by Olivier Godest, published on 13.01.2010

Transmedia is an innovative format which transports us toward many new horizons to be explored: new formats, new ways of telling stories, new ways of consuming media, new relationships between the actors of the audiovisual sector… The financing of these multi-screen projects is also an important subject for the future, which will find its solution or part of it in Brand or Branded Content.

What’s the difference between Brand and Branded Content? To repeat Daniel Bô’s definitions (http://www.brandcontent.fr/) in his book “Brand Content”:

-          Brand Content is “a new editorial content created or largely influenced by a brand. The brand is the editor, finances and creates the content with its own funds”

-          Branded Content is “an editorial content sponsored or supported by a brand. The contend can exist without the brand.”

For a long time, the association of an Audiovisual project with a brand raised questions or worries, especially regarding the loss of freedom of authors in their creative process. But finally, wouldn’t it be relevant for creators of transmedia content, for brands, for communication agencies and for all the actors of the sector to work together? Each can benefit from it: audience circulation and the multiplicity of marketing levers for the advertiser, new sources of media and non-media operations for agencies, creative financing for authors and producers, increasingly inexpensive programs for broadcasters, the wonder of the transmedia experience for audiences.

Conn Fishburn – Former Senior Partner at Ogilvy and recent Head of Partner Innovation at Yahoo says:

“Transmedia programs are inherently about the creation of culture. About understanding the living story, how it is picked up and adopted by people who add to it, shape it, and make it their own based on a core brand DNA,” “Agencies typically make static objects that have no history or future and represent ideas that are somewhat plastic. Great ideas must weave themselves into the broader cultural zeitgeist.”

At Transmedia lab we think that this solution has a future and that it must be investigated; recent examples show that Brand(ed) Content Transmedia is starting to develop.

The expansion of agencies mixing communication and production, such as Blue Advertainment, the agency created by Luc Besson and Christophe Lambert, is an illustration of that trend.

Other “advertainment” agencies such as Adven Studio (http://www.advenstudio.com/),  have been successful by creating a multi support program (TV+Web).  U Dance (http://www.udance-ledefi.com/),  is a reality TV program in the universe of dance with Cherifa Luna and sponsored by Always. It aired at the end of 2009 on NRJ 12 and on the Internet.

A digital presence on Dailymotion (http://www.dailymotion.com/fr), and on MSN (fr.msn.com/), a dedicated site: www.udance-ledfi.com and a presence on Messenger were the promotional tools for the program on the Web.

On NRJ 12 (www.nrj12.fr), six 26-minute episodes were broadcast three times a week as well as 30 previews. Each TV episode refers to the Website twice. The Web format plans 30 three-minute episodes.

“There were two shows on a same shoot”, explains Jacques Kluger, the program’s producer. The days of the program’s broadcast on NRJ 12, the site doubled or tripled its audience, proving the circulation of the audience between media.

The relationships between advertisers, advertising sales agencies, broadcasters and communication agencies are evolving. In our example NRJ 12 bought this brand program at about 50% of the sales price of a normal program, and the brand bought additional advertising and billboards.

In the end, the program got 1 500 000 video views.

Jesse Albert, Senior New Media Agent in the Global Branded Entertainment division at ICM, seems to agree: “Audiences are more willing to engage in a number of different ways now. Loyalty is given to entertaining content and not to distribution, and audiences will look to find that content wherever they can or please. With transmedia, brands and IP can take advantage of the consumer’s willingness to explore distribution channels by extending content offerings across the spectrum.”

“Other agencies, such as Vanksen (www.vanksen.com), Buzzman (www.buzzman.fr) or La Chose (www.lachose.fr) in France are starting to develop these new global communication experiences. Today, they’re as efficient in the domain of advertainment as American agencies such as RGA (www.rga.com) or Crispin Porter + Bogusky (http://cpbgroup.com/#cpb).

These new communication agencies are evolving and they’re now capable of mixing a variety of competencies (non-media, marketing, digital, buzz, social media etc) with a real Transmedia approach.

They are able to adapt to new ways of media consumption that will touch the consumer on all levels, online and offline, will be able to offer their clients solution with a global approach in terms of tools, therefore offering their clients the best strategic recommendation.” (source: http://www.culture-buzz.fr/blog/Les-tendances-2010-du-marketing-2-par-Vanksen-3377.html)

The evolution of the legislation on the placement of brands planned this month will also allow the development of relationships with advertisers to integrate them in TV movies. The green light has been given to do product placement in TV shows except on the news, in documentaries, in children’s programs and on the condition of respecting the editorial independence of the work.

Fictions and TV series will therefore be showing brands as early as 2010.

For a Transmedia program, this is even more interesting, since it’s conceived on several screens (TV, Web, Mobile,…) The integration of brands therefore has to be planned for each media. And the freedom that we have today on the Internet and mobiles has to make us reflect upon new intelligent and coherent ways to integrate it to programs.

What an amazing marketing lever for the advertisers who are looking to create stronger emotional links with consumers! By working with the creators of Transmedia content, today’s brands have the possibility of obtaining a multi-screen and therefore multi-audience visibility. This association with a sub-culture creates a strong link with the consumer, a commitment, a unique emotional relationship, beyond the simple product purchase.

From the point of view of marketing/communication managers and communication agencies, transmedia is a new marketing approach which allows them to invest once and obtain a triple return: since the audience of the story can be found on at least three media, TV, Web and Mobile!

Olivier Godest, responsable communication et formation. Transmedia Lab.