This document discusses the evolving definitions and conceptualizations of branded content. It notes there is no agreement on how branded content is defined and there are competing frameworks for understanding it. The document also examines perspectives on whether terms like "branded content" are still relevant given how integrated content and marketing now are. It provides examples of frameworks for analyzing branded content and discusses open questions and needs for further research on the topic from an academic perspective.

1. Is Branded
Content
still a
thing?
@juzzie

2. WTF IS BRANDED
CONTENT? >
IT’S COMPLICATED!
Competing array of terms as
practitioners try explain how
what value they add in the
changing media landscape and
how we now consume it
Branded Content
Branded Entertainment
Brand Journalism
Brand Publishing
Content Brands
Content Marketing
Content Experience
Native Advertising
.....
Justin Kirby: WTF is branded Content? It’s complicated (2014)

3. copyranter@
Everyone’s definition of
branded content is wrong!
WTF IS BRANDED
CONTENT? ...
No agreement about how term is
defined or even conceptualised,
and competing array of
frameworks, models…
Copyranter: Everybody's definition of 'branded content' is wrong

4. IS BRANDED
CONTENT STILL A
THING >
Content is just what
marketing is and does now!
DAVID LUBARS
Chief Creative Officer
BBDO WORLDWIDE
Are terms Branded Content and Content
Marketing now redundant?
”
“
Justin Kirby: The Jury's In: the challenges of evaluating your branded content (2015)

5. A WORKING
DEFINITION? >
For me, something that is worth the
consumer’s time is the best definition
of branded content. So if you think
more radically and try and stretch that
definition, then even a 30 second spot
is branded content if it’s worth the
consumers’ time. And I’m fine with that,
as I like to play through those lines.
PJ PEREIRA
Co-founder and Creative Head
PEREIRA & O’DELL
”
“
PJ Periera Interview (2014)
Debate about if and how advertising is
different from branded content is over!

6. IPG Lab + Google Release Deconstructing Branded Content: The Global Guide To What Works

7. A REALLY USEFUL FRAMEWORK
Lazar Dzamic: King Kong rules: redefining what content is and how it shapes the future of advertising (2016)

8. HHH CONTENT FREQUENCY
frequency of content activity over time and how they are used in combination
to reach audiences through the different ways they consume content

9. BUILDING
ON HHH >
[HELP]
CONTENT
EXPERIENCE?
Customer Experience,
the rise of the ‘Exponomy’
and where the consumer
experience is the content
BRAND
PUBLISHING
[HUB]
aka Contact Marketing
where the evolution
of contract publishing
meets direct
marketing, social and
SEO
BRANDED
CONTENT &
ENTERAINMENT
[HERO]
Where Advertising and
Entertainment collide
TECH
Looking at how
content is re-
shaping marketing
from 3 different
directions
Justin Kirby: Mapping the Brand-Funded Content Space (2016)

10. supported by:
PUBLISHING >
2015 BEST OF BRANDED CONTENT MARKETING (BOBCM) EDITIONS

11. EVENTS >
BEST OF BRANDED CONTENT MARKETING

12. PRACTICE RESEARCH >
BOBCM is large-scale stakeholder
engagement programme based around the
co-creation of content with literally 100s of
academics and practitioners around the
globe. This forms part of my practice
research that is looking at the following:
1. What does good look like:
I. Creatively
II. Effectiveness
2. Where is the industry at
3. Where is the industry heading

13. BOBCM can be summarised by the
French epitaph above that
translates as the more things
change the more they remain the
same, i.e. what is it that is
changing, and what is it that is
fundamentally remaining the same.
PLUS CA
CHANGE,
PLUS C’EST
LA MEME
CHOSE >
1957

14. STRATEGIC CONSIDERATION >
The following lens helps provide a way for thing through the strategic
considerations of branded content, and analyse case studies and expert opinion
without getting bogged down in protracted debates about definitions and
conceptualisation:
• What kind of branded content is created (or
co-created) by ‘Who’ and for ‘Whom’?
• How is engagement managed?
• How is content distributed? (i.e. ‘Where’ in
the converged landscape of earned, owned
and paid media, and ‘When’ in the Customer
Decision Journey
• How is the success of the different parts and
their sum measured?
Justin Kirby: 2014 Future of Branded Content Report: Strategic Considerations

15. MORE AGILE CURRICULUM DESIGN
RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND
DELIVERY? >
What interests me academically is
how can design-type thinking and
more agile research methodologies be
used as part of curriculum design,
development and delivery to ensure
that teaching is kept relevant and
grounded in practice when industry is
going through such rapid change?
UX Central: Infographic – Design Thinking, Lean UX and Agile working together

16. NEW BOOK, MORE EXCHANGE AND
GAP ANALYSIS >
Hoping to continue facilitating knowledge exchange between academics and
practitioners with new book collaboration, and more and more panels.
In the meantime, here is short gap analysis of relevant academic research
based on feedback from participants on the Journal of Branded Content
Marketing (JOBCM) collaboration I help co-facilitate earlier this year:
1. Go beyond expert opinion: it is no longer enough. Big Data and wider
stakeholder analysis including customers, media owners, policy makers and
beyond now needs to be included.
2. Get medieval about transparency: reversibility of research data, i.e. unpack
practitioner bias aka MRDA!

17. 3. Addressing real problems that matter: as former Ad Age editor Scott Donaton
points out story-telling changes everything about how brands go to market, i.e.
their processes, the skillsets of the people they hire, the timeframes they work
on, the way they allocate and think about budgets, their definition of creativity,
etc.
4. Examine more cases: there’s plenty of award show submissions to examine what
problems are being solved and how, and also how impact is being measured,
including the new D&AD Impact Awards that focuses on purpose beyond profit.
5. Avoids slogans (and formulas) masquerading as a truth: and focus more on
storytelling including how the emotional impact of narrative arcs can be
measured.
6. Merge Big with Thick Data: start looking at engagement in more depth and
cultural factors. i.e. how stories are the means by which brands can connect to
consumers via culture.
NEW BOOK, MORE EXCHANGE AND
GAP ANALYSIS…

18. 7. Is there a need to develop a new lexicon: danger of over intellectualising
industry buzz words that don’t necessarily warrant being conceptualised/
defined in the first place. What about building on existing body of knowledge,
e.g. UGC, Digital Storytelling, Convergent Culture, etc?
8. Follow the money: new business models are emerging as the media landscape
both converges and fragments with new specialist areas developing and old
ones getting revisited/evolved. This provides fertile ground for academic
exploration, not least because of the ongoing Adblocalypse.
9. Ethics: go beyond policy, governance and the philosophy of the Frankfurt
School. We need to be asking whether the ad industry is making a positive
contribution to society now that we’ve reached ‘Peak Content’ or just more
cognitive pollution?
10. And more: please get in touch if you’d like to add to this list...
Journal of Branded Content Marketing
NEW BOOK, MORE EXCHANGE AND
GAP ANALYSIS…

19. THANK YOU >
JUSTIN KIRBY
Co-founder & Curator
BOBCM
@juzzie
CONTENT JOKE:
YOU ARE ONLY EVER 2 METRES
AWAY FROM A RAT IN LONDON
YOU ARE ONLY EVER 20
METRES AWAY FROM A
CONTENT CREATOR
justin@bobcm.net