Branded content
When a company produces the content paid for or in its entirety we speak of branded content. This form of marketing is different from product placement and publishing an advertisement. The purpose of branded content is to associate a brand name through this content with the image of this brand.
The commercial factor in branded marketing is a lot more subtle than an advertisement or showing a product in a movie or series. In fact, branded content itself can sometimes be almost invisible. The brand often has full control over the content since they fund it, while at the same time the commercial aspect remains in the background so as not to come across as intrusive. In this way, the brand can present themselves and their brand's message in a subtle way.
Good and bad branded content
There is a great need for Web sites to publish branded content. This provides free content for consumers, more work for webmasters and a platform for businesses. A good example of branded content are blogs where the brand is named as the author. But without the brand or product feeling like the focus of the content. A well-known example of branded content is the slogan "is offered to you by." This slogan is often heard after showing a video on your computer and TV or a sound clip on the radio.
A poor version of branded content can actually cause your brand to appear in a bad light. In addition, it is important that the content does not focus too much on repeating the brand name or product name. This can cause viewers to feel a sense of overkill and give you bad publicity. On the other hand, negative attention can also increase sales. A good example is one of the worst movies ever made in the form of branded content. This movie is called "Mac and Me" and was a cheap rip-off of E.T. financed by the McDonalds fast food chain. Despite being hugely criticized, this branded content did not do a hair's breadth of damage to McDonalds' brand name.
