Editorial Articles

Joy Campbell, Head of Planning and Strategy at Bigballs Films explains how brands need to approach effective, sharable video content

What marketer doesn’t see a brand film clocking up millions of views on YouTube and dream of achieving the same? So why are so many failing to achieve the Holy Grail of a shareable, talked-about branded content campaign?

Putting aside the sin of not putting the same strategy, planning, research and budgets in place as any other marketing communication, marketers repeatedly fail to balance the brand within the content. Either it’s so subtle you have to guess its origins, or so obvious it feels like an ad.

Branded content appeals to consumers because it’s the opposite of interruption advertising. Done well it should integrate seamlessly into an entertainment platform, providing entertainment first and a brand message second. Which means not having the logo and product appear every ten seconds. Consumers won’t share content if they think they’re just pushing a brand.

So what are the secrets to creating shareable, talked-about branded content?

1. Tapping into the consumer passions the brand already has heritage and association with makes its involvement natural and expected and removes any need to overstate the brand. 

The Oakley brand was created for world-class athletes. Its strong heritage and association with the talent and environments in this space gave it the authenticity to deliver the content created around their events and core sports athletes for their ‘Armchair TV’ show to a passionate audience of core sports fans; without having to to reiterate the brand.

2. Translate the brand philosophy and message into content that consumers want to engage with. An advocate of adventure, Mini furthered its ongoing ‘Mini Adventure’ positioning with the ‘Wanderlust Movement’ - inviting fans to submit their Wanderlust desires for the chance to see their concepts become reality.

3. Consider the platforms the content is played out across. If it’s hosted within a branded environment such as the brand’s Facebook page there’s no need to push the brand message. Distribution is important too - create branded downloadable players and host the content in the consumers own environments. Acting as a conduit to the content is a natural, non- interruptive way of branding.

Content for Vodafone’s real-time festival drama ‘Who Killed Summer?’ was delivered via a mobile app and a downloadable player, enabling the audience to watch it in their chosen environments and allowing Vodafone to naturally brand the environments without detracting from the content.

4. Audiences no longer want to passively consume content. Content needs to create an experience which allows consumers to have a dialogue with the brand - from a simple discussion around the content, to full-on participation in the story, co-creation or experience via experiential activation. For Smirnoff’s Nightlife Exchange Project, 18,000 party-goers attended global events, inspired by 33,000 user-generated suggestions for an unforgettable night out in their country; taking the experience from online to real life.

5. The more campaign touch-points there are, the less you have to rely on one brand film to convey the message. Foster’s integrated campaign to position itself as a brand that celebrates comedy benefited from hosting the brilliant, exclusive-to-Fosters, return of Alan Partridge in a series of branded content films only available on their site.

Branded content isn’t a cheap alternative to advertising. It offers an incredible opportunity for a brand to build an audience and engage consumers. Be clever, trust that consumers are brand savvy enough to know that you created that film without plastering logos or products all over it. Stay in environments that are natural brand fits, innovate and integrate and you won’t go far wrong.
 
Joy Campbell, Head of Planning and Strategy, Bigballs Films
www.bigballsfilms.com