8.4 Case Studies in Successful Branded Entertainment
3 min read•july 23, 2024
Branded entertainment has become a powerful tool for companies to connect with audiences. From 's box office success to Red Bull's record-breaking space jump, these campaigns showcase how brands can create compelling content that entertains and engages.
Successful branded entertainment blends with high-quality and . By leveraging and encouraging audience participation, brands can create memorable experiences that go beyond traditional advertising to build lasting connections with consumers.
Successful Branded Entertainment Case Studies
Examples of successful branded entertainment
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- The Lego Movie (2014)
- Feature-length animated film based on the Lego toy brand grossed over $469 million worldwide
- Showcased the versatility and creativity of Lego products through an engaging story and impressive visuals
- (2012)
- Felix Baumgartner's record-breaking skydive from the edge of space, sponsored by Red Bull
- Live-streamed on YouTube, attracting over 9.5 million concurrent viewers and cementing Red Bull's extreme sports
- (2001-2002)
- Series of short films produced by BMW, featuring Clive Owen as a professional driver in high-stakes, action-packed scenarios
- Highlighted the performance and luxury of BMW vehicles through compelling storytelling and high-quality production
- (2012)
- series by Intel and Toshiba, featuring a protagonist who wakes up in a different body every day
- Encouraged audience participation through and , showcasing the power of Intel and Toshiba's technology in a relatable context
Key factors in campaign success
- Authentic brand integration
- Seamless incorporation of the brand into the story or experience (Lego's role in the movie's plot)
- Avoiding overt product placement or advertising to maintain
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- Engaging storylines, impressive visuals, and compelling characters that rival traditional entertainment media
- Production values on par with Hollywood films (The Lego Movie) or professional extreme sports events (Red Bull Stratos)
- Emotional resonance
- Connecting with the audience on an emotional level by tapping into universal themes and aspirations
- Inspiring creativity (The Lego Movie), pushing boundaries (Red Bull Stratos), or exploring identity (The Beauty Inside)
- Innovative distribution strategies
- Leveraging digital platforms and social media for widespread reach and audience engagement
- Encouraging audience participation and sharing through interactive elements (The Beauty Inside's video auditions)
Analysis of case study elements
- The Lego Movie
- Target audience: Children, families, and adult fans of Lego
- Marketing objectives: Increase brand awareness, drive toy sales, and expand the Lego brand beyond the toy market
- Creative strategy: Create a fun, family-friendly adventure that celebrates creativity and imagination
- Red Bull Stratos
- Target audience: Young, adventurous, and risk-taking individuals
- Marketing objectives: Reinforce Red Bull's brand identity as a high-energy, extreme lifestyle brand
- Creative strategy: Showcase a record-breaking feat that embodies the spirit of the Red Bull brand
- The Hire
- Target audience: Affluent, performance-oriented car enthusiasts
- Marketing objectives: Enhance BMW's brand image as a leader in luxury and performance vehicles
- Creative strategy: Produce high-quality, action-packed short films that highlight BMW's vehicles in exciting scenarios
- The Beauty Inside
- Target audience: Tech-savvy, socially connected young adults
- Marketing objectives: Promote Intel and Toshiba's partnership and showcase their technology in a relatable context
- Creative strategy: Create an interactive, emotionally engaging story that encourages audience participation and social sharing
Lessons for future initiatives
- Authenticity is key
- Brands must ensure that their integration into the content feels natural and organic to maintain audience trust
- Forced product placement can alienate audiences and undermine the effectiveness of the campaign (avoid excessive logo placement)
- Quality content is essential
- Branded entertainment must deliver value to the audience beyond mere advertising to keep them engaged
- Investing in high-quality production and storytelling is crucial for success (hire top-tier talent, allocate sufficient budget)
- drives engagement
- Campaigns that resonate emotionally with the audience are more likely to be remembered and shared
- Brands should aim to tap into universal themes and aspirations that align with their brand values (family, adventure, self-expression)
- Embrace innovative distribution and audience participation
- Digital platforms and social media offer unprecedented opportunities for reach and engagement (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok)
- Encouraging audience participation and user-generated content can amplify the impact of the campaign (contests, challenges, fan art)
Key Terms to Review (20)
Audience Engagement: Audience engagement refers to the emotional and cognitive connection that a brand establishes with its audience through interactive experiences, storytelling, and relevant content. This connection enhances brand loyalty and promotes a two-way communication channel between the brand and its consumers, making it a vital component in various branding strategies.
Authentic brand integration: Authentic brand integration is the seamless blending of a brand's messaging and values into a story, experience, or content in a way that feels natural and genuine to the audience. This approach enhances the credibility of both the brand and the content, allowing consumers to connect emotionally with the brand while being entertained or informed.
Brand Identity: Brand identity refers to the collection of elements that a company creates to portray the right image of itself to its target audience. It encompasses visual aspects like logos, colors, and typography, along with tone of voice, messaging, and overall style, shaping how consumers perceive and connect with the brand. This identity is essential in creating differentiation in the market and establishing a strong emotional connection with consumers.
Brand loyalty: Brand loyalty is the tendency of consumers to consistently choose a particular brand over its competitors, often resulting from positive experiences with the brand and an emotional connection to it. This concept plays a significant role in consumer behavior, brand strategies, and marketing efforts, influencing various aspects such as customer retention, brand equity, and overall business success.
