure.
Events will continue to play a crucial role in branded entertainment, while new media such
as social networks offer an additional paradigm for how content is distributed, and will be
absolutely essential for reaching and targeting specific demographics. Although definitions
of branded entertainment and content may vary, successful campaigns hinge on knowing
your target audience and creating a message that is credible and relevant to that audience.
Entertainment marketing is one of the most measurable marketing strategies. Therefore,
perhaps the most critical success factor in entertainment marketing is having quantifiable
objectives and metrics that are pre-defined and create a feedback loop to allow you to fine
tune your messages and product offerings. to truly capitalize on the benefits that branded
entertainment offers, it is incumbent upon marketers to measure traffic, qualified leads and
closed sales, as well as track online impressions, ratings, click-throughs, page views and
more.

http://thelegacyproductions.com/TLP_PDFs/EMI_BrandedEntertainmentReport.pdf