And what is Branded Content?

My good friend Javier Suso will probably say that Branded Content is just another way in which advertising people tries to sell smoke to clients.  I guess that we all have been guilty of selling smoke in our careers. In my case I have already confessed and repented !

Branded Content is not “the same stuff with a different name” and I really believe that it is going to the next big thing in which brands will engage consumers (audiences as we like to call them).

But I think is important that the professionals that work on Branded Content agree on what it is and what is not, and how we can differentiate our offering from other advertising and communication agencies.

Recently I followed closely (although I could not be there in person) the first Branded Content conference in Vitoria, Spain: Branducers2011.  I heard that most of the attendants were production companies and TV networks. A few brands were represented and only a couple of media agencies or advertising/creative shops. After the conference I had the chance to debate virtually with several people about the conference and realized that we are very far away of being all in the same page.

Just the composition of the attendants tells a lot. So far Branded Content is seen as a tool. Another marketing discipline led by production companies that needed to evolve and that helped TV shows to integrate brands in their content to increase revenue or to fund such content. Some of them have professionals with advertising background but most, at least in Spain, believe that Branded Content is just the evolution of brand integration in audiovisual content.

I know this view is not just in Spain. I have seen networks in the US trying to sell me as Branded Content what it was just a well-done product placement or a program sponsorship

I believe that Branded Content and Transmedia Storytelling (I will get into this in another post) are complete new approaches to advertising. 

(TV Series and Digital Platform "Norte a Sur" created by Levi's in Latin-america)

Branded Content it should follow these 4 parameters:

     1.     Must be owned by the brand

     2.     Must be founded on the brand strategy

     3.     Must tell a unique story based on the brand narrative

     4.     Must engage the audience

Let me explain…

1. Brands become producers and create content as part of their Owned Media. Actually, if done right, owned branded content should be able to generate direct and indirect revenue for the brands, as well as create Earned Media. In simple terms, the Brand ‘s CMO should be your Jerry Bruckheimer.
2. Any Branded Content work starts with the brand strategy. It must communicate the brand values and reflect the brand persona. In you don’t have a planner or brand strategist when doing Branded Content you are starting always on the wrong foot.
3. All brands have a brand narrative with different stories built over time or that have not seen the light yet. Our job should be to Find and Tell those stories through Branded Content. If you do it right the product will be unique. You can tell something is not branded content if the idea you are being presented can be in your competitor’s desk 30 min later. And we see a lot of that.
4. Branded Content’s role is to activate, not just entertain, an audience. Creating participation, inspiring co-creation, provoking word of mouth and influencing a community should not be just your communication goals but key communication strategies embedded in the story.

So, is an event branded content? Is a mobile app branded content? Is a music group branded content?

Yes, if it follows those parameters.

We tend to simplify Branded Content into audiovisual formats (TV or online) and that, in my opinion, is a narrow view of the possibilities that this approach can provide a brand to connect with an audience.  But it is understandable since so far production companies have guided the discussion.

If you open you mind, embrace true Branded Content and focus to tell stories instead of creating campaigns, you will understand that we are looking at the birth of a new world in advertising.

Is Pepsi in panic mode?

Two years ago I had the chance to work for one of the most iconic brands in the market: Pepsi. At that time, they recently launched the Dear Mr. President campaign by R/GA and TBWA was about to present to the world the Pepsi Refresh Project.

It was a great moment to work for Pepsi, which again was looking to become the brand for a new generation. A new generation that in the US is as diverse as ever and therefore we were tasked to bring that new generation to the spotlight during the 2010 Census. Pepsi Yo Sumo offered a platform to all Latinos to show themselves to the rest of the country and to become a real catalyst for chance, not just a number. Pepsi gave a stage to a new generation of Latinos.

Pepsi had a clear and consistent strategy, amazing platforms to engage audiences, the campaigns were praised by consumers and the advertising industry.... so why in the world now they have launched the Santa commercial & the Polar Bears commercial?

It seems that Pepsi cannot get that monkey of his back to compare itself to Coke. Specially when in March of this year sales results showed that Pepsi's lost the number 2 position to Diet Coke 

I understand that platforms like Pepsi Refresh are designed to engage audiences in a long-term relation and help to build the brand equity. And I understand these efforts need to be complemented with campaigns that drive sales and help the bottom line.

