Close-Up: Live issue - Should brands invest in online drama?

But what viewers didn't realise, at least at first, was that Bree was
Jessica Rose, a 19-year-old actress who came from New Zealand.
Lonelygirl15 was the creation of an American production company, and her
tales had been infused with subtle brand messages from the likes of
Hershey's.

Increasingly, brands in the UK are seeking to exploit this medium of
online branded content. The latest is Katemodern, commissioned by the
social networking site Bebo and produced by the creators of
Lonelygirl15. The series, about a troubled young East London art
student, launched last month, will feature product tie-ins from Orange,
Procter & Gamble and Microsoft.

Ford has also made steps into the genre, producing an online comedy
called Where are the Joneses?. The episodes follow a woman who discovers
her father was a sperm donor and who tries to find her siblings.

So why are brands getting involved? John Banks, the executive chairman
of Imagination, the agency behind Where are the Joneses?, explains: "We
take the brand essence of Ford, understand its brand values, then take
that brief to the writers, so that the stories are in tune with the
client."

Despite enlisting the help of Babycow, the television production company
founded by the comedian Steve Coogan, the series is way off matching the
audience Lonelygirl15 achieved last year, with the first episode
clocking up just 4,846 views on YouTube.

Damian Ferrar, the director of digital communications at Imagination,
argues the real test for the success of online branded content is how
often consumers engage with the medium by contributing to the story, or
by posting blogs.

While viewer demand for online drama remains patchy, these online soaps
are far cheaper than securing a 30-second ad spot in, for instance,
Coronation Street. Furthermore, they allow clients to use product
placement and sponsorship to ensure their brand messages are seen.

But, as Rob Forshaw, a founding partner of Grand Union, argues, to
achieve online success, brands have to create top-quality content. "If
you look at other types of product placement such as that in the James
Bond films, people are not distracted by it, but accepting of it,
because of the content quality," he says. Perhaps this is why production
companies, with their experience in making episodic drama, and not
agencies, are creating the majority of online drama today.

There is growing competition too, from broadcasters who are opening
their content to online viewers. But Ferrar believes the inherent
involvement in online soaps such as Katemodern gives the medium an edge
over other online programming content such as 4oD and the BBCi player,
which simply allow viewers to watch archive material.

Another challenge is how overt to be with the brand messaging.

Ford has put one of its cars in every episode of Where are the Joneses?,
and the series also has a "Sponsored by Ford" logo at the end. Arguably,
by doing this, Ford forgoes credibility in the medium, and loses the
trust of the consumer.

But, as Nick Stewart, the head of digital strategy at Beattie McGuinness
Bungay, says: "All the marketers said when Lonelygirl15 viewers found
out the wool had been pulled over their eyes they'd pull away, but it
didn't happen. If it's good entertainment, you'll get an audience."

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DIGITAL CHIEF - Rob Forshaw, founding partner, Grand Union

"It's dependent on the quality of the content, because obviously the
whole premise of a soap, whether it's a mini or long one, is that it is
entertaining. It will only serve the advertisers well as long as the
content is compelling. If it isn't, it will only be an inferior
version.

"When no-one knows who the advertiser is, a level of trust is developed,
but when the hoax is revealed, the problem is the extent to which that
trust is lost, and if it is then sustainable as a method of
advertising.

"You really need a strong central content idea; if you don't have that,
then it just becomes a shortlived experiment."

DIGITAL STRATEGIST - Nick Stewart, head of digital strategy, Beattie
McGuinness Bungay

"Soaps such as Lonelygirl15 and Katemodern are telling stories in a way
that isn't linear, so there is a myriad of opportunities for consumers
to get involved and shape the narrative.

"From an advertiser's perspective, you've got an audience, which is more
engaged because it is able to take part.

"You've really got to weave the brand into the story and make it part of
the narrative.

"But creating entertainment content is best left to the experts.
Agencies are good at working out what's compelling for 60 seconds, but
they haven't worked out what's going to be compelling in an online TV
show."

ONLINE CONTENT PRODUCER - John Banks, executive chairman,
Imagination

"Nobody knows yet, and ours (Where are the Joneses?) is a test to learn
about how it works. The indications are very interesting. It's allowing
us to develop relationships with consumers outside the normal
channels.

"My instinct is that it is more effective if you are less overt with a
brand message. If the story fits the brand personality, that's when it
gets more powerful. People take on those messages without necessarily
associating them with the brand.

"The 30-second ad is not going to die. But sometimes the best way of
communicating isn't necessarily the 30-second TV commercial."

CLIENT - Mark Simpson, director of marketing communications, Ford

"Increasingly, consumers are expecting to participate as creators in
their chosen media space. We have observed with interest the growth in
web 2.0 services, and as a brand, we were looking for ways to engage in
consumer-generated content.

"The web offers a rich environment for innovative ways in which brands
can engage with consumers on their (consumers') terms. So, for Ford, the
medium is a natural fit with our brand communications strategy.

"And it definitely helps to have a production company overseeing the
creative."