The Next Big Idea

I recently attended The Next Big Idea - East: The Future of Branded Entertainment conference that was held in New York City.

This is one of the most comprehensive branded entertainment conferences in the industry. The conference was a day long event that consisted of networking opportunities, panel discussions and presentations on how to make and measure deals; the convergence of sports and entertainment; product placement and video games; creating integrated marketing campaigns, and much more. Keynote speakers included representatives from CBS Sports, Billboard, Massive, Armani Exchange, TBS, TNT, Sony Corporation of America and Brandweek to name a few.

It was very interesting to learn how 2005 has taken marketing in a new direction. Many companies and individuals make “buzz” the key factor in building an entertainment brand. Product placement, branded sponsorships, celebrity association / endorsement are the future of branded entertainment. Brands are now heavily dependent upon word of mouth promotion.

We’ve also seen the rise of virtual persona such as the gecko in all of the Gieco ads.

TV is still the core of advertising & marketing plans. However, the distribution of information is changing with the introduction of pod casts, PDAs & cell phones - distribution over multiple mediums with consistent messaging over each medium. We’ve also seen that interpersonal networks are becoming extremely important. If you think about it, kids in particular are not aware of much outside of their network.

And finally, media is changing. We now see advertisements in the most bizarre places – turn keys at the subway, on the nozzle at the gas pump and even in bathroom stalls. Overall in the world of branded entertainment, marketers look at the brand to provide entertainment.

The Next Big Idea - West: The Future of Branded Entertainment will be held on January 17, 2006 in Los Angeles. When you register, be sure to register as an AMA member to take advantage of the $200 discount. To find out more about the conference, visit this link.