These include that ads are often seen as an interruption, instead of something that adds value to the content viewers are already watching. Deception and exaggerated claims was another culprit - people want honesty and being spoken to like a real, thinking, breathing, connected to the real-world beings.
Therefore, as consumers are becoming increasingly ad-avert and brands are looking at new ways to build a meaningful connection with their market, more and more ad agencies and production companies are offering services to make brand films, music videos and even short documentaries.
In line with this shift, copywriter-turned-filmmaker Yolande Botha recently launched The Brave Cartel. She collaborates with different creatives, filmmakers, production companies and corporate story developers to conceptualise, write, direct and produce, as she calls it "pass-on worthy" content.
Botha was part of the Writers' Guild of South Africa contingency, who were sponsored by the dti, to attend the recent NATPE international content market in Miami. Primarily an event where makers of films and TV series go to sell their finished products and distributors go to buy, branded content was on the agenda of several talks.
"The new possibilities of the digital landscape were obviously a huge topic and brands and film makers alike are finding innovative ways to connect with their market, monetise their content and give people more of what they actually want," remarks Botha.
Besides the presence of big names such as Lionsgate, Universal, Netflix and the creators of Breaking Bad, companies present included Liquid Thread that won a Silver Cannes Lion for its groundbreaking campaign, 'From Shelter to Stage', for Pedigree.
"The quality of the idea is what matters most. If I learned anything in my 13 years of advertising, it is that concept is king. Therefore, when it comes to branded content, it really is no different. Often it is the simplest ideas that can be the most provocative. As long as it is something an audience has not seen before or it is illuminating something in life you have never noticed before or shown in a way that you think, 'Wow, that's cool'. Look at the hugely successful Always film 'Like a Girl' and Wren's 'Twenty Strangers Kissing'. Of course, all content needs to be supported with digital media spend to get it out there. You can't just post it on YouTube and hold thumbs," concludes Botha.
