In the US, we enjoy ample leeway in the Branded Entertainment space compared to other countries. More and more, brands are partnering with media entities in unique ways for mutual benefit. While the restrictions and regulations are still a complex navigation, when planned and executed strategically, it can win over viewers. After all, they are the ultimate regulators and acceptors of our content.Regardless of the content format or distribution channel, the rules for success in this ‘viewer is regulator’ age of marketing are unwavering. Whatever we create must, without fail, provide a genuinely valuable experience to gain viewer attention and advocacy. Brand involvement must be authentic and relevant to garner any level of engagement. In addition, the content must be accessible to viewers on their own terms to ensure sustained involvement and sharing within their communities.General Motors has been actively utilising Branded Entertainment, to varying degrees, as a marketing tool for many years. Akin to many brands in the space, they tended to lead with television, and support with digital as an extension – an approach that doesn’t maximise the above tenants. We aimed to defy this norm.

We created traditional hooks – big name talent, enticing subjects, glossy production; those were easy. To truly engage our audience across mediums, our innovation responded to how and why people watch video. We flipped the Branded Entertainment paradigm, letting digital principles drive our TV show’s content and promotion.Our episodes, themed to maintain continuity for TV, contained finite segments that made the content portable for digital consumption. We promoted viewership with “Watch it anywhere, Catch it anytime”, rather than the standard tune-in message. In addition, episodes premiered digitally before TV. Whenever, wherever, however our target was consuming content, we were there.

We created an undeniably unique environment for Chevy, Buick, Cadillac and GMC while engaging viewers with high quality programming. Qualitative and quantitative focus group results showed men agreed the show concept worked and wanted to see more of it – validating that Inside the Vault provided valuable content. (Source: SmithGeiger)Authenticating GM’s brand integration, research indicated that 7 of 8 viewers felt more positively about integrated GM vehicles after viewing an episode. The custom dial tests showed positive brand association and substantial lift in interest and favourability as our in-show integration transitioned into GM commercial messaging – a moment most important for GM. (Source: SmithGeiger)We engaged viewers while giving them access to content on their own terms. On TV, we averaged 202,000 weekly impressions. (Source: Nielsen Media Research, NPower; Live data) With 220 minutes of episode content, we drove over 44m minutes of engagement through our TV distribution alone. And online, viewers watched where and when they wanted – 59% of the content was viewed outside of the week it aired on TV. (Source: Google Analytics)The 10-episode test pilot was an overwhelming success and the content platform is now in development for season 2.