Shared Branded Stories
Also know as co-branded stories.
Stories about purposeful brands
who join forces to create
branded content together.
Why create branded content together?
The creation of high quality branded video content can be an expensive and time consuming activity. Nevertheless there are a lot of purposeful brands out there with a message, screaming to be heard.
We offer a premium solution by uniting different non-competitive brands in a shared branded story. We are convinced that every story can be told by different narrators and from different perspectives, without compromising the real story. Moreover we believe that a shared story is a powerful story.
What kind of brands?
Theoretically all non-competitive brands can create shared branded content together. But of course, it gets much more natural if the brands involved have something in common. Shared brand values are an important starting point.
Example: sustainable brands
Sustainable brands often have a lot of values in common that make them good partners to tell a story together. Their philosophy and the way how they see the world and society is very similar.
Their point of departure is ecological and they want to produce their product as sustainable as possible in order to create a real added value to the planet, with a very small footprint.
True stories.
True stories are about real people who actually care about the brands that are telling their story. We believe that true stories are more impactful and will last longer in time. In other words, these stories are more sustainable.
“True stories are the proof that our dreams can come true.”
In modern society, with a lot of fake news and superficial influencers, we need these kind of stories, (maybe) more than ever.
Advantages of shared content.
We believe that co-branded content has a lot of advantages. So let’s explore the potential benefits:
Smaller production costs. The production of video content takes time, transport, materials, people, etc. Production costs can be divided by the participating brands and will be substantially lower than those of a private production.
Resource sharing. Brands can pool not only production costs but also expertise, talents (such as directors or videographers), and technology, enhancing the overall quality of the content produced.
Increased creativity: Collaborating with different brands can lead to more diverse creative ideas and perspectives, resulting in unique and innovative content that might not occur in solo projects.
Smaller footprint. We believe that the footprint of producing a ‘Shared Branded Story’, shared by different brands, will always be significantly smaller than the ecological footprint of producing a single story for every brand alone.
Bigger reach. Brands can profit from each others network, what will result in a bigger reach on social media. Moreover shared content provides opportunities for cross-promotion, introducing each brand to the other's audience, which can increase visibility and attract new customers.
Powerful message. A shared story = a powerful story. A story that transcends the interests of a single brand is more credible and therefor more powerful because it’s told by different narrators.
Broader impact: Shared branded content can amplify a cause or message, particularly when brands align on social issues, leading to a stronger impact and making a difference in the community.
Enhanced SEO performance: Collaborative content can improve search engine optimization (SEO) efforts as it may attract external backlinks from partner brands, leading to increased organic traffic.
Network building: Engaging in shared content initiatives can lead to stronger relationships between brands, fostering networking opportunities for future collaborations and projects.
Consumer trust: By creating authentic and relatable content through collaborations, brands can build stronger connections with consumers, increasing trust and fostering brand loyalty.
Let’s make it concrete.
In order to make it workable and to guarantee smooth communication throughout the production process, a shared branded story will be told by a maximum of four different brands. However we believe that two brands will be the most common case.
To make things as less complicated as possible, every brand will have to cover an equal share in the production cost. That’s the starting point.
Often, these co-branded stories will start from a person, or a group of people, or an event. Someone or something that connects all the brands involved. Imagine different sponsors of an athlete creating content together.
Deliverables.
The first deliverable of these productions will be a long format video, with product placement of all brands involved. Secondly we will make several short format videos for every single brand. During the shoot we’ll make sure that we have enough footage of every brand ‘as such’ in order to create these videos. Typically these will be short videos of 10-30 seconds for social media.
On top of the video content, every brand will get a nice selection of photos, taken during the shoot that can be used online/in print/etc.
Why do so few brands make shared content?
… you may ask yourself.
Many brands view each other as competitors (because their target audience could be the same) and may be hesitant to collaborate, fearing it could harm their unique identity or market positioning.
Lack of understanding: Some brands might not fully understand the benefits of shared branded content or how to effectively execute such collaborations.
Creative control: Brands often want to maintain complete control over their messaging and brand image. Collaborating with others can result in a loss of control and deviation from their established narrative.
Logistical challenges: Coordinating with multiple brands can complicate production schedules, creative direction, and approval processes, which can deter brands from pursuing such collaborations.
Focus on individual branding: Many marketing strategies prioritize individual branding efforts over collaborative approaches, leading brands to concentrate on their unique content.
Short term focus: Brands often focus on short term and one shot campaigns. These campaigns often prioritize immediate results over deeper storytelling. Engaging narratives tend to require more time and investment.
Your marketing mix
Shared branded content can be a powerful component of your marketing strategy. Established brands can consider incorporating it into their annual plans. If you’re producing only one commercial video each year, a focused piece about your brand may be more effective. However, if you require content throughout the year, incorporating shared branded content can provide significant benefits.
The importance of the production company.
A video production company like Fenomeno plays a crucial role as a facilitator of collaboration, helping to align goals, messaging, and creative vision among brands.
We will manage logistics and timelines, ensuring smooth production processes while providing creative direction to enhance the final narrative. Our expertise guarantees high production quality, which is vital for credibility, and we can advise on strategies to maximize audience engagement.
Sounds interesting?
Let’s talk :)
