The online branded entertainment boom

Published on July 7, 2009 by PPN Staff · No Comments

A laid back groom meets a budding bridezilla.

That?s the concept of the new series called ?Road to the Altar? from a LA-based digital production house, MWG Entertainment. Not only is the series creating buzz for audiences, it has also signed big name brand partners, including iRobot and Panda Express.

The show, which stars Jaleel White and Leyna Weber, will be available via YouTube, Joost, Sling, as well as other mobile platforms.

The addition of yet another branded webisode confirms that online branded entertainment is a lucrative advertising option.

According to T.L. Stanley of Brandweek, ?The series is part of a burgeoning trend that has marketers partnering with Hollywood producers to embed their products into digital entertainment as a low-cost, low-risk addition to broadcast or cable.?

Last winter, NBC Universal?s digital unit presented several in-development programs to advertisers, opening pieces of creative content to potential brand partners.

The company has had many takers, like Coca-Cola, Kraft, Suave, AT&T, and Tampax.

Some of these integrated shows are attracting audiences in large scales. For example, a Web series sponsored by LG Mobile has been viewed by 6 million people. Another example is ?In the Motherhood,? an online series backed by Sprint Nextel and Unilever. The show compiled 17 million hits before the series moved to television.

According to industry experts, a successful online show should rack up anywhere from 15 million to 20 million views for an eight-to-ten-episode Web series.

Why are producers and advertisers going for online branded entertainment? The answer is obvious.

It is cheaper, but it reaches a wide audience.

Stanley writes, ?Industry veterans say it costs anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000 per episode to produce an original Web video series, with distribution and promotion costs usually double that amount. When it?s finished, there?s an hour or more of entertainment that can appear on multiple platforms, such as in-store networks, e-mail, blogs, mobile devices and interstitials for TV. In comparison, a traditional TV spot can cost as much as $1 million just for production, not including media buys.?

Source: Brandweek