Category: Blog

As SVP, Branded Entertainment, Kaaren Whitney-Vernon charges her team to produce original content for television, film and digital brands designed to drive revenue. She is one of the Executive Producers of the highly successful digital series Carmilla, with U by Kotex® as Executive Producer. The award-winning show has racked up over 70 million views.

We spoke with Kaaren this week about the latest show she’s been working on, The Motorcycle Project, which will star one of the actresses from the Carmilla series and already has nearly 100,000 views of the trailer just released this month. Leveraging what Kaaren and her team have accomplished and learned from the Carmilla series, The Motorcycle Project could be another roaring success!

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The Carmilla Series has been a multi-year success story for branded content. What are the key metrics of that success that the sponsor, Kimberly-Clark, has considered when re-upping for new seasons?

KWV: We did pre and post research after the first season. We were tracking unaided brand recall, intent to purchase, brand advocacy and net promoter score. The results were amazing, with over 90% brand recall and over 66% saying they tried U by Kotex® for the first time because of the series. The brand also saw their social channel engagement increase dramatically whenever they posted content from the show.

Tell us about The Motorcycle Project – how did this show concept develop?

KWV: The story idea was based on a popular website about Van Life. It is a site where people post their stories of hitting the road and living out a van. This wanderlust was our inspiration, but it is Shaftesbury’s understanding of creating interesting characters with stories involving tension and mystery that builds fandoms and fans of the brand. Two half sisters are unlikely travel mates as they look for their missing sister, driven by clues found on social media. The travel component is important as more and more people are in search of their roots and the meaning of their family.

Half-sisters Jazz and Beth go searching for their missing sister in “The Motorcycle Project”

Who is the target audience?

KWV: The adventurous, or want to be adventurous, woman who loves travel.

What is duration of the shows and how many in a series?

KWV: While Carmilla was shot in one room with the adventure happening outside the room, The Motorcycle project will be shot on location to bring the beauty of Central America and the openness of the road. A total of 10 episodes of 8 minutes in length each.

Who is the writer?

KWV: TBD. It’s important that we include the brand in this process. I like the idea of the brand being part of the writer’s room. It’s a rewarding process.

What about the actors? Will their social media following help drive viewership?

KWV: Yes – Carmilla created influencers out of the actors, but again, once we have a brand involved, it may change the direction of the talent.

Humberly Gonzales and Elise Bauman play Jazz and Beth in “The Motorcycle Project”

What type of brands would be best fit for this series?

KWV: Hero brands, Explorer brands, even an Outlaw brand like Harley Davidson would fit this story world of strong empowered females. I like the idea of traditionally male targeted brands embracing this type of story. Imagine how this could work for Red Bull or REI!?

Is this a one-brand opportunity or could multiple category-exclusive brands sign on?

KWV: We have done both funding scenarios and find that if the brands already work together it can work really well.

How would you work with a sponsor in terms of creative involvement? Is it hands-off or some limited input?

KWV: Very hands on. This is a partnership. We want the brands to feel ownership with the story and the characters. To use the content including behind the scenes on all their channels. Once we find an engaged audience, our role is to drive it forward, not treat it like a 4 week campaign. It could become a TV series, a movie, even a book. This is why brands benefit from working with us. We put our heart into the story just as much as the brand.

What are the tangible brand benefits being offered?

KWV: Ongoing engagement with a desired audience who appreciate the brand for entertaining them and not just selling them. This type of story will ensure the long term health of a brand and to continue to build brand awareness. –

 

Brand & Agency Sponsorship Inquiries:

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About Kaaren Whitney-Vernon:

Kaaren Whitney-Vernon is SVP, Branded Entertainment of Shaftesbury. Shaftesbury is in the business of storytelling and creating deep, dynamic fandoms. She is a sought after speaker and a visionary for the future of marketing.

Before this position, and while on the road to becoming one of the best known experts in the branded content space, she was CEO and founder of shift2, a Branded Entertainment agency and is the founder of Youthculture Inc., a youth-focused media company specializing in creating branded programs. Kaaren now heads up the North American chapter of the Branded Content Marketing Association as their president and is working towards a new model for measurement while providing a voice for industry experts.

Shaftesbury is an award-winning creator and producer of original content for television, film, digital, and brands. Shaftesbury’s current slate includes 12 seasons of Murdoch Mysteries for CBC, UKTV, and ITV STUDIOS Global Entertainment, detective drama Frankie Drake Mysteries for CBC and UKTV, and two seasons of critically acclaimed thriller series Slasher for Netflix.

