Influx Insights Tag Feed: brandcontent

innocent makes films about fruit

Influx Insights — 2007-10-06T21:43:24Z

As another manifestation of brands moving into the content game, Innocent drinks, Britain's favorite smoothie maker, has just made a series of short films about fruit.

1. Polish Strawberries

2. Damsons

3. Blackberries

While these might not be the biggest YouTube hits of the Autumn season, they are a fun, affordable way of communicating the company's passion for fruit.

I expect more companies will embrace the idea of creating their own video content in documentary form to tell real stories.

Obviously, these films must be creative and compelling, but at the same time they need to come across as genuine and authentic.

Posted by Ed Cotton

branded media content- a failure of imagination

Influx Insights — 2007-06-26T02:20:15Z

Brands spend billions building their awareness and crafting a unique DNA, after all, isn’t differentiation everything?

Then in the scramble to get online, to do something different and to capture attention with branded content, something goes hopelessly wrong. Brands end up creating lifeless, meaningless and undifferentiated experiences.

The sophisticated young consumers that Chivas Regal and American Express both covet, have no need for access to more lifestyle tips, information of guides to the cities they live in or intend to visit.

This information is so readily available, in fact, it’s practically flowing like water. Sure, they value good insider tips and scoops, but most of the time this comes from their network or well-established niche publications and lists.

So why does MSN create “This is the Life” for Chivas Regal?

What’s American Express doing with Entertainment Access Spotlight?

The later is a beta test being run by American Express Labs. A radical new proving ground for new ideas from American Express, one can only hope the ideas get better and more radical.

In the battle for attention it’s easy to think that content is the answer and it may well be, but just like advertising, it has to be real good to break through.

Media companies and young web entrepreneurs might be able to persuade brands into this, through a category sell and for brand managers jaded by advertising, it could be just the ticket, but in reality, creating great content takes time, talent and serious investment.

Doing something half-baked or borrowed from left over content, just isn’t going to work.

Brands need to think more imaginatively and should need to challenge their media partners to do the same, even if the content is part of a so-called added-value package.

Posted by Ed Cotton

every company is now a media company

Influx Insights — 2007-06-14T10:13:52Z

Cisco's Dan Sheinman spoke at this week's BPCC conference about the revolution in corporate communication. He suggests PR is "the new advertising" and companies need to embrace the fact they are now media companies.

He showed stats (shown below) highlighting how Cisco's web traffic has swtiched from page views to RSS feeds and blog posts.

Although Cisco and its users represent the cutting edge of technology, there's a broad desire from consumers for richer informaton from companies, material that goes beyond the press release.

Whether all companies can create their own TV networks, like Audi and others have done in the UK, remains to be seen. However, there's certainly the opportunity to move well beyond the static web site and press release.

Ad agencies can either sit on the sidelines and watch in-house teams and PR agencies help make this a reality or bring their creativity to the party and help create compelling media content for their clients.

Via PopPR

Posted by Ed Cotton