This post is not just an excuse to put up a picture of a shiny new Mini Clubman. It could be useful if you are making TV or Web video content and need to hook up with Brands looking to feature stuff in your shows. (After looking up the rules if you’re in TV)
A past example of this would be six advertising partners - including Procter & Gamble - reportedly paid up to £250,000 each to have their products integrated into the storyline of Bebo’s Kate Modern. It could also include pure sponsorship or the loan of some props, like the car above. BranDirector is a company you should check out as they can help connect you with the goodies as BD’s Oliver White explained to me:
JTV: Please outline what Brandirector does?
We introduce brands and agencies to content opportunities in music, TV, Film, VOD and other media and vice versa.
JTV: When it comes to Web Video some commentators say it’s struggling to meet costs and prove itself as a business model, on the other hand there is a lot of momentum as people turn to get entertainment on the Web, how do you see the market right now?
Marketing and agency people are risk averse at the moment. No one ever got fired for suggesting the client puts an ad on ITV. That will change very soon.
JTV: What is the main problem encountered when content Producers and brands try to get into bed?
Producers have to understand that brands aren’t there to fund his or her project for the fun of it, they want an ROI (Return On Investment). Brands have to understand that the producer isn’t making a commercial for their product.
JTV: Do you need to be a big, massively viewed, content Producer for Brands to be interested in you?
Big audience is always a help, but a small niche audience can be just as valuable. The Shotgun and the Sniper. Both get results.
JTV: How do you see the future of branded content and integration going over the next couple of years?
The rest of the world - it’s the way forward. In the UK we have a government that thinks the audience is stupid and needs to be protected from advertisers. They don’t understand that it’s the brands that pay for content one way or another. They are stuck in another age, interruption advertising. When we get an enlightened government branded content will get big, fast.
Useful link: BranDirector