Shaftesbury’s digital arm produces original digital, convergent, and branded entertainment projects including the global phenomenon Carmilla, scripted comedy Upstairs Amy for Walmart and Interac®, supernatural drama Inhuman Condition, and the Slasher VR app for iOS, Android, and Oculus Rift. Shaftesbury’s branded entertainment division drives profitable engagement with millennials using scripted series, turning brands into executive producers. Recent brand partners include Walmart, Interac®, U by Kotex®, and RBC.

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How does a telecommunications giant, such as Qualcomm, create a demo video for their chipset, Snapdragon, that consumers actually want to watch? It’s not so easy. In this day and age, no one watches anything if there isn’t something in it for them. With so many ways to avoid advertising, certainly something as bland as a demo video can go by the way-side. Mark Himmelsbach (President, Content + Social at Ogilvy North America), speaks to the notion that advertisers need to be more savvy about what sort of content resonates with viewers when he said this, “You can’t interrupt people anymore. You have to contribute to their experience.”

Which is exactly what Ogilvy & Mather did when Qualcomm tasked the agency with creating this piece of content. The results were astounding. Writer/Director, Armando Bo, tells the story of a man in Shanghai, who awakes to find his girlfriend mysteriously gone one morning. Using her smartphone, he unfolds a plot far bigger than he could have imagined. Through this dark thriller, features of the smartphone chipset, Snapdragon, are key plot-points in this roller coaster of a story.

“We think that content itself, needs to be entertaining or useful.” says Himmelsbach. Well, check and CHECK. “Lifeline” is not only one of the most entertaining and gripping pieces of branded content you will see this year, it’s also one of the most informative. We see a lot of content marketing around the landscape, these days; Whether it be an influencer integrating a brand partner into their weekly videos, or brands creating original short-films or a digital series in the hopes of brand lift and consideration. However, taking a brief from a technology company to execute on a demo video, and “flipping it on it’s head”, as Himmelsbach puts it, that is something you just don’t see everyday.

Watch the full story in here or by clicking the video below…

Ricky Ray Butler during BEN’s panel at ‘Brand Storytelling 2018’ in Park City, Utah

Influencer marketing has continued to evolve and grow entering into 2018. Even though brands have begun to fully embrace the tactic, many are only looking at it as a single item in their checklist and simply going through the motions, when instead it should be something that sits at the core of their businesses.

Influencers are not digital celebrities
Part of the problem is that influencers are perceived as “today’s rock stars,” which may be great for an influencer’s ego, but these labels also do a great disservice to influencers because it causes brands to treat them less seriously.

Picking the right influencers for your brand is not about shooting for the biggest and most popular name on Instagram, but rather, identifying a group of influencers that best fits with the brand’s goals and objectives and is most likely to drive sales.

Influencers are lead-generation channels that can market products in an authentic way for brands. They are the most in tune with their audiences and can create engaging content. They should not be treated as celebrities, but as a sales channel.

One-off projects just don’t work

Brands that choose to go down the micro-influencer route often fail to think about scale and reach. They choose the right influencers, but select so few of them that they don’t scratch the surface or the potential market opportunity.

There are probably about 5,000 influencers that might fit a brand’s needs at any given time that could get 50 million to 100 million organic views in 30 days. But brands need to take the time to plan right and put in enough budget.

Ongoing campaigns are also the most effective way to build ongoing relationships with creators and monitor for momentum over time. A brand can take the time to figure out what, and who is producing results and continue optimizing the campaign based off of the data collected.

Influencers are your most important media buy

Ultimately, brands need to avoid getting sucked into conversations about guaranteed views and engagement and start looking at influencers in the same way as media buys. Influencers are not a cheap commercial: They need proper research, a compelling creative collaboration, a clear activation strategy and proper measurement to capture tangible results. This is true even of awareness campaigns as they’re still fueling the funnel.

Influencer marketing is not going away any time soon. The brands that do it right will be the ones that build an infrastructure that supports sales measurement of influencer activity, both in online and in retail stores—something that can only benefit everyone in the influencer ecosystem.

