At the same time when online stars, like “Shit my dad says”, “Bed Intruder” and “Angry Birds” leverage their fame to gain a spot in TV’s landscape, brands seem to be making their move from traditional media to digital. In doing so, brands have transformed from entertainment sponsors to creators.
Branded video in particular often grabs the leading role in digital campaigns. Brands have invested big in the know-how of making a film and collaborating with A-list actors and directors. Brands produce short, easy to share digital videos in an effort to engage with the audience on a deeper more emotional level.
Consumers are open to branded entertainment, especially today’s youth with 66% of 16-24 year olds stating that they would like brands to entertain them. Being ‘entertaining’ apart from creating brand awareness, can even trigger sales in such young ages, with 71% of 16-18 year olds claiming that they are more likely to purchase a brand that has tried to entertain them over one that hasn’t. According to AdAge, branded web series became more than a half-billion dollar business last year, giving away that it has a promising future in 2011 and beyond. Branded entertainment is not so much focused on presenting specific products or services as conveying the brand’s culture and eliciting emotions that will drive consumer’s behavior. Let’s take a look at some prime branded entertainment examples.