But going from Dear Mr. President, Pepsi Refresh or Pepsi Yo Sumo to the latest Summer Times commercials can just draw one conclusion: Pepsi is on panic mode. And when you are in panic mode you usually make mistakes.

We'll see how these ads work and what is Coke's response (probably continue on their path to happiness and don't get in the Cola-Wars) but I hope that Pepsi can find a way to increase sales without creating such cheesy ads. Especially the Polar Bear one I think is one of the worst commercials I have seen from the brand.

I know these are tough times but let's not panic.

Advertising & Cooking

Last week my 8 years old daughter was helping me in the kitchen and she said "the more it takes the better it tastes". The smile of my face was not because she enjoys cooking like her dad or because I am still surprised by her perfect American accent. It was because what the sentence means.


If you cook you know what she said is true, even if on the Food Network the cooking shows seem more like a F1 race. But if you think about it, you know that what she said is true for everything in life, including our business.

We live in times of urgency where "speed to market" or "30 second elevator speeches" rule the business world. The brands (and the clients) we work for want to do in two years what they didn't do in 40. Why? Have you heard this before?: "the average CMO lasts 18 months in the job".


We don't take time to think things over. We don't take time to slowly "cook" an idea. To add spices, try it, give it to other cooks to try it so they can suggest different spices or maybe introduce a new "ingredient" to make the idea more robust. We don't take time to see how our customer enjoy our dishes. To talk with them, get their opinion, listen to suggestions, "more of this, less of this, how about this?"


I love to cook and I love advertising. Probably because in both cases I can experiment, use different ingredients, connect dots and see how people react to them. But I know that the more time and passion I put in each activity a better dish will come out. And the goal should always be to make the best "dish".


Quoting Jamie Oliver: "I really, really do generally, first and foremost, make creative decisions based on what feels right, and anything monetary follows if it’s good, I believe."


I believe too. Bon appetit.

"T" shaped and more.

I recently read another article about how important is to find "T" shaped talent for advertising agencies.
For those of you not familiar with the term, executives and recruiters now a day refer as a "T" shaped professional as someone that has "deep" expertise in a particular communication discipline: mass advertising, digital, CRM, events, branding, etc., while having "some" experience in the other disciplines.

In today's advertising agencies there is still a lot of close minded people and there is not enough and good communication between different areas. Why? Very simple and basic human trues. To communicate effectively with someone you must share a common language. That is the first step towards successful interactions among disciplines and to allow creativity to flourish. But if you think that having "T" shaped professionals (and there are not that many) solves the problem, you are wrong. To create a great agency requires people with a lot more traits than having a by-the-book resume.

Holding companies executives look at creative shops and ask: How do they do it? And some comes along and says: We need to be more integration! Get "T" Shaped professionals ! 

If you think that you are missing the big picture. I can bet you $100 USD (yes, I know, I am cheap) that the creative agencies that we all have in mind have an over index of professionals with these traits:

• Smart (vs. Intelligent): It is not all about a high IQ and a great University Diploma.  It is about being able to learn. To have intuition. It is not about being but becoming. Guys, this is not science and we don't work for NASA, sometime just common sense and drugs !
• Passionate (vs. Reliable): I have met people in this industry that could perfectly work in a bank from 9 to 5, that do their job and go home (you know who they are, right?) I believe that if you don't love this job. If you don't know what is happening our there. If you don't judge every single ad that you see. If you don't have an opinion about everything (even on who is your favorite on American Idol). I don't want you in my agency. I might want you as my accountant but not to inspire, instigate and innovate.
• Good (vs. Nice): There is so many nice people and so very few good people. I have worked with nice people that were real SOBs and even with psychological pathologies (I like mad people, not crazy!) Just find good people that are willing to share, to help, to support each other. People that might have their ego (as we all should do) but that understand that to create greatness everyone (really, everyone) has to get out the best of themselves.
• Nonconformist (vs. Entrepreneurial): A nonconformist will be never satisfied and would like to make things better, always. A entrepreneur wants to make money (which is good too) but making money does not mean that you do the best job. You see a lot of entrepreneur in the holding companies and you see a lot of nonconformists in the great creative advertising agencies that we all look up to.

Next time you look to hire someone hope you follow this advice and follow your instinct. Don't look at a CV like you are looking at a DNA sample.

