Branded Entertainment or Brand Focused Editorials as Event Coverage
A Brand focused editorial is a magnificent way to create an emotional understanding of your brand. The style and benefit of the particular event you sponsor connects right to your brand and tells the viewer how to feel about your brand. So if you sponsor any events this year consider a high impact, brand focused editorial.
A Brand focused editorial is a magnificent way to create an emotional understanding of your brand. The style and benefit of the particular event you sponsor connects right to your brand and tells the viewer how to feel about your brand. So if you sponsor any events this year consider a high impact, brand focused editorial.
Brand Focused TV Program

Brand focused Editorial for
D-Mix Energy Pump
Branded Entertainment is booming. The growth is set to continue, as Brand focused TV program becomes an increasingly hot marketing tool. Relatively little is known how Product Placement works and how it creates value for the advertiser. There are a number of case studies demonstrating sponsorship’s ability to generate business effects such as sales and future purchase intention. How it does that has remained largely unknown until now? An innovative research by Duckfoot sought to dig below the surface of Branded Entertainment to deconstruct how and why it works and how it differs from spot advertising. The research comprised of a number of stages.
1. Groups of viewers were interviewed about different types of TV content and their relationship to that content.
2. An online quantitative survey was then used to assess 1,600 respondents attitudes to a number of brands and brands with a sponsorships, focusing in particular on their attitudes to brands, their awareness, how the sponsorships related to the advertisers and the program.
3. We also examined the perceptions of both the program and the sponsor to see how closely the two were aligned and if any transfer of personalities had occurred.
A wide range of sponsoring brands and categories were included in the study including
The strength of automatic association we have between Brand and Program that we are unable to reveal on a conscious, (rational level).
1. Groups of viewers were interviewed about different types of TV content and their relationship to that content.
2. An online quantitative survey was then used to assess 1,600 respondents attitudes to a number of brands and brands with a sponsorships, focusing in particular on their attitudes to brands, their awareness, how the sponsorships related to the advertisers and the program.
3. We also examined the perceptions of both the program and the sponsor to see how closely the two were aligned and if any transfer of personalities had occurred.
A wide range of sponsoring brands and categories were included in the study including
- Domino’s and The Simpsons,
- Toyota’s Aygo and Channel 4
- Al Murray’s Happy Hour and Bombadier
- Pedigree and Dog Rescue
The strength of automatic association we have between Brand and Program that we are unable to reveal on a conscious, (rational level).
The Results

