Back to the Future - Steve Yanovsky - MediaBizBloggers

Way back in those black and white television days, programming was created by the advertisers themselves. Some of them, especially the CPG manufacturers, before that term even existed, figured out that this new medium was a great way to reach their audience and sell them their products. Hence the name soap operas.

Now, there exists a more contemporary medium that is undergoing the same kind of evolution. Video on the internet, digital video, is slowly becoming a medium that is attracting its own dedicated programming, and much of it is being created by advertisers themselves. Just like in the early television days, these astute advertisers realize that they can take advantage of this medium by controlling the environment in which their messages appear.

What better way to connect with your target audience than to control the program, the commercial, or pre-roll spot that runs before it, or the post-roll if it runs after it. Advertisers understand best the messaging that they desire for their brand(s), and they know how to engage their audience. Their input in this area can prove to be invaluable.

The creation of this web based video programming, has to walk a fine line between art and commerce. Some shows on cable television have demonstrated that producers can go too far in the direction of commerce, i.e. product placement. Viewers are a demanding bunch, and if they feel that you are playing the huckster, they can make a viewing choice in an instant, using their remote, or in this case, their mouse.

Branded entertainment is the term being used, but let's not forget that the term really needs to be reversed. Its emphasis needs to be on entertainment, not on the branding. If it feels like a three to five minute "infomercial" the advertiser may stuff all their messages into it, but they shouldn't be surprised, or disappointed, if nobody sticks around to watch the whole thing.

One of the key goals here for the brands is "engagement", or how involved in the content was the viewer/visitor. Did he or she spend the time necessary to be exposed to the message and did they get it? Various tracking platforms can begin to tell the advertiser if people were there and did they see the whole episode, but they can't get at whether the message resonated with the viewer. Other research resources can answer that question for the advertiser.

All content does not need to be produced by the advertiser themselves. There are a growing number of studios, many for web content only, that can provide advertisers with viable content that will reach the intended target. Also, their agencies have groups within them that can produce content, and will certainly integrate the client's products and services. Ad networks also produce content with brand integration as one of their focuses.

As long as the client can be a vital part of the production process, they can contribute to the content of the web series. What they are looking to do is to extend the reach of their broadcast and cable television laden media plan by reaching an audience that is spending less time in front of the television set.

Also, brands with a low share of voice, those that have niche appeal, or are geographically limited in their distribution, or appeal to a tightly defined audience segment, can generate more presence on-line than they can by fighting the major television brands for attention. So for them, web video makes real sense.

Steve Yanovsky serves as Partner at Customer Focused Solutions and can be reached at syanovsky@optonline.net

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