Bought, earned, owned media
Bobi Carley, commercial director at Disneymedia+ UK & Ireland, says the E in BEO, certainly within the context of partnerships, delivers the amplification of activity…
The industry has evolved recently – previous perceived challenges in measuring the ‘earned’ in ‘bought, earned and owned’ are now becoming a distant memory and clients should not be hesitant in utilising this valuable element in their campaign activity. There are now ways to gather data to make educated decisions on implementing BEO media solutions and understanding the opportunities that are available to them.
Brands partner with entertainment properties to deepen emotional connections with the consumer and to create further touch points – this allows them to stand out and to do something different if they find an opportunity that presents them with the right brand ‘fit’.
However, it is in the emotional connection where the questions had previously emerged as some wondered what sort of value can be placed on such an intangible ingredient and without traditional measurement safety nets, some were wary of trying to find a right brand to partner.
As with everything in marketing these days, the answer comes from making sure the planning is right and that you understand from the outset what it is you are doing, why you’re doing it and what you’re trying to achieve.
If all of these boxes are ticked it is certainly possible to collect quantifiable data to prove not only that traditional earned media can be measured but also that it can supply outstanding results that are much greater than the sum of their parts.
For example, Disney teamed up with SEAT Alhambra on the family film, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’ in an immersive multi-platform brand partnership, which allowed both brands to tell their story in a rich and innovative way through a range of activities. Engagement through experiential – in-dealership activity and premiere partnership – further increased the consumer experience with the brand in an entertaining way.
From the success of this campaign, we have found that the two main earned media drivers for our brand partnerships are social media and experiential which, one can argue, are very easily quantifiable.
Our recent tie-up between the theatrical release of ‘The Muppets’ and Cravendale milk is, in my opinion, another great example of this in action. By driving increased interaction, for example, social media is helping a brand create a dialogue with key audiences and deepen engagement. By leveraging The Muppets IP across their own channels, Cravendale has (since the commencement of our brand partnership tie-up) seen a shift of +77% in their Facebook following alone.
Of course, in light of Facebook’s recent announcement regarding ad programmes and paid-for branded content, this may see a further shift and it will be interesting to see what affect that has on earned media.
The E in BEO, certainly within the context of partnerships, delivers the amplification of activity. In this challenging climate, in particular, integrated partnerships are the best way of maximising the impact of earned media. As more clients boldly embrace partnerships to make a connected consumer experience, it is imperative that we, as the champions and custodians of these brand partnerships, find ways to ensure that proper results and case studies are available.