There are no specific restrictions in North America on branded entertainment or the placement of branded content. There are broadcasting restrictions related to the marketing of certain types of brands/products (eg. tobacco, alcohol) to children.

We leveraged Siemens partnerships with major digital media properties like CNBC, FastCompany, and Time. Stories were paired with editorial content by topic (eg. energy, healthcare, transportation). Rich media banners allowed people to watch and then share the documentaries. 15-second pre-rolls on the Huffington Post led to the full video experience. And a thought-leadership piece for the Economist featured our long-form videos.

The PR effort produced a 169% increase in awareness of Siemens among policy-makers.

Yet the most compelling evidence is anecdotal. On a tour of the Siemens rail facility, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said of Siemens, 'This can be a model for the rest of the country of a company that’s putting Americans to work'. The US Export-Import Bank Chairman Fred Hochberg declared in the press, “As far as I’m concerned, Siemens is an American company”.

And President Obama put the Siemens turbine plant in Charlotte, North Carolina at the heart of his State of the Union address, using it as an example of what should be happening across America. And 100 Senators, 435 Congressmen and 38m Americans heard the President of the United States telling our story on live TV.