 

About the Author:

Ricky Ray Butler serves as Global CCO at the Branded Entertainment Network (BEN), a Bill Gates Company. Ricky manages all brand relationships and campaigns, supporting our capabilities that include traditional and digital integration services to an impressive global roster of clients that include General Motors, Heineken, Microsoft, Zillow, Pepe Jeans, Hyundai, Disney, Ubisoft and other major global brands we are privileged and proud to be working with. Prior to joining BEN, Ricky founded Plaid Social Labs, the leading social media influencer product integration company, which was acquired by BEN in 2015 to expand reach into the digital influencer community. Ricky has been a leader and innovator in the influencer space representing brands and helping them partner with content creators that have relevant audiences. Ricky Ray has a passion for helping brands increase awareness, establish product credibility and build an active community of brand advocates through the power of product integration. He lives in LA with his wife and daughter.

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Something was missing at SXSW this year. Was it you?

If you didn’t make the trip to Austin this year, you may not be too disappointed. The advertising trade media was, how should I say it… “underwhelmed” with the goings-on at SXSW 2017. Check out the reviews by ADWEEK and Advertising Age. They also cite the fact that 22% fewer sponsors took part in this year’s creative celebration. Why is that?

Is SXSW losing relevance for marketers who have flocked to Austin in the past to be a part of the next new thing, whatever that may be? Remember Meerkat at SXSW 2015? It was far from a dud, but then SXSW has always been a hotbed for marketing inspiration at the intersection of creativity and technology. What happened this year?

Although the presence of brands and creatives could be felt everywhere, marked by activations and pop-ups populated by concert-goers, inside the presentation halls, marketing-minded attendees and those looking for something new in the branded content sector found the very thing they were looking for was missing. Although there were some fascinating session titles like “Content Idea Orgasms with Tech Improv Mashups,” and “They’re Going to Hate This and Think I’m Full of Shit,” there wasn’t much with obvious appeal for brand storytellers.

What do you think? We’d love to hear from those of you who made it to Austin and get your take on this year’s experience. Was it good? Bad? So-so? Will you be back in 2018?

Here are some highlights that should interest you:

 

Marketers Can’t Win Without Being Direct & Honest, SXSW Expert Panel Says:

In a SXSW panel on Sunday the 12th, Richard Guest (Tribal Worldwide, President of North American Operations), Jennifer Dalipi (COTY, Senior Director), Graham Harris (Bazaarvoice, Vice President of Brand Partnerships) and Ja Rule (Rapper) discussed the importance of achieving authenticity in advertising. The panel resolved that although telling an inauthentic story to reach a new audience can backfire in the digital-age of fact-checking, ultimately the very same urge to research brands’ representations of themselves and their values, when those values are uniformly represented across all platforms, can garner stronger consumer loyalty.

 

Q&A: Google creative director Ben Jones on YouTube TV, six-second ads and SXSW:

At SXSW, Ben Jones (Google, Creative Director) delivered a presentation at Google’s “YouTube Corner” called “From Six Words to Six Seconds: How the New Age of Storytelling and Innovation Intersect.” Joined by Myra Nussbaum (DDB, SVP and group creative director), Sebastian Tomich (T Brand Studio, SVP of advertising and innovation), and Jess Greenwood (R/GA, VP of content and partnerships), the panel discussed the importance of implementing data-infused storytelling in the digital age. Jones’s data demonstrates that brands that function like content creators, such as GoPro and Lyft, currently own the new media ad space. Jones discusses the way YouTube TV will cater to the modern viewer who watches what they want when they want and the skippable, long format ads that will follow.

 

SXSW: The New Rules of TV Marketing in Binge-Watching World:

At the SXSW panel “Bingers & Time-Shifters: The Future of TV Marketing”, Melanie Shreffler (Cassandra, Senior Insights Director) revealed that young viewers of television spend twice as much time binging content as they do watching live TV, and that 28% of those young viewers don’t even know which of the shows they watch aired on what networks. And while this doesn’t mean live viewing will disappear any time soon, it may mean that where much of that live viewing happens changes, such as on apps and platforms rather than Cable. In any case, a paradigm shift has occurred that will continue to affect the types of programming that will emerge, no matter the length of the content or the size of the screen it’s being viewed on.

