With media inflation running high, concerns about clutter denting ad effectiveness, and brands seeking to engage with consumers rather than talk at them, branded content is growing in both appeal and sophistication. Now a category of its own at Cannes Lions, branded content has moved on immeasurably from the often-clumsy TV product placements of a decade or so ago. Advertisers, agencies and the creators of content are seeing that, especially in the digital world of hyper-distracted consumers, the challenges to success are many —but so are the potential rewards for work that pushes all the right buttons.
“There’s a real appetite for this kind of work,” says Malcolm Hanlon, chief operating officer at ZenithOptimedia Asia-Pacific, which launched its first branded content-focused Newcast offices in Asia about three years ago. “We’ve gone from zero people in Asia to probably 25 focused on branded content — that’s a big explosion in staff and four major offices.”
Read the full story at SPECIAL REPORT: Branded content grows in appeal and sophistication – In Depth – Magazine Highlights – Campaign Asia-Pacific.