Brand focused Editorial for D-Mix
1) Branded Entertainment works most effectively on the implicit/emotional mind.
Perhaps the most fundamental finding is that Brand focused TV program has a far more profound effect on the emotional, implicit mind than on the explicit rational/conscious mind.
This is unsurprising when you consider the shorter time-lengths of sponsorship banners or bumpers. Indeed the lab test confirmed that sponsorship bumpers, do not convey significant levels of brand information and do not effect how viewers feel about the Brand, not even when they are creatively linked to the program and placed within the right context. Instead their power comes from the association made between the characters, in that program and the brand they are using.
2) The viewer’s relationship with the program is the key.
The stronger the viewer’s relationship with a program is, the more effective is in driving a positive emotions towards the brand. Fans of program were more likely to be attracted to the Brand of their favorite program than less involved viewers. Intention to purchase increased by up to 12% for fans (4%-5% on average).
3) Branded Entertainment work better over time.
Generally, the longer a Product Placement has to establish and maintain the relationship between the program and the brand, the better it performs. Short-term Product Placement works well, particularly when the link between the program and the Brand is obvious to the viewer. This was the case for Bombardier where the link to Al Murray’s Happy Hour was instantly apparent to most viewers.
4) Brands adopt the personality of programs.
The research found that brands could take on aspects of the personality of the program that they sponsor. We’ve termed this ‘brand-rub’ as the image of the program literally rub off on the brand. An example of this was Bombardier English Premium. Fans of ITV’s ‘Al Murray’s Happy Hour’ chose the words ‘funny’, ‘light-hearted’, ‘enjoyable’ and friendly’ to describe the program and they also used the same words to describe the brand.
5) Branded Entertainment makes brands famous.
By associating brands with television program, Advertiser can create a sense that brands are bigger and better known than they really are. Brands fame can be increased by up to 10% (3% on average) through Product Placement. Branded Entertainment were particularly successful in increasing levels of brand fame. Toyota’s Aygo Brand focused TV program drove perceptions of fame up nearly 10% in comparison to non-viewers. There was also an element of prestige instilled, as two female respondents commented, “you think, ‘wow, they’ve done well to get on TV’'
6) How viewers accept Branded Entertainment.
Branded Entertainment is very much an accepted part of the television landscape. Overall, Product Placement is seen as divorced from the ad break._
Perhaps the most fundamental finding is that Brand focused TV program has a far more profound effect on the emotional, implicit mind than on the explicit rational/conscious mind.
This is unsurprising when you consider the shorter time-lengths of sponsorship banners or bumpers. Indeed the lab test confirmed that sponsorship bumpers, do not convey significant levels of brand information and do not effect how viewers feel about the Brand, not even when they are creatively linked to the program and placed within the right context. Instead their power comes from the association made between the characters, in that program and the brand they are using.
2) The viewer’s relationship with the program is the key.
The stronger the viewer’s relationship with a program is, the more effective is in driving a positive emotions towards the brand. Fans of program were more likely to be attracted to the Brand of their favorite program than less involved viewers. Intention to purchase increased by up to 12% for fans (4%-5% on average).
3) Branded Entertainment work better over time.
Generally, the longer a Product Placement has to establish and maintain the relationship between the program and the brand, the better it performs. Short-term Product Placement works well, particularly when the link between the program and the Brand is obvious to the viewer. This was the case for Bombardier where the link to Al Murray’s Happy Hour was instantly apparent to most viewers.
4) Brands adopt the personality of programs.
The research found that brands could take on aspects of the personality of the program that they sponsor. We’ve termed this ‘brand-rub’ as the image of the program literally rub off on the brand. An example of this was Bombardier English Premium. Fans of ITV’s ‘Al Murray’s Happy Hour’ chose the words ‘funny’, ‘light-hearted’, ‘enjoyable’ and friendly’ to describe the program and they also used the same words to describe the brand.
5) Branded Entertainment makes brands famous.
By associating brands with television program, Advertiser can create a sense that brands are bigger and better known than they really are. Brands fame can be increased by up to 10% (3% on average) through Product Placement. Branded Entertainment were particularly successful in increasing levels of brand fame. Toyota’s Aygo Brand focused TV program drove perceptions of fame up nearly 10% in comparison to non-viewers. There was also an element of prestige instilled, as two female respondents commented, “you think, ‘wow, they’ve done well to get on TV’'
6) How viewers accept Branded Entertainment.
Branded Entertainment is very much an accepted part of the television landscape. Overall, Product Placement is seen as divorced from the ad break._
Summary

Brand focused Editorial for Sony Ericsson
"Tennis at Night"
In summary, Duckfoot has demonstrated what many of us in the industry suspected that Brand focused TV program has a far greater impact on our implicit mind and emotions than on our rationale and consciousness.
Branded Entertainment effect how viewers feel about brands, how relevant they perceive them to be, their likelihood to buy and ultimately it bestows a degree of stature and legitimacy to brands in a way that only television or online Broadcast can do. Branded Entertainment works more effective over the long-term, particularly where the ‘fit’ between the program and brand is less obvious. The relationship between the viewer, the brand and the program is crucial and the sponsorship bumper is the key component in facilitating and maintaining the relationship between the three facets.
When these elements harmonize, the impact on the brand can be significant.
Research by Duckfoot London
Branded Entertainment effect how viewers feel about brands, how relevant they perceive them to be, their likelihood to buy and ultimately it bestows a degree of stature and legitimacy to brands in a way that only television or online Broadcast can do. Branded Entertainment works more effective over the long-term, particularly where the ‘fit’ between the program and brand is less obvious. The relationship between the viewer, the brand and the program is crucial and the sponsorship bumper is the key component in facilitating and maintaining the relationship between the three facets.
When these elements harmonize, the impact on the brand can be significant.
Research by Duckfoot London