?It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…? so said?Charles Dickens in his book, A Tale of Two Cities, set in the late 1700s, which portrayed the corruption and discontent in two cities, London and Paris.
Can the same be said today about the broadcast media and advertisers?
The role of media is to communicate accurate content without bias?people believe what they read in newspapers or hear on television channels. Advertisers, on the other hand, need to create demand for products and services, build perception and imagery, leading to creation of the positioning of a brand in the minds of the consumer.?
Historically, there has been a strong?almost incestuous relationship?between the media and advertisers. Media is dependent on advertisers for revenues; advertisers need media to communicate about their products and build customer base. Editorial content and advertising have, therefore, co-existed in mutual harmony and benefit.
In earlier years, there was a clear separation of the two?east was east and west was west. However, business pressures and growing clutter has forced the twain to meet through some innovative ideas. To beat advertising fatigue and at the same time be credible, we saw the birth of advertorials in print media (sales messages packaged as editorial, with the word ?advt? clearly cued). Next was the birth of special pages and supplements that had content that was interesting and supposedly useful, but which plugged a particular product or service. This was the beginning of what we now call branded content, based on the principle of ?content can, what advertising cannot?. It seemed to be a win-win partnership?brands got credibility at discounted rates and media, the additional revenues.
Since then branded content has evolved rapidly?now there are direct conversations with consumers, customised in-content placement of brands and messages and plugged-in brand stories which look like editorial content. The concept has taken a life of its own and has now reached a point of debate on ethics and responsibility.
The growing number of television channels has moved the war to the digital medium. Here the scope is so much more; and so is the pressure of generating revenues. TV channels are largely focused on tying up with advertisers to co-create programmes that plug products or services. But they do not seem to have thought of the impact on the viewer. Does the viewer understand that these are promotions, or does he believe that they are viewpoints expressed by the channel and therefore credible?
Brand association with a particular programme can work only if there is an actual synergy between content and product. There are certainly good examples of branded content that have a purpose beyond advertising a product/service, or the plug is so seamless and subtle that it works for both the advertiser and the consumer.
Recently, Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) Colors and Birla Sun Life Insurance together promoted a programme called Zindagi Abhi Baaki Ha? that featured Yuvraj Singh. It was a visual documentary of his excruciating battle against cancer and his fight-back story?an inspiring story that touched many viewers who gave positive feedback.
In Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), Amitabh Bachchan greets every contestant Shubh Aarambh and when he hands over the cheque, the name of the bank is prominently displayed? both Cadbury and Axis Bank are the co-sponsors. These are clever product placements without attempting to fool the viewer.
The diffusion of the thin line that separates content and advertising can sooner than later result in low credibility among viewers. If not checked, we could soon be seeing branded news. While a news anchor reading news from a Dell laptop with a can of Red Bull displayed prominently may be acceptable, movie reviews being influenced by production houses may not be. And the reason is obvious. Sooner rather than later, the viewer may see the movie on the basis of the review, and find out for himself. That will be the moment of truth. The moment that credibility will be established or destroyed.
There is a definite and growing need for higher self-regulation and clear guidelines on disclosure and declaration. Media needs to realise that branded content is like the golden goose and use it sparingly; both media and marketers should use it judiciously and subtly, because once the consumer of media sees through this collaboration, the loss of credibility can leave a lasting impact on the minds of the consumer. And once the credibility of media is questioned or lost, all parties will suffer irreparable damage. There should be a clear differentiation and use of branded content versus paid advertising.
It is indeed tough times for both media and the advertiser. And as the clutter increases and the road to profitability ? or even survival, for some ? is likely to be tough. One needs to build guardrails and guidelines so that the viewer is protected.
The guidelines could include:
*A strong industry backed self-regulation code;
*Simple and effective guidelines for both in-content and in-stream brand integration;
*Cross-media ownership rules including clear rules on distribution ownership;
*A marketer code of ethics that is created and delivered by a body such as the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI);
*Simple and clear disclosure norms that declare paid branded content overtly and unambiguously.?
I believe that the solution lies in not crossing the Laxman rekha between editorial and advertising, and instead strengthening both the content (by the media) and the communications (by the advertisers), respectively, to ensure eyeballs and engagement with the consumer. Let?s take the challenge on ourselves by creating an engagement pull through engaging editorial content and engaging advertising. This will keep intact the credibility that media and advertisers need; a sustained credibility that disguised advertising may not be able to sustain.
Used judiciously, branded content has immense possibilities to build a strong and lasting relationship with the viewers. Used unwisely, both the media and the advertiser will lose credibility.
Abhishek Bachchan in Sarkar could not have said it better: ?Tumko nazdeek ka phayda tho nazar aa raha hai, par door ka nuksaan nahin…? (You can see the short-terms gains, but you are blind to the long-term losses).
The writer is chief marketing officer of the financial services arm of Aditya Birla Group