 

SXSW: Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant Teams with AMD on Beautiful, Eerie Branded Content Film:

“Meet Walter”, an ad-like short film, debuted at SXSW last week. Produced by Fox and 3AM in partnership with the tech firm AMD, the film is a seamless merger of the artistry and creativity of the film “Alien: Covenant” and AMD’s new SenseMI technology introduced last year. The short film is the result of AMD’s efforts to seek partnerships with creators to tell authentic stories about their own burgeoning products. Walter, an AI robot featured in the Ridley Scott’s feature film, serves as a perfect vehicle for showcasing AMD’s tech, which, in the short, is embedded in his artificial brain. AMD was involved from the concept’s inception all the way through the design and production phases in order to ensure a faithful representation of both AMD’s product and the upcoming feature-length film.

 

Experience Einstein Through Augmented Reality at National Geographic’s SXSW Activation:

“Genius”, National Geographic’s flagship scripted series, had a large and popular installation at SXSW. Seeking a big, immersive experience to mark the launch of its first premium drama, NatGeo partnered with Microsoft to showcase Albert Einstein’s greatest gift: his mind. Activation activities included Microsoft HoloLens technology that let users experience Einstein’s thought experiments by way of VR. The activation also featured an AR photo collection of some of National Geographic photographer’s greatest nature photos in which the photos would jump right off the screen.

 

Experience Stereoscopic 360 degree VR with Laduma at SXSW 2017:

At SXSW, VR company Laduma showcased their Stereoscopic 360 VR experience that claims to go beyond the average VR content found today both technically and creatively. Mike Santiago (Laduma, VP of Business Development) delivers an interview in which he explains that the Laduma VR experience is unique not only for the viewer, but for their content partners as well. Acting more like a creative agency than a tech company, Laduma works directly with their partners to ideate, script, shoot, and distribute their stereoscopic content. The stereoscopic element of their VR enables consumers to get a better sense of the space their viewing, making the VR experience more realistic than ever before.

 

Tomorrow, Today — Top 5 Ad Startups From SXSW

At an event as sprawling as SXSW, it can be difficult to key into the newer, smaller Startups that have future potential. Five such Startups are Wattpad, ThingThing, StoryO, StylePull, and Novel Effect. Wattpad will be introducing “Tap” to their 50 million users, a chat-style app that presents stories in a text-like format to hit millennials where they live. ThingThing offers text keyboard integration of everything from calendars to branded keyboard tools. StoryO enables users to create context for their photos by layering them with written content and offering options like brand-integrated themes. StylePull is a platform for new designers to showcase their wares to consumers and brands. Novel Effect is a real-time storybook enhancement app complete with voice recognition, music, and sound effects, offering future opportunities for brand-integrated stories.

 

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Buzz. It is the all-important pot of gold at the end of a content marketer’s rainbow. Brands want their content to achieve buzz-worthy status, but they ought to careful what they wish for. Generate the wrong kind of buzz, and rainbow-filled skies can turn to stormy showers in an instant.

Take Pepsi’s social snafu from last week, for example. The now infamous Pepsi ad theoretically ticked all the buzz-worthy boxes for a piece of new media advertising (2-minute spot suited for sharing on social? Check. Mega-Influencer front-and-center? Check. Current/hip representation of target audience? Check.). However, the ad not only came under fire repeatedly for co-opting the serious act of protest to sell its product, but got crucified on social media. The irony of the ad succeeding in the capacity it sought to in the first place (to get noticed by the generation that lives on social media and have them circulate the ad through their social feeds), but for all the wrong reasons, is palpable.

Publishers, media companies, ad agencies, PR agencies, production companies, and brands are all in the rat race to be content creators, sharing on multiple platforms in an effort to appeal to the interconnected network of young consumers. But many forget that the very network that advertisers seek to have buzzing about their content has an aptitude for smelling bullshit and can turn on you in an instant. The conscious consumers that populate this network are ethically responsible, equality inclined, social warriors that wield twitter as their weapon.

So how does one appeal to the ethical sensibilities of Gen X and Y without incurring the wrath of social media? Consider not pandering to your audience and, instead, show them something genuine. Don’t mimic authenticity, simply be authentic.

Brand Storytelling interviewed Frank Igrec about We Could Be King, a film shot in partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods. Dick’s sought out the “real thing” in its effort to tell stories that truly represent the values of the brand, shining a light on the difficulties faced by two rival high schools in Philly who were forced by budget cuts to come together over football. It’s the result of a large effort and long process on the part of the brand, which exercises corporate responsibility by way of being a leader in supporting youth sports and education. This is more than slapping a Dick’s Executive Producer credit on a festival film – this is a genuine effort to give back to the very people who support Dick’s business.

