I never thought I would be excited about getting a vaccine but, you know, Covid.
Even more strange, everyone asks what brand of vaccine are you getting? Moderna? Pfizer? J&J? It’s like they have secret info on what vaccine is “best”. And the crazy misinformation around other vaccines – oy!
I’ve never seen so much brand chatter.
I mean a new Apple product comes out (remember the first iPod? Ipad? iPhone? Siri?) and the brand chatter (interest) is everywhere! All of a sudden, pharma companies are brands like Apple.
Is it brand chatter or branded content?
Apple has a big marketing machine behind its brand — they are great at creating branded content. Branded content is a type of marketing that involves the creation and sharing of material that does not explicitly promote a brand but is intended to create brand chatter in its products or services.
Branded content is something with a distinct style.
Companies use it to elicit emotions in their consumers, build trust between consumers and brands, get people chatting about their product or company, and increase brand revenue
When I work with companies to create their branded content I discuss the emotion behind the product or service. We create a story, make a social statement, or highlight the good parts of the brand.
When creating materials for the Epilepsy Foundation of New England we came up with a marketing strategy. We created different user experiences through the marketing: people with epilepsy, parents or caregivers, and volunteers. Each campaign had the same look and feel (that’s branding), but told a different story.
What can branded content marketing do?
- Engage through emotion: People rely on their emotions when they make purchases and develop brand loyalty. Connecting to the content of an ad is how emotional advertising relates to what it is that people want to see and how they want to feel
- Tells a story: By using a narrative story to communicate a message, your aim is to make the viewer feel something – enough that it’ll inspire them to take action.
- Uses multiple mediums: Using multiple mediums like Instagram, Twitter, subway signage, direct mail, and so many more… shows your content to multiple audiences. It brings value to the brand to be seen over and over again — you become a trusted source.
- Highlights brand’s values, builds consumer trust: Branded content that is seen in many places starts to build authority. Your audience will recognize your values as you show them through actions and advertising.,
Why is branded content important?
Branded content is about relevance, meaning, and truth. People forget what brands promise, say, or do. But they never forget what brands make them feel. It provides value to the customer, like traditional content marketing, but the focus is on making an emotional connection, not selling something. Branded content also pulls attention to the unique values and ideals of the company, to create an harmony with readers and viewers.
- Better audience reach
- Greater loyalty
- More authenticity and trust
- Narratives the audience can identify with
- Showing the good to your brand
Branded content can be a powerful addition to any marketing and branding solution. Need to brainstorm your content strategy? Let’s chat!