Love conquers all

For over 15 years I have been researching the effectiveness of branded content. One thing I learned is that branded content can be used in a lot of different ways; from linking to an existing success formula TV show, to sponsoring a radio contest, to creating content on a current social topic like mobility that is published in the news domain.

The effectiveness of branded content differs per form. Where TV and radio are more likely to build a brand at the beginning of the funnel (e.g. awareness and image), branded content in the news domain has proven to be very strong in building positive brand associations and increasing the brand position in the evoked set.

lessons in love

So, effectiveness differs per form. However, there are some overall learnings on the effectiveness of branded content. From all the research studies I conducted, I learned that the better the content is evaluated, the higher the effect. If someone loves a certain TV show, they are more likely to accept a brand that is linked to this TV show. This is in line with the Persistence KPI in TV-planning (research shows that the longer a TV programme is watched, the higher the effect of the following commercial block). This doesn’t just apply to TV, but also other forms of branded content. Branded content is just like real life. When you love someone, you accept a lot from this person and you are more easily persuaded by them.

‘When you love someone, you accept a lot from this person and you are more easily persuaded by them.’

Since working at DVJ Insights I have conducted over 75 studies on branded content in the news domain. DVJ uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative elements to measure the effect of communication. This combination proved to be essential to measure the effect of branded content in the news domain; building brand associations. DVJ’s free association technique helps to get a clear picture of a brand among a specific audience. When you then compare the results of the audience exposed to the branded content, to the audience not exposed, the results are astonishing.

Guard down

In a time where advertising avoidance is becoming more and more the default for consumers, advertisers keep searching for ways to grab their attention. Looking at the news domain, I see that love is the key element to success. Consumers pick their news brand in the news domain quite carefully and are loyal to this brand. The love they have for the news brand makes them accept the content within that platform. And it even works the other way around; good content leads to brand love at an earlier stage. When content within a news platform is accepted, it is just a small step to effective branded content.

Of course, branded content has to be strong, it needs stopping power, and it needs to be relevant and credible. When people choose to consume branded content on their favourite news platform, the level of advertising avoidance becomes very low; their standard defence mechanism disappears and they are more easily influenced by the content and the brand behind the content. This results in more positive associations with the brand, leading to a better position in the evoked set. In other words: Love really does conquer all.