The key challenge for brand marketers is no longer to interrupt what an audience is watching or doing but to create (or integrate into) real programming content that can earn attention and help build audiences itself by offering value to viewers. This approach is called Brand (or Branded) Content.
In the US, Brand Content already represents almost one third of all US marketing, advertising and communications budgets and more and more of this spend is for Brand Content distributed online.
In this environment, forward-thinking advertisers are shifting budgets towards social strategies that centre around creating compelling and engaging content.
The most impactful shift towards content-based social advertising is happening with video. Video is the ultimate medium for telling an engaging story that can be shared. Libertine Social own TV production company XPTV which allows us to completely manage the production process and create high-quality, low cost branded content.
We categorise Branded Content under three headings:
INTEGRATE: ORIGINATE: CURATE
Brands are increasingly looking for ways to INTEGRATE into online content and earn viewers’ attention rather than interrupt it. Brand integration into the content of an individual blogger or blogging community for example - this can range from simple product placement to content that actively features a brand or product right through to programming themed around that brand or product.
Beyond integration, brands can ORIGINATE new and original content more akin to programming to distribute and earn the attention of audiences. See Audience Design.
And, CURATE – the ability to promote, incentivise and curate user generated content around a brand.