Is fostering an ecosystem where brands support the causes that ultimately support their businesses the recipe for achieving genuine authenticity? That’s certainly one way to do it. Just look at Nestlé, Patagonia, Chipotle, Yeti, GoPro, Subaru, Microsoft, and Disney. It’s no coincidence that these brands have no problem garnering consumer loyalty and/or achieving buzz-worthy status on social media, because consumers believe in brands that project authenticity by being authentic.

Whether it’s capturing the genuine spirit and ideology of the people who buy your products or exercising corporate responsibility in the form of charity or partnered projects, these brands know the truth: that simply pandering to a highly-connected audience is a recipe for disaster. To find gold at the end of the rainbow, you must be what you say you are, or say nothing at all.

 

Millennials Driving Brands to Practice Socially Responsible Marketing:

Looking for more on this notion that corporate social responsibility is important to today’s young consumers? Look no further than this article from Forbes, which cites Nielsen’s Global Corporate Sustainability Report. To put it simply, millennials are fed-up with interruptive ads that project a sense of self-interest and actively seek out products and businesses that project a sense of honesty, openness, and involvement in the world around them:

 

How to Leverage Social Media to Build Brand Loyalty:

We can all agree that today, social strategy isn’t something to take lightly – it’s a make-or-break necessity. Forbes has taken the liberty of compiling a list of tips for cultivating a focused social strategy meant to garner brand loyalty that is certainly worth the read. Check it out – do you agree with the staples outlined in this list? What’s missing? Drop us a line and let us know:

 

Is Corporate Social Responsibility Profitable?:

We get it – consumers value corporate responsibility, and it’s reflected in the products they buy and the companies they do business with. But does the value go beyond mere sales and into other avenues of profit? Check out this article from Boss Magazine, where the case is made for the sometimes immeasurable but undeniably valuable benefits that businesses stand to gain in today’s market by paying closer attention to CSR:

 

Can Brita Filter the Negativity Out of Twitter? Here’s How It’s Trying:

What does it look like when a brand seeks to promote social consciousness on social media? It probably looks a bit like what Brita is seeking to do on Twitter by providing a “filter” (we see what you did there, Brita) that enables users to remove negative content from their feeds. However, it’s more than just a publicity stunt – on “Filter Your Feed Day”, Brita will donate a dollar for each #FilterYourFeed share to the Cybersmile Foundation, an organization that combats cyberbullying. Time will tell where the target audience stands on this branded campaign, but so far it seems like Brita’s walking the walk:

 

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Brand Storytelling 2018 attendees gathered at Stein Eriksen Lodge in Deer Valley, Utah

On Thursday, January 18th, Brand Storytelling 2018 held its first day of partner presentations, featuring renowned brands all taking great strides in the brand-funded content space. Sharp, thoughtful speakers delivered critical insights into successful brand partnerships, examined the ingredients necessary for the success of new media, and called for progressive action in and out of the boardroom. The diversity of subject matter provided an array of insights to gain and lessons to learn, connected by a single fundamental ideal: that providing value for the consumer by offering information and/or entertainment fosters emotional connections and yields results.

WATCH THE PARTNER PRESENTATIONS NOW

Many thanks to our incredible presenting partners for their informative and insightful contributions to the elevation of the business of brand-funded content.

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Allowing Creativity to Organically Change Your Story – Presented by Screenvision Media

Find out how Screenvision Media used Creativity and Storytelling to change their business; from technology to programming, to sales and marketing, to the development of a brand studio all to create a connected conversation with their audience and brand partners.

Featuring Matt Arden (SVP + Executive Creative Director at Screenvision Media) and John McCauley (EVP, CMO & Strategic Alliances at Screenvision Media)

Driving Business Outcomes Through Brand Storytelling – Presented by Content Studio by NBCUniversal

NBCUniversal shares the power of storytelling through the lens of performance and measurement.

Featuring “Wendy Wildfeuer (SVP, The Content Studio NBCUniversal)” and Josh Feldman (EVP, Integrated Marketing and Network Partnerships)

Later, Haters: Beating Bullies at Their Own Game – Presented by Fullscreen Media

Bullying isn’t just a tough part of growing up these days; it’s deadly – in fact, so deadly that the Center for Disease Control has declared it an epidemic. In an effort to neutralize this ‘disease’ where it thrives, AT&T Hello Lab and Fullscreen teamed up to take bullying head-on, and they did it by flipping the script. Rather than shaming the bullies, they developed a genuine and engaged community through the innovative entertainment experience of Guilty Party, a web series with bullying in its storyline. Strategically designed to mimic the digital behaviors of Gen Z and Millennials, Guilty Party functioned as a safe space and friend group, inviting the audience to communicate with the characters and with each other. Bullying had no idea what was coming.

