Branded TV entertainment keeps audiences glued

Brand-driven quality programming that captures the target audience has become the solution. Identifying your markets' passion, entertainment-wise, is key to winning their loyalty for good. Unlike the barter kind of arrangement with TV stations where commercials are placed in between programming, a brand-driven programme makes it difficult to avoid the presence of the brand. Apart from that, it builds a sort of emotional bond between the audience and brand such that the brand is seen as providing the ultimate in entertainment which is what the audience cares about first and foremost before a need to know what the brand's offerings are and how it could be of benefit to them.

Sears shops, for example, for years pioneered a TV reality programme where audiences who had issues with their homes had the privilege of having it turned around by Sears to the amazement and entertainment of a home audience. This interestingly translated into an increase in loyalty for the brand which overtime translated into brand equity.

Recently in Nigeria the local film industry, Nollywood, has been enjoying a large followership and this has resulted in a need to creatively advertise without boring the audience. Brands' selling points are better sold where it is positioned in such a way that the target feels like it is being 'wowed'.

Entertainment will always be the key to penetrating the congested mind of the target audience which is why we need to keep working on how we can capture their attention without boring them to the point of avoidance.