Inaugural MATTER Brand Engagement Study Finds Perceived Value in Branded Entertainment, but Audiences Want Organic Integration

- Nearly one-third of respondents expect brands to not only entertain them but also provide free online video content

- Young adults 18 - 34 are more likely than those 35+ to seek out brands they are exposed to through branded entertainment

-Nearly half of Americans agree a brand must fit with the entertainment and content for branded entertainment to be effective

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Edelman Public Relations Worldwide

Jun 28, 2012, 06:00 ET

NEW YORK, June 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MATTER, Edelman's dedicated sports, entertainment and experiential marketing company, yesterday released findings from its inaugural "Brand Engagement in the Era of Social Entertainment" study, an adjunct to Edelman's sixth annual "Value & Engagement in the Era of Social Entertainment and Second Screens"[1] survey. The study findings highlight that perceived consumer value in branded entertainment exists for more than one-third of U.S. respondents (34 percent overall; 52 percent of adults 18-34).

Perceptions & Expectations of Brands

Insights into consumer perceptions in connection with a brand's role in providing entertainment to its audience were telling. One-third of respondents overall and 42 percent of young adult respondents (18-34) indicated they want brands to entertain them and, furthermore, to provide free online video content (31 percent overall versus 39 percent of young adults). What's more, 20 percent of respondents overall and 31 percent of young adult respondents, agree branded entertainment provides entertainment content to which they would not otherwise have access.

Approximately one half of respondents who do not have an expectation of being entertained by brands remain largely neutral -- feeling neither favorable nor unfavorable (53 percent) toward branded entertainment. Thus, there is substantial growth potential to shift neutral views to positive through providing high-quality, entertaining branded content that is an organic fit with the brand.

Branded Entertainment Receptiveness

Young adults (18 – 34) are more likely than those aged 35+ to seek out brands they are exposed to through branded entertainment. One-third of adult respondents 18-34 indicate they not only trust brands that provide free content more than those who do not but also want to hear more from them (36%). This presents an opportunity for brands to forge deeper, more meaningful relationships with audiences via compelling branded entertainment content.

Nearly half of respondents agree a brand must fit with the entertainment and content for branded entertainment to be effective. Nearly 45 percent reported having been exposed to branded entertainment that felt forced.

"There's an abundance of branded content in the marketplace – some is compelling, some not," said Andy Marks, general manager, MATTER. "Creating and curating content, or integrating into existing entertainment must be approached strategically in order to ensure integration is organic and unobtrusive. When dealing with audiences who want and expect to be entertained, working with creative and strategic partners who understand how to strike the right balance within the creative process between delivering entertainment value and highlighting brand attributes is critical. If done correctly, branded entertainment can be a powerful vehicle to make deeper connections between brands and their audiences."

About the Brand Engagement in the Era of Social Entertainment Survey

This year marks the first of Edelman and MATTER's Brand Engagement in the Era of Social Entertainment Survey exploring consumer perceptions as to the value and power of branded entertainment as a medium through which to engage and mobilize audiences.

The Brand Engagement in the Era of Social Entertainment Survey is an online survey among 1,000 18+ year-old consumers in the U.S. conducted between May 24 and May 27, 2012. The research was commissioned by MATTER, and conducted by StrategyOne, an independent market research firm.

About Edelman

Edelman is the world's largest public relations firm, with 63 offices and more than 4,400 employees worldwide, as well as affiliates in more than 30 cities. Edelman was named Advertising Age's top-ranked PR firm of the decade in 2009 and one of its "A-List Agencies" in both 2010 and 2011; Adweek's "2011 PR Agency of the Year;" PRWeek's "2011 Large PR Agency of the Year;" and The Holmes Report's "2011 Global Agency of the Year" and its 2011 "North American Large Agency of the Year." Edelman was named one of the "Best Places to Work" by Advertising Age in 2010 and 2012 and among Glassdoor's top five "2011 Best Places to Work." Edelman owns specialty firms Blue (advertising), MATTER (sports, entertainment and experiential marketing), A&R Edelman (technology), Houseboat (ideation), DJE Science (medical education and biotech), and agencies Edelman Significa (Brazil), and Pegasus (China). Visit http://www.edelman.com for more information.

[1] Formerly referred to as the Edelman Value, Engagement and Trust in the Era of Social Entertainment Survey or the Trust in Entertainment survey

SOURCE Edelman Public Relations Worldwide