Branded Entertainment
Broadcast Television is Dead long live Broadcast Television. The trend of saying the beast is dead continues. Yet people still want to have their product on the Apprentice or in some other show. The idea that if you put your brand in the hands of an entertainment property the idea of that association will penetrate the mind is not a new one. The method of delivery of these messages is changing.
There is a question of what is entertainment? Games certainly qualify. Some of the things people do online are entertainment, watching programming, creating programming and inter-relating. As media is consumed an expressed differently then the methods of reaching the audience need to change. The panel seemed not sure in how to approach this problem. They pointed out a variety of ways that it was being done wrong.
There was a stealthy quality to the panel. Each holding his cards close to the vest regarding what their client is doing. Brian Terkelson was the most compelling of the speakers. He seemed to understand the need for innovation and the difficulty in getting the brand to participate in anything new. Everyone wants to cliff dive but no one wants to go first.
Micro-bursts of content directly related to the brand are one way the market may go. These may be delivered in a variety of formats rather than a thirty second spot. Can the emotional power of television and film be translated into a shorter format? It is the age of the ADD mind. The audience became excited when told of a billion dollar brand saying no to TV. The creative mind will find a way to go beyond the banner.
So in the new world stories will be told in different ways. It may be reality television, it may be consumer generated content; it may be high-end, slick-big directors taking a look at different media. The idea that the brand can directly connect with the producer is appealing to both. Though the beast may have fallen I am not sure it will stay down.
