How Branded Content Can Help a CompanyBranded content is still new. It is driven by the internet which allows companies to connect to their customer base in a way that was previously impossible. Before we get into branded content I think it is important to understand what branding is. While branded content may be a new idea branding is not.
To put it simply a brand is a company's identity. A lot of things go into branding including logo creation, slogans and marketing. None of these alone, however, are a brand. It is important for a company to create a brand because a brand is what helps people become emotional connected with a company or its products. It is that emotional connection that catapults companies to superstar status. If a company ever hopes to become iconic then they must be branded well.
Branded content is when a company produces content with the hopes of further etching their brand in people's mind. You may be asking yourself, well isn't that just a commercial? And the answer is yes and no. Keep in mind that this type of content is specifically meant to build a bridge with internet users. In order to have a strong web presence, the company must have content to draw people. Traditional commercials can't do that.
The content a company offers must be valuable to the customer so they have to bigger than commercials. For example, a company that sells tools might create a web series in which they show people how to perform common house hold repairs At some point, of course they will showcase their tools. This is advertising and that makes it a commercial but the advertising really takes a back seat to the content. So, true branded content is mesh between advertising and entertainment or in some cases education. With really well branded content the viewer will not feel as if they are watching a commercial.
A lot of people confuse branded content with product placement. Product placement is when a product is placed somewhere (many times in a movie) to give that particular product exposure. They do share some similarities. They are different, however, because branded content is the creation of content for a particular brand. Product placement is simply getting a shot of the product.
Branded content is proving to be very effective. Well-produced branded content has proven to help companies make a connection with the public and this connection positively affects their bottom line. The quality of the content has a lot to do with it of course. The number one key to create branded content is to create content that lends itself to be shared.
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