Branded content will become an important part of PR in 2010:
Branded content is essentially a fusion of advertising and entertainment, says Wikipedia. Marketers upped the dollars spent on branded content in 2009 – double what was spent in 2008. Branded content snagged 32% of overall marketing, advertising and communications budgets. And the numbers are expected to jump significantly in 2010.
So what is branded content and why will it be a PR trend?
The notion of an advertiser or company producing some engaging content for the consumer in order to sell something is nothing new. That’s why soaps and sponsored radio shows did so well back in the 60s.
The Web 2.0 world is about permission and attention. People don’t want to have messages thrust at them. But they do want to communicate with companies and brands so they can get information they want or need.
The idea is to listen to online conversations and establish what interests your community. Is there a need for certain information? Can you creatively provide that info in an engaging way? Storytelling in articles, with images and video, is one of the best ways to produce branded content. And that’s a PR skill.
GroupM has partnered with Yahoo! to produce branded video content – 5-10 minute “webisodes” that usually feature story lines around a specific product (a show about someone driving cross country in a Toyota Hybrid, sponsored by Toyota, for example) with plenty of product placement.
Being able to creatively brand interesting and valuable online content that attracts readers and viewers might just turn out to be the shortest way to the consumer’s hearts and minds.
