Movies and television with brand-produced content are becoming more commonplace year over year. You’ll notice product placement all over television especially, where product placement can help fund productions or cut down on commercial breaks. It’s a double-edged sword. It can be difficult to work around branded content, but the rewards are tangible. More screen time means more time developing characters and working on plot lines.
What is Branded Content?
Branded content is known in some circles by another name: content marketing. This is the action of using some piece of content designed to generate user interest, then placing a product contextually within that content. We see this often in shows like 24, where Apple and Dell logos were featured prominently on computers.
The concept is actually not new, even though it’s being spun as a new idea. In the early days of radio, the Kraft Music Hall was an excellent source for popular music of the day. Several Dr. Oz style shows debuted with miracle cures and home remedies using branded products.
Commercial media, since its inception, has always been possible because brands have a need to connect with users.
