Mobile can be used to keep content with consumers at all times: ad:tech
November 5, 2009
Cameron Death, vice president of NBC Universal Digital Studio and Bladimiar Norman, senior vice president of marketing at 42West
NEW YORK – New technology, such as mobile, is changing the way brands are rolling out product integration.
A panel at ad:tech, New York titled The Branded Entertainment in the Digital Age explored how marketers are adapting to the changing media landscape to reach consumers with branded entertainment. However, some panelists disagreed on the power of the mobile platform.
“Mobile is awesome,” said Jared Hoffman, partner at Generate, Los Angeles. “Mobile allows you to take stories with you to more and more places.
“I think the interesting thing that presents itself now is a storytelling challenge,” he said. “Consumers can interact 24 hours a day.
“They can never step away from content.”
Jared Hoffman, partner at Generate and Nathan Coyle an agent at Creative Artists Agency
Mike Trigg, vice president of marketing and business development at hi5, San Francisco, said that mobile integration has always felt like it has been two years away for the last 10 years.
Mr. Trigg said that stores sending offers to a consumer’s mobile device as they walk down the street could be a great feature great feature, but it is not quite at the level yet.
With mobile, Mr. Trigg also said that consumers will be guarded.
“Mobile is the most personal of devices,” Mr. Trigg said. “I really think if that perpetual two years away ever closes in, mobile needs to be rethought around more a more poll-based option than push-based.
“I want to find the nearest Dunkin Donuts, I would welcome the technology and if they gave me a coupon that’d be great,” he said, “But I don’t want to be interrupted.”
The panelists stressed a need for brand integration to target a specific audience, instead of just blasting a product out to a mass audience.
Users need to be engaged
Throughout the panel an emphasis on user engagement was also stressed.
Cameron Death, vice president of NBC Universal Digital Studios, said program’s like “In the Motherhood” which included consumer participation in the storytelling and also drove the consumer’s interaction with the advertiser’s brand.
Bladimiar Norman, senior vice president of marketing at 42West, New York, said his company did a film recently that had a really specific target audience of moms.
Mr. Norman said his company decided to create a voice of main character, the voice of an everyday working mom, and integrated it into various mother-themed blogs.
Nathan Coyle, an agent for digital media and entertainment at Creative Artists Agency, Los Angeles, said that at the end of the day branded entertainment is all about compelling stories, entertainment people want to engage with and watch.
Mr. Coyle gave the example of Nestle’s Butterfinger chocolate bar and actor Seth Green.
Mr. Green went on various talk shows and claimed to be the official spokesman of the candy, then footage leaked of faux muggings of the actor and he asked his fans for help trying to track down the stolen antique Butterfinger bar.
Mr. Coyle said that the stunt and the alternate reality game that had fans searching for the candy bar in the digital space saw half a billion clicks within three weeks and it used the power of Mr. Green’s fan base to reach targeted consumers.
Mr. Hoffman said that when it comes to rate of return, branded entertainment properties have less of a wall between consumers and the content as commercial break advertisement does.
Mr. Hoffman also said that brands are much more focused on what the consumer is doing with the engagement as opposed to getting a wide audience to view the product.
“Hitting the target matters,” Mr. Hoffman said. “The core are niche, it’s ok just to focus on moms and have dads never know about it.”
But, Mr. Norman said that it is important to caution brands that are targeting small audience to not expect viral results because the target is so small.
When it comes to social media, all the panelists agreed that there is a lot of good and just as much bad marketing taking place.
Mr. Trigg said that social media can be great for viral marketing, but on the other hand, Mr. Norman said that there are too many campaigns just dumping social media aspects as part of their campaigns.
Mr. Death said social media is this year’s “bright and shiny object,” and that brands are just throwing content without truly leveling it.
Content is king
The panel agreed that content is the biggest driving force in branded entertainment.
However, they differed on the role of technology.
Mr. Death said that he does not care what player his video content is being viewed on as long as it is being viewed, distribution, reach and audience interaction is what matters.
Mr. Hoffman said that mobile should be seen as an addition to what is being done on other screens and he has not seen enough content to determine the good or bad areas of working with the platform.
But, Mr. Hoffman said content will find its place.
“We all get Web browsers in our pocket now,” Mr. Hoffman said. “There is an opportunity to use as a medium, but we’re still figuring it out.”