What is Branded Content?

Why do you love the brands you love? Let’s dive into one very important dimension…

If you've been following me for long enough, you know that I love the hunting brand Sitka. How is it that I don’t hunt, yet I look forward to their content and I have a strong affinity towards their brand? This is the same reason that I have a deep appreciation for Rapha Cycling even though I’m not a cyclist.
The major key (outside of great product) is that these brands create high quality & compelling Branded Content.
Branded content is defined as: Entertainment Media that a brand creates that is not product content specifically. It's designed to give a vibe and experience to evoke what the brand is about.

Using Sitka as our example: you see mostly Sitka Gear online or on social, which focuses on the brand’s core product. But, they recently created a side project: Sitka Studio, which highlights their creative experience & product collaborations. They are some of the best in the game. Follow them for some great stuff.

Yeti is another company that famously does branded content really well.

One of my other favorite examples right now is MANORS golf. “We built MANORS on the idea that golf isn’t a sport to be mastered but a game to be explored.” They do a great job of pulling this idea across all of their beautiful photography and videography in unique settings. This offers the audience an immersive creative experience. The product is simply a character in a beautiful world of golf exploration. Manors Golf is doing content the best in my favorite sport…and it’s not even close.

What are the challenges of Branded Content? Well, there’s often not a direct sales return in the immediate. Shareholders or micro managers want to see a direct return on dollars spent. This is understandable but counter factual to building a brand. No one is moved to purchase by looking at product on a laydown. Humans are moved by stories, adventure, challenge and overcoming, and branded content is how we deliver those stories.

Education:
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Blessings:

Many of you reading this are men. Us men are susceptible to Get Rich Quick marketing, Day Trading & Crypto Claims constantly.
As sports gambling takes over the entire sports world with an onslaught of marketing, you will be convinced of a thousand ways to get rich quickly.
But, wisdom over thousands of years would tell you that getting rich slowly is a much better way to grow.
If you want freedom or opportunities, you will need finances. Invest your time, energy & money wisely and you will watch your options in life grow.
Proverbs 13 : 7
“One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.”
13: 11
“Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.”
Here are some starter steps…