Featuring Maude Standish (VP, Programming Strategy at Fullscreen Media) and Karyn Spencer (VP, Hello Lab at AT&T)

Further: On the Edge of Impossible –

Presented by true[x]

National Geographic thrives on the edge of impossible. The power of human potential is a theme that has intrigued our curiosity us since the very beginning. And it inspires us still, to go further and explore the limits of the unknown – from the top of Everest, to the depths of the Mariana Trench and to the limits of our universe. In the summer of 2017, National Geographic, in partnership with Nike, and in association with Dirty Robber partnered to explore the intersection of science and the human spirit and tell one of the most heroic and amazing athletic feats of all time with the journey of Breaking2 and the pursuit of the 2-hour marathon. This ground-breaking partnership was built on a foundation of collaboration, and produced an inspiring, all-access global documentary that brings to life the power of human potential and showcases the journey of the Breaking 2 athletes, and the team of scientists and product developers who helped them in their endeavor.

Featuring Brendan Ripp (EVP, FOX Networks Group, National Geographic), Martin Desmond Roe (Director/Founder at Dirty Robber) and Brian Lovett (VP, Production & Development at National Geographic Studios)

Finding The Funny –

Presented by Above Average

Comedy is inherently emotional. It’s a powerful tool for self-soothing that allows us to reframe our view of a situation by disempowering negative emotions. It is the most socially shared and sought after type of content, and at a time when two thirds of Americans feel uneasy about the future, comedy remains an important lens through which brands can emotionally connect with audiences. Yet, like branded content, there’s no universal recipe for creating great comedy. It all comes down to talent and approach. True to its counterculture roots, Above Average takes an unexpected look backward while others gaze wearily ahead, revealing modern society’s best kept secret to illustrate the true power of comedic storytelling for brands.

Featuring Ben Zagorski (CRO at Above Average)

New Platforms, Same Principles –

Presented by Zefr

Succeeding On New Platforms Without Compromising What Matters

Featuring Toby Byrne (President at Zefr)

Brilliant Storytelling & Big Data Is The Future – Presented by RYOT Studio

Without data, brand stories are based on speculation. Without compelling stories, data means nothing. As experts in full-service content marketing, RYOT Studio know how to connect brands with people. And we have the tools to make every interaction count.

Featuring Marcia Lesser (Head of Content Partnerships at RYOT)

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I know, I know… you don’t want to say goodbye to summer just yet, but around here we’ve got winter on the brain, as we’re busy planning for January and the annual Brand Storytelling at Sundance event. Now in its third year, this gathering of brand marketers, agencies, media companies and content studios promises to take another quantum leap in 2018. Here’s what’s being planned:

Base Camp – Rooms are reserved for all 160 participants at The Lodges in Deer Valley, a luxury condominium collection conveniently located 10 minutes away from Main Street Park City and all the excitement of the Sundance Festival.

January 17 – Welcome Reception and Cocktail Party
CNN is throwing another welcome reception in the Evergreen Room at The Lodges. This is the place to meet up with fellow storytellers and partners to get things started in style!

January 18 – Presentations and Dinner Party at Stein Eriksen Lodge Spend the morning networking at the Lodge or on the mountain, then catch the afternoon shuttles for the 10 minute ride to the world-renowned Stein Eriksen Lodge for presentations and fireside chats followed by cocktails and a dinner party. Stay tuned for special entertainment announcements!

January 19 – Chats, Presentations and more from our Partners
The Evergreen Room at the Lodges will be the place to connect and sit in on a full day of insightful presentations, chats and screenings. Meet the directors, producers and creative minds behind the best brand-funded productions. Food and drink will be served throughout the day in the Evergreen Room.

January 20 – AdWeek Arc Awards Presentation and Dinner Party
Enjoy the day touring the festival exhibits, see a film or two or head out on the mountain. Save the evening to attend the 2nd Annual AdWeek Arc Awards, honoring the best brand-funded content this year across 21 categories. Enjoy an evening of dining and celebration with brand storytelling all-stars at the Silver Lake Lodge in Deer Valley.

Stay Tuned for lots of announcements to come regarding speakers, screenings, musical guests and more.

