What in the world is branded content? If you are in the marketing, advertising, or entertainment world, you probably hear this phrase thrown around more and more, but few really understand what it is.
Branded content is a blend of marketing, social connectivity, and (most importantly) storytelling. It approaches consumers from an emotional and personal level. Rather than peddling a product to the consumer like a used car salesman, branded content invites the audience into an experiential story. But why should you care? Why is branded content important? What’s the big deal?
The thing is, it’s not a new idea. Branded content goes back to the 1930s and 40s when radio stations would tell stories and feature songs that integrated brand names into the story.
Brands need to consider the Experience Space
What is new is this wild west of the digital age in which we live. There are so many platforms and mediums, and everyone is scrambling to figure out how to use them, from Facebook and Instagram stories to Podcasts and Applications, YouTube and Netflix, to AR and VR. It is no longer enough to simply tell a story; the medium must be considered as well.
This is what we call “the experience space.” The experience space is all of the channels on which the story will be told, connecting the consumers to the brands. What is the story, and where are you going to tell it?
Brands Must Focus on Quality of Advertising to Rise Above the Noise
Our lives are overloaded with sensory information. When consumers go to the store, there are 32 options for ketchup. In 2015 it was estimated that most people encountered 4,000 to 10,000 ads per day, and that was years ago!
This means we need to be more innovative in the way in which we approach advertising. We need to focus on quality. This is where branded content comes in. It tells a story first and foremost, and then it informs.
Focus on Selling the Concept
When it’s done well, it moves the audience towards a visceral reaction. It could be through humor, passion, intrigue, romance, or drama, but it should entertain and create an emotional response. Psychologically, our brains retain more information from a story rather than from a list of facts or statistics.
Advertising is still pertinent. People want to be informed, but they don’t want to be overwhelmed, and they definitely don’t want to be told what to do.
Branded Content Focuses on Selling the Concept
When using branded content, you are selling a concept, not the product. This means that the focus should be on the story, not on the product you are trying to sell. The brand might pinpoint a problem and then offer a solution.
Empower the Audience Rather Than Sell the Product
Two things should be kept in mind. First, it has to connect to the brand. Second, the audience should be the hero. Empower the audience rather than sell the product.
Have an Organizing Idea to Build Your Story Around
To guide the process when creating branded content, it is useful to have an organizing idea to build your story around. An organizing idea helps to strategically guide and organize the interaction between the consumers and the brand as it is taking place across the different platforms.
Video Storytelling
This, in turn, builds emotional connections to the brand and inspires behavior. We find the organizing idea at the intersection of the brand strategy/purpose, the product function, and the consumer’s desires and needs. Taking these factors into account, you find the idea you can build your story around.
Contact us for more information. We would love to work with you.
Tattoo Content Studio | 704 Morris Street, Charlotte, NC 28208 | 704.900.7150
Email contentstudio@tattooprojects.com or click here to schedule a call.