Brand recall: Brand recall is the ability of consumers to retrieve a brand from memory when prompted by a product category or specific cues. This concept is crucial for establishing a strong brand presence and is deeply connected to various elements such as consumer awareness, brand identity, and the effectiveness of branded content.
Coca-Cola: Coca-Cola is a globally recognized soft drink brand created in the late 19th century that symbolizes refreshment and enjoyment. Its iconic logo and distinctive red and white color scheme are a testament to effective logo design and brand marks, playing a key role in establishing consumer loyalty. The brand has also excelled in creating memorable branded entertainment, producing engaging content that resonates with audiences while showcasing its products. Additionally, Coca-Cola’s diverse sponsorships and vibrant online communities contribute significantly to its brand presence and consumer engagement strategies.
Emotional Connection: An emotional connection refers to the deep bond formed between a brand and its consumers, driven by shared values, experiences, and feelings. This connection influences consumer behavior and loyalty, making it crucial for brands to establish a relatable personality, craft compelling narratives, and create immersive experiences that resonate emotionally with their audience.
Emotional resonance: Emotional resonance refers to the ability of a brand or piece of content to evoke strong emotions in its audience, creating a deep connection that influences their perceptions and behaviors. When a brand successfully resonates emotionally, it fosters loyalty, encourages engagement, and can even drive purchasing decisions. This emotional connection is essential in branded entertainment, as it enables stories and messages to stick with the audience long after their initial experience.
High-quality content: High-quality content refers to digital material that is not only informative and engaging but also provides value to the audience, often enhancing brand perception and fostering loyalty. This type of content is characterized by its relevance, accuracy, creativity, and ability to resonate with the target audience, making it essential for successful branded entertainment initiatives.
Innovative distribution strategies: Innovative distribution strategies are creative and effective methods used by brands to deliver their products or services to consumers, often leveraging technology, new platforms, or unique partnerships. These strategies aim to enhance customer experience, increase accessibility, and differentiate the brand in a competitive market. By exploring unconventional channels or collaborative approaches, brands can effectively engage with their target audience and maximize their reach.
Interactive social film: An interactive social film is a type of media experience that allows viewers to engage with the narrative in a participatory manner, often incorporating elements of choice and social interaction. This format can leverage technology to create a more immersive and personalized storytelling experience, making the audience an active participant rather than a passive observer. It blends traditional filmmaking with interactive features, encouraging viewers to influence the outcome or direction of the story while also fostering community engagement and discussion.
Nike: Nike is a leading global brand known for its athletic footwear, apparel, and equipment, and is a key player in the realm of branded entertainment and marketing. With its iconic 'swoosh' logo and the slogan 'Just Do It,' Nike has successfully integrated storytelling and cultural relevance into its campaigns, often collaborating with athletes and influencers to enhance brand visibility and loyalty.
Red Bull Stratos: Red Bull Stratos was a high-profile branded entertainment project where skydiver Felix Baumgartner made a record-breaking jump from the edge of space at an altitude of 128,000 feet, sponsored by Red Bull. This event not only captured global attention but also showcased Red Bull's commitment to extreme sports and pushing the boundaries of human achievement, effectively integrating the brand into an unforgettable experience.
Return on Investment (ROI): Return on Investment (ROI) is a financial metric used to evaluate the profitability of an investment relative to its cost. It helps marketers assess how effectively their investments in strategies like branded entertainment and sponsorships are generating returns, guiding future decisions on marketing spend and resource allocation.
Social media engagement: Social media engagement refers to the interactions and connections between brands and their audience on social media platforms. This includes likes, shares, comments, and any form of user-generated content that fosters communication and builds a community around a brand. High levels of engagement can indicate a brand's ability to resonate with its audience, crucial for successful branded entertainment strategies.
Storytelling: Storytelling is the art of conveying messages, emotions, and experiences through narrative forms that engage and connect with an audience. In the context of branding and entertainment, effective storytelling creates memorable interactions between consumers and brands, building emotional connections that foster loyalty and drive engagement.
The beauty inside: The beauty inside refers to the intrinsic value and emotional connection that a brand or product creates with its audience, often through storytelling, relatability, and authenticity. This concept emphasizes that true beauty lies beyond surface-level aesthetics and resonates with deeper human experiences, making it a pivotal element in branded entertainment that seeks to forge lasting relationships with consumers.
The hire: The hire refers to the strategic decision to engage or employ a specific talent, influencer, or brand ambassador to enhance the storytelling and promotional efforts within branded entertainment. This choice is crucial as it directly impacts how the audience perceives the brand and its connection to the content, ultimately shaping viewer engagement and brand loyalty.
The Lego Movie: The Lego Movie is a 2014 animated film that creatively integrates the popular Lego toy brand into its narrative, showcasing a world made entirely of Lego bricks. This film not only entertains audiences with its humor and adventure but also serves as a prime example of how branded entertainment can effectively connect product identity with storytelling. By doing this, it showcases how brands can engage consumers by embedding products into captivating narratives that resonate with both children and adults.
Video auditions: Video auditions are pre-recorded performances submitted by actors as part of the casting process, allowing them to showcase their skills and suitability for a role. This method has become increasingly popular as it enables casting directors to review performances at their convenience and reach a broader pool of talent without geographical limitations.