Why Branded Content Drives Success

It surely comes as no surprise to anyone with access to internet, that video is (not so) slowly taking over the world of online content. But what might come as a slight surprise, is the extent that it’s taking over and just how much social platforms like YouTube are leading the charge in changing the way brands communicate with consumers .

A recent study revealed that YouTube now reaches more 18-to-34 year olds in the UK than any commercial TV channels and this sudden access to a wealth of key target audience groups - who are not only interested, but actively engaged - has in turn, lead to a change in where and how brands communicate.

Think about the last time you bought anything (or if you're anything like me, the last time your partner sent you out to buy something)... How did you choose the TV, car, phone or whatever it was you wanted? Chances are you instantly went to Google or Amazon for help, as any good digital-shopper would, but when it actually came down to choosing, was it the actual sales page that sold it to you? Or the additional content and independent reviews that made the difference? 

Gone are the days where the splashiest TV ad with the latest footballer and most high-tech, green-screen animation was all it took to capture the hearts and minds of the consumer. Instead what consumers are really looking for is a value-add brand experience and the chance to be informed, not sold to, and this is where marketers and brands are seeing their biggest opportunities starting to come through. 

This desire by consumers for additional information, independent opinions, experiential demonstrations (let’s face it, the list could go on and on), is driving brands to focus and develop their content marketing strategies in a way that engages consumers from the grass-roots and helps to peak ongoing interest as well as momentary engagement. The challenge now is not to grab consumers on the way through the purchase-funnel (if you'll pardon that dreaded phrase), where you have to compete with countless other brands, it is in fact to drive consumer's interest at the research stage, and help them into the purchase-funnel to begin with. Taking them on that journey from conceptual interest in a purchase to awareness, interest, desire and decision - and what better way than through video?

From Facebook’s recent addition of 360 video, to VR experiences and the boom of video analytics across social media, as an industry we’re seeing a dramatic shift towards interactive and experiential content, such as brand-generated videos, lead the way in this new value-add and brand-led world. And why not? After all, if a picture can tell a thousand words than what's a video worth?

Developing this bank of brand content, whether it's done in house or through an influencer, is key for brands looking to develop a deeper brand-affinity with the consumer and really drive home that memorability in the marketplace. The key however, is to make sure that the content is not only informative but also credible. 

Like any other form for brand-led marketing, such as the flashy footballer TV ads mentioned earlier, digital brand content also holds the risk of becoming a vanity project as the less-subtle among us cheekily try to add that extra logo shot into the background. It holds the risk of simply becoming content for content's sake, just to say that your brand has a YouTube channel and everyone should go a check it out, and the result will be the same as other forms of advertising – consumers will simply switch off.

The lesson here, although not easy one, is simple. Think like a consumer, not a marketer!

If you were in the market for a new car and turned to that blessed source of all knowledge (aka - the internet), then what would you want to see? Some cheap Chris Evans look-alike in a car brand T-shirt and cap on telling you (shockingly) how amazing the very shinny car from that same brand in front of him is (whilst the company flag flies ever so subtly on top of the headquarter building in the back ground)? or would you want an honest review, from an independent third-party - supported by a brand page that you trust - to tell you the good, the bad and the ugly? Which would allow the quality of the product (or lack thereof) to speak for itself and give you the advice to make an informed decision.

Whether we like it or not, brand content has evolved - especially online - and we as an industry need to evolve with it. The lesson here, the simple not easy one, is that today's consumers have wisened up to our tricks and can see past the style. It’s substance they want from a brand, and the only way to survive in today's globally connected, digital world - is to give it to them.  

It’s quite simply Darwin’s theory of evolution…adapt and survive.