Be a Leader: Branded Content & Native Advertising

Mitch Dent Growth Catalyst

Mitch Dent Growth Catalyst Mitch Dent has recently left Rogers Media, after a career where he enjoyed executive positions across Rogers’ varied media portfolio. At Rogers his positions included Vice President Client and Content Solutions for Rogers Media and Executive Vice President and Sales for Rogers Media Television. Prior to that, Mitch was the Senior Vice President Sales, Consumer Publications, for Rogers Publishing where he was responsible for the sales organization and the advertising sales efforts for many of the country’s leading magazines including Chatelaine and Maclean’s. He was responsible for the establishment of Rogers Custom Publishing and Client Solutions businesses. Mitch was President of Today’s Parent Group and the founder of Glow magazine and the instigator of a variety of other high profile print and related online executions within the CRM and partnership space, and dramatically built the native, branded, and custom content businesses across City and OMNI TV, and across Rogers Media websites.

Take The Lead.. Content Solutions Mitch Dent June 2016

WE DIDN’T SEE THIS COMING…...

• Where did the discussion start 20 years ago…. • Where did the discussion start 5 years ago....

VS.

........2016: Does anyone care??

ONLY THE BASICS ARE IMPORTANT

• CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT: IS THERE VALUE? • ADVERTISER/PARTNER ENGAGEMENT: IS THERE VALUE? • TRANSPARENCY: IS YOUR BAND PROTECTING

THE FUNDAMENTAL RELATIONSHIP WITH CONSUMERS.....

BUSINESS SCHOOL VS. JOURNALISM SCHOOL

The old assumptions are rarely relevant…. BRANDED AND PARTNERED CONTENT CAN BE ENJOYED AS MUCH OR MORE THAN “EDITORIAL” CONSUMERS MAKE NO DIFFERENTIATION DO I LIKE IT…...IS THERE VALUE?

LONG HISTORY IN CANADA….

• Advertorials • Ad supplements • Sponsored Content • Magalogues • Interstitials • Magazines

For More than 20 years…..

MY BIASES…..

WHATS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CLIENT SOLUTIONS AND CONTENT SOLUTIONS?

• CLIENT SOLUTIONS INCREASINGLY INVOLVE CONTENT • MORE THAN 50% OF INTEGRATED DEALS INCLUDE

CONTENT RELATIONSHIPS ….... ONLINE/TV/DIGITAL/CO –PROMOTION

• BUT THEY WANT TO USE MY BRAND!

WHAT DO ALL THE TERMS

MEAN….

• Branded Content • Sponsored Content • Native Content • Partnered Content

From Wikipedia, Branded content is a form of advertising that uses the generating of content as a way to promote the particular brand which funds the content's production.

Native Advertising and Sponsored Content are…. Essentially the same thing

What Do Consumer Care about….

• Entertainment, Information, and Engagement • They don’t want to be “tricked”….

GOOD PARTNERED CONTENT CAN BE GOOD FOR ALL AS LONG AS EVERYONE GETS VALUE!

PARTNERSHIP CAN ADD TO READER VALUE

They value branded information when it makes sense….

Consumers expect a BMW short film about driving to feature BMW cars…but expect it to be good….. Consumers expect an article on applying Mascara

from Glow or Live Better to include products sold at those stores…but expect it to be as good as Elle They are skeptical about an “advertorial or informercial” that deals with particular product benefits, especially when it is designed to appear to unbiased content

JOBS JUST GOT HARDER….

• Editor as the “delivery vehicle” for consumer engagement

• Publisher as the “brand builder”… HOW TO APPROACH THE CHALLENGE.... • Content partnerships are part of the reader

experience • They are now an economic necessity....

CAN THIS BE A WIN-WIN?

• More pages….better consumer value.....

• More Video....better engagement.....

BUT ADVERTISERS DON’T CARE ABOUT READERS???

• Consumers are smart….. • Advertisers need consumers..... • Senior people often get the value of

engagement.... • Junior people sometimes..... • Often junior people start the conversation,

and senior people make the decisions...

THE PITFALLS

• Advertiser gets no value • Consumer gets no value • Arduous process with no extra resources • Decision makers aren’t at the table • Prima donnas • Brand erosion • Short term gain, long term pain

YOUR FIRST STEPS…..

AT THE START OF THE CONVERSATION Can I create reader value? Does the partner get the importance of transparency and context? Is there be a clear sign off on the content planning and approval process WRITE IT DOWN AND GET A SIGN OFF

HOW TO MAKE IT WORK

• Simple and clear rules of engagement internally: - A Content lead who “gets it”, - An Internal Project lead who “gets it” - Communication accountability - Internal agreement on where “lines are drawn”, before the project launches…. • Clear objectives for the content ”What does success look like”? • Clear critical path requirements

PRICING

• If you think that benchmarking vs. rate card “real estate” won’t happen…you are dreaming....

• Value elements + real estate + creative costs + brand partnership value + content insights value

MY BRAND IS WORTH A PREMIUM

• Is it? • Is the brand value based on principle, or based

on client value? • Is this groundbreaking?

CAN YOUR PARTNER ADD VALUE

• What does the end of the “walled garden” mean for content brands…..

• Partner digital distribution is a win-win….

PRICING EXAMPLES

IF YOU ARE PARTNERS…

• Add value to your readers…. • Be clear on the process • Use your partner to build your brand...

BE PROUD OF THE EXECUTIONS!

QUESTIONS???? Please!!!