Branded Entertainment

BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT

Outline

Defining branded entertainment

History & development

Measurement of effectiveness

Golden rules for branded entertainment

Background of product placement in Turkey

Key changes to be expected

Role of branded entertainment units

DEFINING BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT

Branded entertainment, also known as branded content or advertainment, is ideas that

bring entertainment value to brands and that integrate brands into entertainment. It means

taking the philosophy and message of a brand and translating that into entertainment

properties that consumers want to engage with, e.g. films, TV programs, music, events,

digital, sponsorship and merchandising.

There are two forms of branded entertainment:

1) Advertiser funded programming

• When there is no standard sponsorship opportunity and the traditional spot campaign

is not sufficient, an Advertiser Funded Program (AFP) could provide the solution.

The longer format (>2 min) is enforced by the way that audiences view the program; it

isn’t aired in commercial time.

In different forms of AFP, an advertiser:

- pays for a broadcaster’s content;

- creates content in isolation from a broadcast;

- wholly or partly funds a program series with a broadcaster

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Case Study: IKEA and What You Wish For

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Ikea wanted to add depth to their "Unlimited Possibilities" communication strategy.

BBC Broadcast created an animated program titled, "What You Wish For” which

advice viewers on how best to transform their properties.

A website www.ukstyle.co.uk was referenced at the end of each program. The

results: The programs were seen by 2,75 million people. They were also

downloaded from the website over 12.000 times. Sales increased by 15% year on

year in this same period.

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Case Study: Renault and Scenic Days Out

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Renault wanted to support the launch of their new Renault Scenic car.

BBC Broadcast created a program about historical sites around the UK that offer a

„scenic day out‟ for the family.

Magazines, DVDs and direct mail were also used to support the program.

The results: 6,5 million people saw the programs. The total sponsorship/program

awareness was 38%. Consumers in research groups told that the programs were

"informative", "interesting" and "memorable".

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2) Product placement

• It’s a form of advertising used by marketers in which characters in a fictional play,

movie, television series, or book use a real commercial product.

There are three main types of product placement that are used: •

Visual placement: A product, service or logo can be simply observed within the

setting of a television show or film.

Auditory placement: A character verbally refers to a product or service that is

scripted within the program. It has a greater effect than visual placement on

viewers.

Plot connection: A brand makes a low or high-level contribution to a storyline. It

has the greatest impact on viewer.

Product placement on television

Product placement in movies

lists for its new Z-3 Roadster increased as a

BMW received major promotions and the waiting

result of the placement in 007‟s Goldeneye.

First product placement occurred in E.T. and sale of the Reese’s Pieces candy increased by 65% within just a couple weeks.

• On “American Idol”, each of the three judges sits behind large red cups emblazoned with the Coca-Cola logo.

• In the "elimination episodes," contestants nervously await their turn in the Coca-Cola room, perched on a Coca-Cola sofa.

On “The Apprentice”, the candidates were required to name, build, market and sell a

new menu item at Burger King restaurants.

All the good guys on FBI drama “24” consistently used Apple Macs; the baddies used PCs.

Product placement in books

write a novel that would

Product placement in video games

In Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza, you’ll use a Zippo lighter to light your way and a Motorola two-way radio to contact the outside world.

In Crazy Taxi, you have occasionally to drop off your passenger at the local KFC or Fila clothing store.

The world famous jewelry company, Bvlgari, paid noted British author Fay Weldon to

feature Bvlgari products.

It is an entertaining book for youngest children, which teaches to count with Oreo cookies.

Cast Away establishes FedEx as a kind of character. This strategy isn’t the traditional form of product placement; it is the embedment of brand into the culture.

Ray-Ban claims that sales of the sunglasses worn by Men in Black have tripled to $5 million since the release of the movie.

HISTORY & DEVELOPMENT

Eduard Manet's 1882 painting of the bar at the Folies-Bergere clearly favors Bass

beer over the beverages showing its label.

