As publishers look to diversify their revenue streams, branded content has become more of a mainstay. Helping brands increase their reach through great content seems to be a win-win for all sides, which means branded content is becoming more ubiquitous by the day.
To give you some inspiration for 2020, we scoured Facebook for examples of great branded content campaigns. We examined factors including engagement rate, relevance to the audience, and whether there was good synergy between the brand and the publisher.
The Bump X Enfamil
The Bump’s team created an interactive infographic that highlights cognitive milestones in baby’s first year with simple activities to encourage brain development. Not only is this a great resource for parents who want to challenge their babies and help them get a leg up in their early development, but it’s also aligned with Enfamil’s NeuroPro baby formula. Since new parents are the core demographic for The Bump, it makes for a great match between the content and the brand. It’s a terrific example of data-driven storytelling coupled with great visuals.
Upworthy X Dole
Upworthy created this touching video that maintains their unique, happy, tone of voice in an authentic and relatable way. The story of parents cheering up their kids on the first day of school by leaving empowering messages on their fruit bowls is meant to inspire viewers to connect with their kids. With this positive message and attitude, the brand has aligned itself with the publisher’s tone and reached its target demographic with a product-specific recommendation.
Domino X Dyson
With Domino’s vast experience in writing design and wellness content, Dyson is right at home with this campaign. The publication’s interview series, “The Wind Down,” is a natural fit for brands looking to align themselves with the popular wellness movement. By interviewing a wide variety of female entrepreneurs about their nightly routine, Domino connects with its core audience by sharing stories from women to whom the audience can relate. Brands like Dyson and others who took part in the series receive casual, authentic-sounding mentions that are accompanied by photos matching Domino’s editorial aesthetic, further reinforcing the publisher-advertiser synergy.
Furthermore X Cole Haan
Aiming for its core audience of young people on the go, Equinox’s content arm Furthermore delivered bite-sized content that is ideal for a quick read on mobile devices. Geared toward those living an active lifestyle, the Cole Haan-sponsored content provides helpful tips on how to get the most out of almost any fitness routine.
National Geographic X Herbal Essence
In this collaboration with National Geographic and Kew Gardens, Herbal Essence focuses on the science behind the brand. By diving into the history behind the beauty products’ ingredients and highlighting their beneficial qualities, National Geographic stays true to its readers’ main areas of interest — the natural world around us.
You may have noticed a recurring theme: The most effective branded content campaigns rely on the publishers’ connection with their readers, and on the synergy between the brand and publisher. Knowing their audiences, publishers can deliver great content in the most suitable format. On top of that, the brand-publisher affinity helps the campaign integrate well with the rest of the content on the site.
With the publishers’ audience and story-telling know-how, brands can reach wider audiences with a relatable and memorable message through the use of branded content.
If you’d like to hear how Keywee can help you cost-effectively scale your branded content campaigns or sell bigger brand deals, get in touch.