Click here to request an invitation to participate at Brand Storytelling 2018

Discussions & Fireside Chats

Brand Storytelling: a Sanctioned Event of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival has comes to a close, but only after two full days of idea sharing, content conversations, storytelling, and wonderful music. Brand marketers, agencies, and companies took what they gained on day one and built on it, while our wonderful event partners took the stage, speaking on their respective experiences and passing on knowledge that enriched the holistic conversation on content for the entire group. As day turned to night, topics of conversation turned to the relationship between music and brand association and attachment, all giving way to the screening of a brand new branded music film and performances from incredible artists.

Friday’s panels began with Andrew Saunders on the integrated ecosystem of TasteMade and how the data driven, mobile first company is at the intersection of taste and excellence. Paul Cowan spoke for Shutterstock on scaling branded visual content creation for digital and social channels. Andrew Snyder, Susanna Schrobsdorff and Alana Radmin got up to speak for Time Inc., discussing the growing emphasis on bringing to light the true power of women, and finding a brand partner in Bai to help spread that message. Kevin McAuliffe and Ethan Heftman from A+E networks shared their project with History and Ram in which they sought to tell a story true to the truck’s image and projected values.

Ricky Ray Butler, Chris Mancil and influencer Furious Pete took the stage to discuss influencer partnerships with EA. The trio had a discussion about pairing the right influencer with the right game in order to foster relationships between influencer and audience. Josh Entman of Jukin Media spoke on the user generation and learning how to better understand user-generated video. The evening’s chats closed with Ray Clark of The Marketing Arm, Jared Gutstadt of Jingle Punks, and music industry professionals Young Guru and Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, who spoke on the power of music and its ability to influence consumers on a deeply emotional level.

Saturday’s fireside chats began with CAA’s Chad Nelson, Eric Day and Scott Iason, who spoke on innovative talent and passion content models, using Top Golf’s original series as an example. Peter Sloterdyk and Zach Stafford took the stage for INTO, the online publication that’s redefining queer content. David Waithers from Awesomeness spoke about his target audience, generation z, and how social and digital are essential to their lives. Adam Shlachter and Christian Tom from Group Nine Media spoke on what is working and driving branded content results, where data is underutilized, and where that data is misunderstood.

Nick Childs, Lance Weiler and David Cohen talked about Frankenstein AI – a Sundance festival project that challenges the dystopian narratives that surround AI. Diana Mogollon and Chris Mack of Stage 13 and Warner Brothers Television spoke about the “IT” factor and Warner Bros. use of data on millenials to produce box-office breaking horror. John Partilla of Screenvision Media, Colleen DeCourcy of Wieden + Kennedy, and Scott Donaton of Digitas spoke on the art of storytelling in a fragmented world. Chats closed with Andres Siefken and Marcus Peterzell on the partnership between MasterCard and SZA as well as other up-and-coming artists to promote truly priceless experiences.

Thanks again to all of our partners for a round of truly unparalleled panels.

 

A Night of Musical Celebration

Brand Storytelling ended with an exclusive screening of MacGillivray Freeman Films’ newest 3D documentary for IMAX ® and giant screen theaters – America’s Musical Journey, which follows Grammy Award nominated singer and songwriter Aloe Blacc as he traces Louis Armstrong’s footsteps through the colorful locales and cultures where America’s music was born.

The film, produced in association with Brand USA and presented by Expedia, celebrates the unique diversity of cultures and the creative risk-taking spirit that characterize America, as told through the story of its music. The musical night wouldn’t have been complete without performances from Cloves, Bear and a Banjo, and Aloe Blacc himself.

And with that, we bid Brand Storytelling 2018 farewell. To all who attended, thank you. We value this community tremendously and relish the opportunity to foster new and strong connections between like minds.

Next stop: ‘Elevate 2018’ – Will you be there?

Check out our Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn Profiles later this week for photos and more from ‘Brand Storytelling: A Sanctioned Event of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival’

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Every great ad has a solid baseline, that special something to draw you in and keep you watching. Simple enough. Whether it be the use of a talking baby, cute animals, sex appeal, a heartfelt moment between a parent or child, or maybe just hitting you over the head with stats and data in the form of big animated numbers. All of which are effective enough to keep you from skipping or fast-forwarding on to your regularly programmed content. However, there is one theme that almost no one can resist: Comedy.