In the 1890s, La Diaphane powder advertised that performer Sarah Bernhardt wore

their product on stage.

The Brothers Auguste and Louis Lumiere included Sunlight soap in certain films

made in 1896.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Model T Fords were included in the comedies of

Mack Sennett and were listed in the credits of the movies.

The most successful product placement occurred in E.T. and sale of the Reese’s

Pieces candy increased by 65% within just a couple weeks.

Most placed brands in commercial movies are Ford, Apple and Coca Cola between

2001 and 2010.

Casino Royale with the Omega watch placement is widely regarded as one of the

most forced product placements.

The lion’s share of product placement spend still goes to television and film. America

is the main market for product placement, but the practice is growing elsewhere.

The BMW series of branded content films introduced the concept of short,

entertaining films made by brands delivered primarily via Internet.

Easy to Assemble is a web series created for IKEA by actress Illena Douglas and

garnered over 5 million views in its second series. Features a host of well-known

actors.

Dove adapted the Ugly Betty television series for the Chinese market and created

Ugly Wudi taking the concept of branded content to new heights.

MEASUREMENT OF EFFECTIVENESS

Nielsen asked 10,145 people to view 50 programs that encompassed 199 brands.

The survey (October 2005 – June 2006) found:

Brand recognition goes up if you combine placement and commercial

Chance of brand being recognized after standalone placement: 39.8% Chance of brand being recognized after standalone commercial: 46.6% Chance of brand being recognized after placement + commercial: 57.5%

Consumers‟ good feelings decline if you combine placement and commercial

Positive brand association with product placement: 57.4% Positive brand association with commercial: 53.7% Positive brand association with combined placement and commercial: 55.9%

Buyers‟ intentions to purchase decline if you combine placement and commercial

Expressed interest in purchase after seeing commercial: 36.1% Expressed interest in purchase after seeing placement: 37.4% Expressed interest in purchase after seeing placement + commercial: 35.4

Initial high visibility helps placements get recognized Chance someone familiar with a brand will recognize the brand in a

placement: 44.1% Chance someone unfamiliar with a brand will recognize the brand in a placement: 25.6% Chance a „loyal viewer‟ will recognize a brand in a placement: 49.0% Chance a nonloyal viewer will recognize a brand in a placement: 37.1%

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Conducted by SMG Poland in 2010

Research objectives

• To evaluate the effectiveness of three communication forms:

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Standard copy

Branded Content

Synergy of Branded Content & Copy

...using effectiveness measures:

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Ad awareness

Brand attributes / call to action

Purchase

Experimental scheme

Branded content + copy synergy increased spontaneous ad awareness of our brand

Branded content + copy synergy increased aided ad awareness of our brand

Branded content can strengthen the purchase of our brand

Copy has the potential to build product attributes: Neither branded content alone, nor

synergy branded content + copy can generate attributes change

Main findings of Beyond Awareness Studies

Purchase: Branded Content in series models the consumption behavior patterns and

stimulates purchase

Attributes: Copy strengthens attributes towards product

Awareness: Using TV spots in breaks within TV program with branded content

generates the highest ad awareness of our brand

GOLDEN RULES FOR BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT

Based on observations of Millward Brown

The success of brand integration and the magnitude of ROI depend on three major factors:

Fit, Focus and Fame.

Fit: Does your brand have mojo?

The degree of interest in the brand or product category

The relevance of the content to the target audience

The fit between the content and the brand

Shampoo seems almost as unlikely a subject for popular entertainment as trash collection,

but P&G earned a Silver Effie award in 2005 for an Herbal Essences campaign that

included brand integration in the Mexican series Rebelde. After the teenage characters in the

soap opera formed a band, they entered a contest sponsored by Herbal Essences,

which required them to write an original song featuring the words “Liso Sensual” (the name of

a new Herbal Essences line extension). The TV audience was invited to join the contest as

well, with the promise that the winning song would be performed on the soap and recorded

on a CD by the actual Mexican band RBD.