Yes, look for people that can communicate with each other (and you can call them "T" shaped if you like it) but more importantly look for people that are Smart, Passionate, Good and that won't settle for the first thing or the average idea. Riskier? Maybe. But if you are not willing to take risks why are you in advertising?

Heineken's Dating Game

Heineken USA is looking for a new agency to lead the communication for Heineken and Heineken Premium Light. According to the Adweek article , quoting a Heineken rep., the reason for changing agencies are international relations with Publicis and Weiden + Kennedy (the two agencies selected to pitch for the business) to best manage the brand globally and ensure consistency.

And Heineken has already introduced global work in the US market such as this W+K Amsterdam campaign "Open your world".

Ok, that is a good reason. I buy it. But let's hope, for the good health of a brand that I am fan of and loyal consumer, that this "marriage" lasts a little longer.

Heineken USA worked with Publicis from 2003 to 2007. With Berlin Cameron in 2007 for 9 months. With Weiden + Kennedy in 2008-09 and with EURO RSCG from July 2009 until today. And now back to Publicis or Weiden + Kennedy.

Liz Taylor and Larry King are really amateurs in failed marriages comparing to the Green Bottle! 

So clearly, Heineken's problems or issues in the USA have nothing to do with communication since they have not allowed enough time to those agencies to create a unique voice. It reminds me of those teams that change coaches every two years because they don't win titles. Yes, I know that CMOs last in the job 18th months or something like that and that we live by quarterly death-lines (not deadlines). We live in an era of "bring me the next shinny thing" and believe me there are so many out there that you won't see the difference between "shinny" and "crappy" until it hits you in the face.

So more it is more important than ever that someone is the brand guardian. Is that the agencies role. Well, maybe. But ideally not. And I think that sometimes clients look in the wrong direction. 

Who is the brand guardian at Apple? Steve Jobs. 

Heineken is a great brand and I really wish them a happy next marriage! 

The Learn-As-You-Go University

"Why will I invest on training people that will leave in a few months?"

Have you ever heard that sentence from an advertising executive? I have. And even if you have not directly, everyone that works in advertising knows that "training" is almost a banned term.

But articles like this one on Adweek should really open every one's eyes: "Why the average barista gets more training than most agency staffers"

I have always been very sensitive to this issue. I had the chance to work in great agencies and with great people. And yes, I learned a lot, but a proper training would have made things a lot easier. Would have helped me to better understand the business. To have more tools to confront different situations. To be a better manager. And to make the agencies more money, basically by not loosing money doing things wrong.

Making mistakes is a great to learn and agencies should have a culture where it is ok to make mistakes if it is related to being more innovative or risky. That is the nature of our business. But not avoidable mistakes through proper staff training. 

We are guilty to create a culture of "Learn-As-You-Go" and it is up to us to change it. 

And the excuse of low job retention in the industry is BS. How long does a Starbucks barista last in the job?

It is a matter of doing the job right. And motivating people. For one year a led a training program at Dieste and it was great to see the young professionals not just learn new tools and skills, but to see how motivated they were by just being part of the program and acknowledge that Sr. Management took the time to teach them all that they knew about this business.

Since we like to talk a lot about ROI. An hour spent on training will give your agency a huge ROI. I promise!

Does America Love to Drive?

This week Ad Age published that BMW will launch an agency review in the US. The first thing that came to mind was what great advertising done by BMW in Spain with S.C.P.F. 

Why Spain? Well, I am from Spain, so I am closer to this story, but how BMW turned 180 degrees its communication and how that helped the company be more relevant in Spanish society (and sell more) it's a case study that everyone working in advertising should look at it.

Because BMW had great products. Great performance. Great engineering. Great technology. But had no soul. An the ¿Te gusta conducir? (Do you like to drive?) campaign I believe it showed the brand's soul for the first time. It showed that all the performance, engineering and technology had only one purpose: to make the driving experience a heavenly experience!

First ad of the ¿Te gusta conducir? campaign by S.C.P.F. 

And does America love to drive? That is the question that comes to mind after years of working with car brands and seeing how emotional is car advertising in Europe or Latin America and how rational is in the US.

Doesn't America love the feeling of slow ride in a mountain road? Doesn't America love the power of a Hemi engine shacking the car before the light goes green? Doesn't America love to take a road trip with your friends with no destination?

I know America loves to drive. So why 90% of the car ads you see today are basically the client's brief in images? 

Good luck to the agencies going after the BMW business. Hope they can bring the brand soul out!