Branded Content Is Here to Stay - Social Media Explorer
Branded Content Is Here to Stay
Branded Content Is Here to Stay
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Fun fact: This year, the Tribeca Film Festival created its first ever award for branded content. Whether you are a film buff or not, this is a clear indicator that you should be paying attention to this type of advertising. While there are conflicting views around what exactly branded content is, its new place in the marketing world is a sign that it should not be ignored.

Media Companies Building Branded Content

With its recent purchase of Fake Love, a marketing agency devoted to the creation of branded content, the New York Times has clearly taken a stand on the matter: branded content is important and it’s here to stay.

NYT, like other publishers, is desperately trying to counteract the rapid decline in its print revenue. The Fake Love acquisition and the focus on branded content is one of the ways in which NYT is shifting its marketing to digital. The New York Times is just one of the most recent publishers to invest in branded content. Turner has opened a branded content studio in partnership with Conan O’Brien’s “Team Coco” digital and social engagement team.

Branded Content Meets Social Media

With much of branded content happening on digital, it only makes sense that social media makes up a large part of the conversation happening around branded content as well. Through platforms like Facebook and Snapchat, brands and companies are able to constantly create branded content that appears where the users are hanging out.

Snapchat, which boasts a whopping 150 million daily users, rolled out its “Discover” feature earlier this summer and thereby opened the branded content floodgates. Facebook has an entire tool dedicated to branded content; it allows influencers and media companies to post content from a third-party product or brand.

Why Your Brand Should Follow Suit

Branded content is a great way to attract and interact with potential consumers. Unlike other forms of advertising or marketing, content is focused on telling a story that viewers will find valuable and enjoyable. Consumers will be inclined to engage with your content because it’s is not explicitly sales-related but instead, aims to appeal to the viewer’s interests. Moreover, since a huge portion of branded content lives on social, your brand is able to exponentially widen its reach.

Branded Content Blazing the Olympic Trail

If you’ve spent any time watching the Rio Olympics, you would have probably noticed the slew of branded content both on television and online. Here are a couple of neat examples.

Branded Content examples

Have you seen any other great examples of branded content? Let us know in the comments below or reach out to SME on Twitter.

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About the Author

Kristina Brown
Kristina Brown is a Marketing Associate at Renegade LLC, a NYC-based social media marketing agency. She was raised in Kingston, Jamaica and tries to find Jamaican food wherever she goes. Kristina is a recent grad of Duke University and would love to connect with you on LinkedIn!

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