Branded Content: Examples of Getting it Right

There’s no question that there’s been an upswing in the trend of brands publishing content to win over consumers.

Bypassing traditional avenues of promotion, smart organizations are tapping their internal expertise to create content that entertains, educates, and engages their current and potential customers.

Consider the following data from the Veronis Suhler Stevenson Communications Industry Forecast, which predicts total communications industry spending. 

From 2009 to 2014:

• Total communications spending will grow at a CAGR of 6.1%
• Traditional consumer advertising spend will increase by 2.2%
• Branded entertainment is poised to increase by 9.2%
• Outsourced custom publishing is expected to increase by a whopping (my word, not theirs) 11.2%

Granted, percentage increases can be misleading (i.e. a 10% increase on a small number is much easier to obtain than a 10% increase on a large number) but the trend remains: branded content is on the rise. And smart marketers are taking advantage of it.

So what does this look like in a practical sense?

Consider these 4 recent examples of branded content done right:

1. Publishing, Without Publishers

The New York Times’ David Carr tells the tale of Net-A-Porter, who went from industry laughingstock to laughing all the way to the bank, and cites several other examples of brands that are cashing in on the branded content gold rush. (Read more here.)

2. When Marketing Becomes Media, Millions Follow

Ilana Rabinowitz spins a yarn about how she employed branded content techniques to connect directly with the current and potential customers of Lion Brand Yarn (forgive me for the pun?)

She talks about using a corporate blog, podcast, YouTube videos, and Facebook and Twitter to improve customer relationships. So far? Her corporate blog entertains about 50,000 visitors a month. And the content is all about … yarn. (Read more here.)

3. Why Fashion’s Top Brands Are Flocking to Tumblr

What do Kate Spade, Oscar de la Renta, and Ann Taylor all have in common? They are all using Tumblr to connect directly with their communities of fans. This direct-to-consumer approach is allowing formerly ivory tower brands to have an amazing amount of accessibility. And fans are flocking in well-dressed droves. (Read more here.)

4. An Illustrated History of Content (and a Smooth Move in Content Marketing)

The little guys are using these techniques, too. A couple of smart marketing people associated with Taptu put their brand on more radars earlier this month with a smart infographic illustrating the history of content – sort of. They wove their own brand into a shareable piece of content that was picked up by Wired, Mashable, and many others. (Read more here.)

As these examples illustrate, consumers still demand quality from branded content. They can detect advertorial from a mile away and when they do, they’ll stay miles away.

High quality expert content targeted to meet the direct needs of a person is what wins the battle for attention span and share of wallet. It doesn’t matter if it comes from a traditional publishing house or has a logo slapped on it.

What’s your take on branded content?

[image: sarah_jane]

Related articles

• Branded Content is Old and Proven, Not New (jonsteinberg.com)
• Would the Real Experts Please Stand Up? (engage.tmgcustommedia.com)
• Keep Your Friends Close and Your Experts Closer (engage.tmgcustommedia.com)
• And that’s how you make branded content that doesn’t make folk’s eyes bleed (community.prweek.com)