We’ve all been there. Sitting around watching TV with a group of friends or family when the commercial break hits. A regular point in time to disengage and resume conversation, when all of a sudden you’re struck with that all too familiar cadence; a joke is brewing in the 30-second spot playing on your TV. It’s not so easy to ignore. Comedy is infectious. Even if you’ve seen the spot over and over again, you still watch and excitedly let out that familiar phrase; “Have you seen this one? It’s hilarious!”.

Fortunately, for comedians, comedic networks and their brand partners, humorous content curated for online distribution has a habit of going viral. Not only is there value for a consumer in viewing the content, but even more value in being the one to share it with their friends on facebook or twitter.

I visited the office of Above Average in New York City, and sat down with both Doug Bandes (SVP, Revenue/Brand Partnerships), and Jennifer Danielson (President of Above Average) to discuss how they are creating lasting relationships with brand partners looking to integrate into either existing content on Above Average channels, or to have the production company create completely original content for their brands.

Bandes had this to say; “Whether it’s a home improvement company, a travel company, an auto company… we can find a way to interject humor into whatever types of genres or verticals that are really wanted to go after…”

Watch the full story in here or by clicking the video below…

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Watch for weekly news updates from Brand Storytelling in your inbox, and share this with other storytellers in your network.

Of course, if you’d like to contribute to the story, We’d love to hear from you. Email us!

Eric Gray is getting back to his broadcasting roots in the name of spreading the branded content gospel. After 13 years of being off the air, Gray is launching a new podcast series where each week, he will chat with brand storytelling leaders about how they are building great content brands.

We caught up with Gray to discuss his background in broadcasting, his relationship with building great content brands, and what to expect from his new brand storytelling podcast:

Can you share a bit of your background and personal connection to creating content?

I am a former sports radio producer from Dallas, Texas. I went to college at the University of North Texas and all I wanted to do was call football and basketball games on the radio. I loved the art and craft of broadcasting. I used to watch Dallas Cowboy games and turn the TV down to listen to the radio where the announcer was able to paint such a rich picture of the game. In talk radio, my job every day from 3-6pm was to create entertaining segments that keep our audience coming back, and grow ratings over time. I didn’t know this at the time, but that mindset has been very valuable in my professional journey in content. My job working for brands is not much different, how can we create such rich compelling content that is relevant and builds an emotional connection with customers. I love how my background in radio had a big impact on my content philosophies.

What was the catalyst behind starting Content Cast?

In an attempt to accelerate my brands, my own skills, I have done what many have done and consumed countless books, articles, and podcasts. A few years ago I started reaching out to colleagues that are content leaders at brands I admire and are much more mature than we were. I was passionate about learning and curating knowledge to try and accelerate my thinking, our strategy, and execution. Over the years I have been able to chat with friends from Coca Cola, REI, Tastemade, Buzzfeed, YouTube, NBC Sports, Cleveland Clinic and more. I wish I had all of those chats recorded. I found the conversations to be so much fun and I thought maybe I should record these discussions in the future. This is how Content Cast was born.

What about those initial conversations that inspired you to begin do you hope to see translate to the podcast?

My hope for this podcast is still the exact thing I had in those first few discussions: I hope to learn. The one main difference now is I also hope that we help others learn. This is a space I am so passionate about, and I’m excited to be a small part of pushing the agenda of branded content and storytelling. I hope these talks uncover real tips and strategies that will help others do remarkable work, and build great content brands.

What do you want your audience to know about this podcast that they don’t already know?

I want them to know that it’s going to help them do great work. If you have any feedback, questions, or tips on who to interview please reach out to me. Just like in our professional work, if we are not creating content people actually want, it’s a waste – so please give me all the feedback you can.

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Catch the first episode of Content Cast November 1st on Apple Podcasts.

 

About Eric Gray

Eric Gray is Senior Director of Content Engagement at Universal Orlando Resort. In this role his team is responsible for creating brand experiences that build the brand of UO and drive always on consumer engagement. He and his team are also responsible for social media strategy and execution as well as operating the Universal Orlando Close Up Blog. Gray recently led the creative for the “This is Universal” National TV Campaign for Universal Parks and Resorts. He and his team have won multiple awards in social media, video content, influencers, and launched the Universal Social Media Engagement Center. In 2019 he started a new podcast project called, Content Cast where he interviews storytelling leaders from popular content brands. He was once retweeted by @BarackObama himself (or Obama’s team of social media interns).