Brand Arc’s Rob Donnell Weighs In on the Many Brands of ‘Man of Steel’ on Bloomberg TV

Photo Credit: https://www.facebook.com/manofsteel/photos_stream

Are you one of the millions of Superman fans who packed into theaters to see “Man of Steel” over the weekend? The product-packed blockbuster soared at the box office, bringing in over $125.1 million in ticket sales. That record breaking revenue, in addition to the $160 million dollars the film already earned from promotional tie-ins before a single ticket was sold, means “Man of Steel” had the biggest June opening weekend ever.

Our Founder and President Rob Donnell did an interview with Bloomberg Television to discuss the hundreds of brands featured in the movie and whether the price they paid to be a part of the film was money well spent. You can watch his segment here: http://bloom.bg/16nmvBq#ooid=40dG5lYzqtBIpNG-VF4kfxggt1V7QEH3.

Brand Arc Takes Home an Award of Distinction from the Communicator Awards

We’re proud to announce that the integrated campaign we did for Toyota on Bravo’s “Top Chef” has won a 2013 “Award of Distinction” from The 19th Annual Communicator Awards!

The Communicator Awards is the premiere international awards program recognizing big ideas in marketing and communications. With over 6,000 entries per year from companies and agencies, a Communicator Award is one of the largest awards of its kind in the world.

We’re also excited to announce that we are a finalist in the One Show Entertainment Awards, which are being announced at a ceremony in Los Angeles this evening… fingers crossed! ** UPDATE: We took home a Bronze Pencil! **

Massive 2013: Our Take-Aways From The Variety Advertising Summit

Last week, a couple of our team members spent the day at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood for Variety’s one-day advertising summit, Massive.

The day’s events centered around the fast-changing business between advertisers, studio and TV content partners, digital media brands and next generation technologies. Speakers included executives from Twitter, Google, Paramount Pictures, DirecTV, and Marvel.  One of the interesting keynote conversations of the day was with the Chief Marketing Officer of Ustream, Dave Thompson, whose company is turning mobile viewing of live streaming video into a growing trend and as a result, has created a new asset for marketers looking to make more immediate and direct connections with targeted audiences.

Additionally, Melissa Lavigne-Delville, the VP of Strategic Insights and Culture Editor at NBC Universal, gave an insightful presentation on how millennials are different than other demographics and how that impacts the way advertisers target them.  She suggests looking at millennials as a family unit, but a modern family that consists of more stay-at-home-dads and stay-at-home-moms who are choosing to stay at home.

Another interesting take-away came out of a roundtable discussion on the state of entertainment and advertising, noting that social viewing of television through the use of social media is directly impacting performance.  Specifically, it was argued that a 4.5% increase in Twitter conversation during a specific television show can result in a ratings boost of a full point.  This means that one thing is for sure, social media is positively impacting the television experience and creating communities of viewership that are being driven by more dynamic co-viewing and sharing among peers.

Finally, Bob Sabouni, EVP of Worldwide Marketing Partnerships at Marvel Studios, had some insightful comments on how to secure new partners.  He believes that it’s not just about co-branded television spots but more about developing true partnerships by creating equitable and enjoyable co-branded marketing with a solid call to action. Marvel Studios has had a lot of success doing this with partners like Acura, Dr. Pepper and Audi.

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PJ Pereira Speaks at Branded Content Marketing Association West Coast Spring Fling Mixer

Last night, we gathered with industry leaders for the Branded Content Marketing Association (BCMA) North America Chapter’s West Coast Spring Mixer. The event, which was hosted by Evolution Bureau’s hip San Francisco office, was generously sponsored by Visus Video.

In case you’re wondering what the BCMA is—it was founded in the United Kingdom in 2003, and has since expanded to the United States, Canada and Mexico. Our agency is proud to be a member of the BCMA North America Chapter, the first trade association in North America dedicated exclusively to promoting the growth and evolution of the branded content industry.

At last night’s event, PJ Pereira of Pereira & O’Dell spoke about his belief in the impact of branded content and took guests through a few of his agency’s notable campaigns.

From left to right: PJ Pereira of Pereira & O’Dell, Rob Donnell of Brand Arc and Nic De Castro of Visus Video.

