Why brands like Pepsi, Shopify, ViewSonic and others are creating TV shows
The way we make TV is changing. Traditionally, broadcast models would finance programmes by selling advertising space around the content or including product placement within shows.
These ideas are as old as television itself; the term ‘soap opera’ derives from the fact that companies like Procter & Gamble funded the original soap operas.
Yet, the way audiences consume TV has changed. The rise of subscription platforms and social media has resulted in a saturation of content, meaning advertisers are jostling over a shrinking patch of ad space. However, this presents a unique opportunity for brands to build closer collaboration with broadcasters by focusing on brand-funded programming.
Brands that create content which audiences actively want to watch in this prestige space have a chance to reap the greatest rewards. They can add to the show, not be ads in the show.
Pepsi – Match Me If You Can
Pepsi and MTV teamed up to create Match Me If You Can, a digital dating series inspired by the new Pepsi Mango soft drink which pairs up eight alums from various reality show franchises.
Pepsi partnered with ViacomCBS to create reality dating show ‘Match Me If You Can’ to launch its new flavour, Pepsi Mango.
Pepsi is one of a number of marketers looking to create content for television networks and streaming platforms to capture people’s attention amid an increasingly ad-free entertainment landscape.
Rather than interrupt entertainment people choose to view, brands are providing the content they want to watch not only entertaining people, but also swaying them to choose their brand.
“Consumer eyeballs have now spread out across streaming platforms that increasingly are trying to differentiate themselves from each other,” said Dan Sanborn, president of Wheelhouse Labs and chief marketing officer for media, marketing and investment group, Wheelhouse. “If a brand wants to reach home-and-design fans, they now not only have to consider linear TV, but also Discovery+ and this shift continues to fuel the need for brands to reinvent their comms strategy.”
“With more streaming services also comes more creators and the opportunity for brands to work and create content that can help them accomplish their business goals is more prevalent and vital than ever,” Sanborn added.
Another example is the sitcom ‘The Finchers’ created for electronics company ViewSonic. The creators marketed the content series as if it was a sitcom and it worked and drove a ton of interest because it was entertainment.
ViewSonics – The Finchers
Meet your new favourite family that is totally in a real sitcom and not in an ad for ViewSonic’s high-quality display solutions.
Shopify’s Own the Room
Shopify produced this documentary film “Own the Room” to expand the definition of what it means to be an entrepreneur, and show the diversity of experiences that can be part of that journey. By sharing stories like this which align directly with its brand, Shopify is inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs and users of their platform.
Wrap up
As brands look to create entertainment as well as advertising, agency execs and industry observers caution that prioritizing storytelling and content people would want to watch over a pat marketing message is key. That being said, a television series, documentary or movie can still help marketers with brand building.
“The way I see it, advertising tells you what to buy,” says Theodor Arhio, global director of creative and content at TBWA\CHIAT\DAY Los Angeles. . “The content is telling people what you [a brand] stands for. It’s a tool to build brands.”
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