When major companies or networks release small teams into the public with a video or contests that generate enormous amounts of web traffic we call it "viral marketing". When the same major companies or networks release an incredibly well-funded series of videos (funded by the sponsored partners of the project) the name shifts over to "branded entertainment". The difference is that instead of getting someone to watch the same video over and over and pass it along to friends, the goal becomes to keep viewers watching a line of videos in succession that for the most part contain the same content as the singular video.
Obviously there are reasons to go with each of these types of advertising, the main one of course being cost. We also would look at the affective audience and the intended type of project for what best suits its nature. I mean, if you have a slick video with a new dance move that just happens to involve a product you're marketing, you're most likely not going to tie that in to a series about perfecting that dance. In that scenario, it would be far more appropriate to make a 4 minute video, possibly showing a couple of people trying the new dance and having a good time, preceded or followed by the correct way to do the dance, the product prominently featured.
Obviously there are reasons to go with each of these types of advertising, the main one of course being cost. We also would look at the affective audience and the intended type of project for what best suits its nature. I mean, if you have a slick video with a new dance move that just happens to involve a product you're marketing, you're most likely not going to tie that in to a series about perfecting that dance. In that scenario, it would be far more appropriate to make a 4 minute video, possibly showing a couple of people trying the new dance and having a good time, preceded or followed by the correct way to do the dance, the product prominently featured.
According to the New York Times, MTV has partnered up with Hewlett-Packard to put on a seven week show (already filmed) with clips that last from about five to seven minutes title "Engine Room". The series chronicles four teams of four living in a loft in Brooklyn who compete to design artwork on a host of Hewlett-Packard products. The winners receive a dream package of prizes including a night of control for the giant MTV digital board in Times Square.
MTV, the original reality series creator (with Real World followed by Road Rules), may be on to something. So far they have partnered in such branded entertainment ventures with the likes of Hewlett Packard, Ford Motor Company (who I just mentioned in another blog), General Electric, Microsoft and Yahoo. The latter of which was just the subject of a study which showed it to be atop the online news source pyramid (at least for August).
So the point of this episode is merely to underline the growing popularity of internet marketing. Be it through small viral campaigns (which can still cost a considerable amount of money... just ask Cartoon Network), or through wide scale series shorts broadcast over the web through large media partnerships. It is cropping up everywhere, advertising to us at all moments of our digital interaction. And it is always important to keep that in mind when you are devising your next campaign. Originality is very important when trying to take away audience share from major partnerships like MTV and Hewlett-Packard.
MTV, the original reality series creator (with Real World followed by Road Rules), may be on to something. So far they have partnered in such branded entertainment ventures with the likes of Hewlett Packard, Ford Motor Company (who I just mentioned in another blog), General Electric, Microsoft and Yahoo. The latter of which was just the subject of a study which showed it to be atop the online news source pyramid (at least for August).
So the point of this episode is merely to underline the growing popularity of internet marketing. Be it through small viral campaigns (which can still cost a considerable amount of money... just ask Cartoon Network), or through wide scale series shorts broadcast over the web through large media partnerships. It is cropping up everywhere, advertising to us at all moments of our digital interaction. And it is always important to keep that in mind when you are devising your next campaign. Originality is very important when trying to take away audience share from major partnerships like MTV and Hewlett-Packard.
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