Focus: The balancing act

The degree to which the integration is engaging

The degree to which attention is focused on the brand

In Casino Royale, the connection between James Bond and his watch brand, Omega, is

reinforced in the brief dialogue between Vesper Lynd and 007:

Vesper: “Beautiful watch. Rolex?”

Bond: “No, Omega.”

While this integration would be too blatant for a brand that did not already enjoy a long-

standing association with the Bond franchise, it illustrates the power of such a placement.

Fame: Publicity beyond the placement

The level of additional supporting activity (advertising or publicity)

Omega reinforced its appearance in Casino Royale with dual-branded print and TV ads as

well as a special section on its brand Web site.

Based on case studies analyzed by BCMA (Branded Content Marketing Association)

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Reactions to branded content are more positive than to traditional advertising

Original, interesting branded content can impact positively on your brand

Branded content can have a strong synergy with traditional advertising

The promotion of branded content can itself have a powerful impact on a brand

Combined campaigns can be informative and emotive

Branded content helps you to stand out from your competitors

Branded content is powerful – and with web support is even more powerful

BACKGROUND OF PRODUCT PLACEMENT IN TURKEY

Sep 2007: With RTÜK regulations, commercial break duration is restricted to 7 minutes.

Feb 2009: Commercial break duration is restricted to 6 minutes.

Oct 2010: Duration of outside commercial breaks is adjusted. 20% decrease in ad space.

Apr 2011: The rule of “12 minutes of ad space within 1-hour” is valid.

RTÜK (Radio Television Supreme Council) allows commercial product placement on Turkish

television and the first executions have been started on the 1st April.

Coca-Cola has been the first advertiser which implements this new execution through top

prime-time programs of Turkish TV channels. Other brands placed in programs are Genc

Turkcell, Maggi, Tefal, Is Bankasi and Pizza Hut for the first half of April.

KEY CHANGES TO BE EXPECTED

Brands will increasingly become content and content will become brands.

Some brand owners will own and exploit their own media assets but the risks & success factors required will make it only for the few.

Strong brands (any retailers) will get stronger partly through exploitation of content &

interactivity.

Information, interactivity and content will proliferate.

How brands can enter into the „interactive‟ content space will become a key issue.

ROLE OF BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT UNITS

“87% of advertisers say branded entertainment will play a stronger role in TV advertising.””

Association of National Advertisers and Forrester Research

Marketers, in collaboration with the TV industry, continue to find the most effective and

innovative ways to reach their customers through the TV medium, utilizing the emerging

technologies available to them. Media agencies have been improving their ability to help

their clients deal with the changes in TV advertising. The next step, they need to form

branded entertainment units that are geared to create and sequence content across every

screen to advance marketer goals.

t are geared to create and sequence content across every screen to advance marketer

goals.

What should branded entertainment units comprise of?

Placing brands in ready-made entertainment properties

Curating sponsorships, AFPs (advertiser funded programming)

Measurement approaches

Consolidation of content related offerings from local market

Strategic content partnership management

Sharing best practices from global network

Branded entertainment units should work closely with digital units in order to combine owned (website), earned (community management) and emerging platforms (mobile, gaming, video).

Öncü Gülmez

E-mail: [email protected]

Twitter: http://twitter.com/oncug

LinkedIn: http://tr.linkedin.com/in/oncug

References

Collings, Patrick “Branded Entertainment Conference”, Johannesburg, March 2010

Czaja, Laura “Nielsen Measures The Impact Of Product Placement”, November 2006

SMG Poland “Branded Content and TV Spot Effectiveness”, February 2011

Hollis, Nigel “Branded Content: More Than Just Showing Up”, March 2007

Utalkmarketing.com “New Golden Rules For Branded Content”, May 2010

Marketingcharts.com “Marketers: TV Advertising Less Effective Than Two Years Ago”, February 2008

Adweek.com “SMG Spins Liquid Thread”, April 2010

Liquid Thread “The Future of Content at SMG”, Warsaw, December 2010