Brand Arc’s founder and BCMA-NA Advisory Board member Rob Donnell was on hand to introduce our esteemed speaker and encourage the evening’s attendees—a community of marketers, content creators, producers, distributors, technologists and investors—to join the BCMA’s North America Chapter, which seeks to promote innovation within its membership body.

For more information about the Branded Content Marketing Association and its North America Chapter, visit: www.bcmana.com.

Join Us at the Branded Content Marketing Association West Coast Spring Fling Mixer

For more information about the Branded Content Marketing Association and its North America Chapter, visit: www.bcmana.com. To RSVP for this event, email Laura@brandarc.biz.

2013 Social Media Predictions From Industry Experts

The Evolution of the Toyota Prius on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm

Image via http://www.complex.com

Earlier today, we came across an excellent guide by Complex.com that features all of the cars that appeared on Curb Your Enthusiasm during its 8 seasons on HBO. While many interesting vehicles made cameos on the show (Ahem, Hugh Hefner’s 1959 Mercedes SL roadster!), one vehicle remained a favorite for Larry ever since its debut in Episode 1, Season 2: the Toyota Prius!

Image via http://www.complex.com

If you’re a Curb fan, you’ll want to check out the slideshow HERE. Then, let us know how many Toyota vehicles you count in the slideshow in the comment section below!

Image via http://www.complex.com

Image via http://www.complex.com

Watch ABC 7 News TONIGHT to See Brand Arc’s Rob Donnell Talk Super Bowl Advertising Trends

Earlier today, our president and founder Rob Donnell sat down with ABC7 to talk about our favorite part of the Super Bowl: the commercials!

Even though Super Bowl XLVII is still four days away, advertisers have been busy the last couple of weeks posting sneak-peeks, teasers, and even full versions of their Super Bowl commercials online. All of this is in effort to generate extra buzz and drive value for the pricey spots. According to ad buyers, CBS has essentially sold out its ad inventory for the game, averaging between $3.7 million and $3.8 million per 30-second spot. That’s approximately $125,000 a second!

And while ads for ads seems to have become a go-to tactic for brands in the last few years, not everyone is taking part in the trend of dumping their ads online before the game. Holdouts include Best Buy, RIM, Taco Bell, Chrysler and Procter & Gamble’s Tide. Second screen engagement is another big trend, with more and more people using their mobile devices throughout the game and relying on their mobile devices to re-watch ads and search for information about the featured products.

Relevancy Remains Integral to Successful Branded Content in 2013

As we forge ahead into the New Year, one thing remains integral to the success of branded entertainment: Relevancy.

For branded content creators, this means engaging audiences with a brand’s product via content that viewers are actively seeking out. And while that may sound simple, creating relevant content that will resonate with your audience isn’t an easy task. In a great article by Fast Company, brands are reminded that people are constantly finding new ways to tune out their messages, thus making it all the more necessary to engage with audiences in a relevant way that actually encourages them to engage back. Click HERE to read the entire article now.

“YouTube Rewind Style,” is a great example of relevant branded content. The video parodies the two biggest YouTube music videos of 2012, PSY’s “Gangnam Style” and Carly Rae Jepson’s “Call Me Maybe,” and creatively highlights some of the year’s biggest trends. You can watch the video below:

While disguised as cute music video featuring various YouTube sensations, “YouTube Rewind Style” is really promoting all of their exclusive channels within content that they know people will actively seek out.  According to a recent article by iMedia Connection, “The effort is designed to make YouTube an entertainment destination with the goal of bringing more brand dollars to the site.” Knowing your audience and giving them the content and stories they want, it seems, should be your number one goal.

Beyond YouTube, iMedia Connection lists Turkish Airlines, Rovio, Samsung, Nike, and Red Bull, as the leaders of the branded video pack at the close of 2012.

As we move closer to the Super Bowl, have you noticed any good examples of relevant branded content? Let us know in the comment section below

More on Our 2012 Cristal Festival Sapphire Award Win!

Happy 2013, everyone! We finally found a nice spot in the office for the Sapphire Award we took home for Best Brand or Product Integration into an Existing TV Show at the 2012 Cristal Festival’s very first Brand Entertainment and Contents Summit.

For more information on our award-winning work on behalf of Toyota on “Top Chef: Texas” “Last Chance Kitchen”, click HERE.