One of Woody Allen’s alleged quotes is “Eighty percent of success is just showing up.” While broadcasting your brand everywhere and “showing up” in as many places as possible seems to be an accepted marketing tactic, this does not always yield the results that the brand owner would prefer.
For the online world the same would hold true. Simply placing a bunch of banner ads on numerous popular web sites will not necessarily give a brand marketer the desired results. Instead, consider steering your clients toward a branded content approach that will build a more loyal target audience and even greater brand recognition.
Display advertising effectiveness continues to rapidly diminish, particularly with significant enhancements in technology. Disruptive advertising has been replaced with the option for ads to be “skipped” or “blocked”. Static display images have been replaced with interactive multi-media streams that routinely change and evolve over time.
So, how is branded content being used today? One quick and obvious example is how Coca-Cola and Ford Motor Company have integrated their brands into American Idol programming. Any teenage girl who is an American Idol fan can now be influenced to buy a Ford or drink a Coke.
With online branded content, there are some fascinating techniques available for marketers to leverage. Yahoo adopted the philosophy that the majority of their viewers have a strong desire to learn something. With that premise, Yahoo created a fashion website that provides insights into fashion as well as a daily tip on trends and ideas.
Placement of product is a simple technique that can work. Having your product simply shown as part of a commercial or media stream where a character does little more than pass by or glance at the product can be subtle yet effective.
Branded media channels, on the other hand, can make your brand the star at all times. The Oprah Winfrey Network is a great example of a branded media channel, or just setting up a YouTube channel featuring your brand and how it solves various problems or improves a person’s life can be quite effective. Bud.TV is an example of a branded media channel created by Anheuser-Busch.
For your clients, keeping their target audience engaged is more important now that it ever has been for marketing and promoting their brands. With branded content they can create an environment where they can get closer to the target market and keep them tuned in to their brands.
