Huge brands are doing it. Small brands are doing it. Brands somewhere between huge and small? They’re also doing it. Branded content marketing has arrived in full-force and (when done well), it’s working.
Some time ago, we started a blog series on Brands As Publishers, Producers, and Newsrooms, inspired by an article from our CEO in Wired. Although we’ve had a slow start with the series, we want to jump back in today by highlighting some great examples of branded content.
Although branded content is not a new concept, it appears to be thriving now due to digital advancements. However, producing branded content that resonates with your audience is not straightforward. It requires careful strategy, planning, quality production, and effective distribution, all while maintaining a careful balance between editorial integrity and sales goals.
As writer Shafqat Islam noted in a recent Forbes article, ”Free press and editorial independence of publishers is a fundamental tenet of democracy. It’s the responsibility of the content marketer to balance the preservation of editorial integrity with furthering business objectives.”
Ad Age published an article last year about breakout branded content efforts. Among them was Coca-Cola’s website rebranding, which turned an ordinary brand website into a full-blown digital magazine, with Coca-Cola publishing the stories it wanted written about its own brand. ”Coke is telling the stories it wishes the press would write: how it’s helping veterans find jobs, how its promotion of healthy lifestyle preceded the NYC “soda ban,” and inside looks at a Coca-Cola sponsored game to help fight AIDS,” writes Ad Age.
Branded content marketing allows for brands to have more control over their image, by creating content that resonates and connects with consumers in nontraditional ways through video, text, apps, podcasts, interactive sites, or otherwise.
Check out some great examples of branded content video:
Funny or Die’s video for Under Armour:
Tom Brady’s Wicked Accent from Tom Brady
Chipotle:
Free People: