The New York Times campaign on Netflix

Many people have stopped buying printed newspapers.

This forced publishers to find new formats for newspapers and innovative ways to distribute them. Hanging them on a newsstand to attract passers-by with a headline obviously no longer works.

The New York Times found a clever way to spread its brand by publishing a Netflix-sponsored article. They were very successful thanks to timing, that is, putting the material in the right place at the right time.

The content is about why the men’s prison model doesn’t work for women. It was sponsored by the Netflix original series “Orange is the new black” which talks about life in a women’s prison.

With this, The New York Times managed to reach the right audience: people who are interested in reading its content because they see a series on the topic.

The quality of the content, with the use of images and videos, also helped generate curiosity.

That article alone could not have gained the newspaper more subscribers to its online material.

But the way it was written and distributed repositioned The New York Times brand as a media outlet that is aligned with political, social, entertainment and technological developments.

Intel campaign with Jim Parsons

Intel is arguably responsible for the switzerland telegram data technology that goes inside your computer. It is the largest processor producer in the world. And the development of its Branded Content campaign was very clever.

We’ve said in this article that Branded Content is different from a simple ad. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use an ad to create Branded Content.

That’s exactly what Intel did, creating content with the special participation of actor Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon, a character from the series “The Big Bang Theory”, who is a lover of technology and is knowledgeable about it.

So they used the actor to establish a connection with a very popular series and, in this way, they found a very funny way to talk about their products.

Why does this action fall into the category of Branded and not traditional advertising?

First, because the content is not designed to sell Intel products. After all, the company’s customers are technology companies, not the end consumer who buys the computer.

What this campaign does is explain the importance of the processor in a simpler way. In other words, Intel sought to communicate the essence of the brand to the user – something that could be difficult since most people don’t know anything about processors.

Secondly, because it is a multi-channel campaign. It is not limited to TV ads. They used platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, as well as Intel’s website – totalling 35 channels.

What is the difference between Branded Content and Content Marketing?

If you’ve been with us this far, you might indeed the census must remain be a little confused. Why are we talking about Branded Content? Is it the same thing or a subcategory of Content Marketing ?

This confusion is normal, as there is often no clear distinction between these two marketing strategies. Some agencies work with both, some media outlets divulge the concepts superficially, all of which helps to deepen the doubts.

The answer is no –  Branded Content is not the same as, nor is it a subcategory of, Content Marketing . And, although the two share the same core tool, each has a different way of using it.

For Branded Content, the focus of all these actions is on the positioning and promotion of the brand. While in Content Marketing, working on the brand can be one of the focuses, but not the only one. It is also possible to create Content Marketing strategies to:

• increase engagement;
• gain market insights using feedback for content;
• develop and test new business ideas and initiatives;
• strengthen a company’s authority over a specific aspect;
• educate consumers about a product;
• overcoming market objections to an offering;
• customer loyalty;
• generate new leads;
• create opportunities for upselling and cross-selling;
• recruit talent;
• attract strategic alliances.

Another point where Branded Content differs from Content Marketing is in sales. Content Marketing seeks to exert a direct influence on increasing sales levels.

The proof of this is that one of their main tools is called the sales funnel , which represents the path that the consumer must follow step by step, from the moment they discover the company until they make the purchase.

Meanwhile, the influence of Branded Content exists but is indirect. It develops from the public’s feelings about the brand and is nurtured in a subtle way.

Let’s say a consumer sees a great Branded Content action demonstrating how Company X prioritizes sustainability.

Can this lead the consumer to develop more respect and empathy towards Company X? Yes! But it will not necessarily directly influence the purchasing decision.

And the differences are not over yet!

Branded Content works with a campaign model very similar to traditional advertising. Content is created to make sense within a specific, time-based context.

Content Marketing, on the other hand, goes in the opposite direction: it only works when it is done continuously, regularly and consistently. And everything it produces is aimed not only at immediate results, but also at long-term results.

In fact, within content marketing, we often see that the best results are obtained with older posts.

Finally, as you can see in the cases we presented to you, Branded Content seeks more references in the world of entertainment: cinema, television, technology.

For this reason, its execution is more comprehensive and in most cases, the company finances the content of its brand, but delegates the work to a marketing or advertising agency.

Meanwhile, Content Marketing is primarily concerned with information. That is why it is more feasible to form a team and develop the work internally. But it is clear that there is also the alternative of outsourcing to third parties to ensure better results.

Many companies take on the planning and execution of their own content marketing strategy at the beginning and only outsource it to third parties later, when the number of activities becomes larger.

Even with these differences, it is important to realize that Branded Content and Content Marketing are not rivals. We cannot say that one is better than the other.

In fact, both strategies are complementary. Therefore, your company can use both. In this way, you will achieve maximum brand awareness and, simultaneously, better sales results.

Do you want to learn more about content and how it can help your strategy? Download our ebook Copywriting: The Guide to Texts that Convert .