Business
If you want to learn about how brands can use content to augment their marketing, connect with customers and expand their reach Kaaren Whitney-Vernon is one of the best in the world to learn from.Kaaren is keynote speaker with a passion for understanding where content and audiences are moving. As SVP of Shaftesbury XR she leads the Emmy award winning immersive and branded entertainment division. Kaaren and her team create branded content stories and games in digital, virtual, augmented and mixed reality. She's also CEO/Founder of Shift2 – an agency that works with companies who want to reach millennials and drive profit by becoming executive producers of scripted, branded series Kaaren has worked with companies like P&G, L’Oreal, Coca-Cola, Walmart, RBC and Nokia. In an engagement with with Kotex, they produced the global hit digital series Carmilla that's gained over 100+ million views on YouTube which has spun into an entire entertainment brand unto itself.Kaaren is also judge for Experiential & Innovative Media of the Canadian Marketing Association and a member of the Forbes Agency Council. Timestamps: 0:37 – Intro to Kaaren Whitney-Vernon3:42 – What is branded content? 5:36 – What’s new with branded content?8:20 – Is branded content a replacement to traditional ad models? 10:58 – The RedBull content marketing commitment12:53 – How leaders can succeed with a branded content program15:30 - The importance of brand ID system in content marketing 17:30 – Where do you find funding for a branded content program19:57 – How to think about KPIs for branded content 22:59 – How storytelling can help brands connect with purpose27:05 – Don’t bet on viral, the importance of paid distribution for branded content30:20 – The incredible partnership opportunity for branded content 32:12 – The opportunity for on-demand content consumption33:55 – Aha moments: Audience First34:53 - Aha moments: Telling stories across media 37:32 - Aha moments: Immersive audience experiences42:52 - Aha moments: VR for strong emotional connections49:26 – Two steps for building a branded content program50:59 – The exciting opportunities in branded content LinksKaaren on LinkedInShaftesburyCarmillaThe D CutV Morgan is DeadMsLabelledUpstairs AmyBrand StorytellingHow Kotex became an Executive ProducerBranded content with KaarenBranded content is the futureQBs practicing with VR