Five by Five

and the rise of ‘branded entertainment’

written by Jo White, Client Services Director, Five by Five

It’s hard not to pick up a publication these days without someone proclaiming the death of marketing, and then providing the next new-fangled solution. But very few things completely die - they just evolve. It’s not just the proliferation of media channels and technology that is making the lives of marketers difficult, it’s the changes in people and the way they behave and interact with communications. People expect even the most seemingly ordinary brands to entertain them these days.

The two salient points here are the terms ‘people’ and ‘interaction’. Nobody likes to be a consumer anymore. It’s a dirty word that treats people as passive recipients, or dummies that can only comprehend and respond to a USP or product focused message. People want experiences with brands that are interesting, complex and dare I say it, sometimes unexplainable. What the hell has a gorilla, drums and Phil Collins got to do with chocolate bars? Not a lot, but it works!

The nature of digital marketing means that brands can no longer rely on viewers being ‘passive consumers’ of brand messages – online they can choose whether they sit through an advert or not. Consequently you have to engage with them at a far deeper level, and provide them with content that is entertaining, amusing, or that has intrinsic value over and above the brand. There is an age-old saying that suggests there is no such thing as low interest products, simply low interest marketing. Arguably there has never been a time in our industry in which such a sentiment has been more important. Irrespective of whether or not you sell cars or bog roll, it’s those brands that approach communications in an interesting way that get noticed.

Hence the rise of ‘branded entertainment’; enjoyable or worthwhile content produced in association with a brand. This can lead to a far greater affinity with the product, and whilst it’s not here to replace everything else, it is an effective way of positioning your brand in a new and exciting space. The interactive qualities of digital allow the development of multi dimensional brand experiences. People can play with it, change it, think about it and feel it. Oh, it will also do the normal response bit as well.

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taken from the ‘Power to the People’ Edition of the Five by Five Review, November 2007