Adios TV Commercials, Hello Branded Content! | TechTree.com

Adios TV Commercials, Hello Branded Content!

Brands are looking to find a connect with stories that could propagate their product or services while functioning as standalone episodic series on digital platforms

 

Everyone loves a good story.

Take a look at the world of television commercials and it becomes obvious that those that have a story are the ones that attract more eyeballs. That the series of ads by Swiggy featuring a bunch of senior citizens brought a smile to our faces is due to the fact that we looked forward to what these chaps would do next.

Now shift your gaze over to the online digital streaming platforms and the story is similar. The likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hotstar has given a boost in the arm to original story-telling though there have been murmurs amongst the moral police over some of it.

Now consider what would happen if both these worlds came together?

Earlier this year, a news report datelined San Francisco suggested that home-rentals start-up Airbnb had plans to develop a slew of original shows that they hoped would whet the customer’s appetite for travel. Of course, six months later there’s not much that we’ve heard from the brand on the progress.

The question is what made Airbnb take this innovative route? Quite simply they had to stand out from the crowd comprising others like Booking.com, Expedia and many others operating in the holidays space. In fact, chief executive Brian Chesky even wants to create a studio where he hopes to create films, shows, chats and the works. He wants to be travel-everything!

Travel isn’t the only vertical where stories work. Walmart and Costco have made noises around the very same idea that is aimed at keeping customers interested and involved. The Vudu video service has been in existence for nine years now and having partnered with MGM and Disney is now hoping to use its muscle to create content that engages with Walmart customers across select geographies.

The latest to jump on to the bandwagon is none other than dating App Tinder, which according to a published article is breaking into scripted original content and has already wrapped up the first of many video series.

The company claimed that the new shows were part of a larger strategy that would be revealed in the future. The mini-series that has just been wrapped up boasts of an apocalyptic storyline with a relationship sub-plot and is reportedly not connected to the company’s core dating business.

Of course, it remains to be seen how long and how arduous this journey would be for these early adapters of story-telling with a brand connect. In the Indian context, one can immediately perceive a connect between stories of elderly couples and a food delivery brand.

Of course, the traditional Saas-Bahu serials may find it tough to connect with brands.


TAGS: Airbnb, Tinder, Netflix, Hotstar, Amazon Prime

 
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