The recent announcement by McDonald’s that it is developing its own in-store TV channel to air in their franchises, signals a shift in the way that businesses are promoting their goods and services. While commercials remain extremely expensive, branded video content is a fast-growing field. One of the top providers in this sector is, Ooyala (ESPN, Interactive One). As Ooyala’s current director of sales, Clive Henry helps businesses reach their target goals via entertaining programming. Henry’s business background includes several years in leadership positions at AT&T, TELUS Communications and as founder and executive producer for TME TV. Rolling out spoke with Henry about the evolution in brand marketing.
The McDonald’s TV project appears to be the next trend for brands to be able to control their image and have direct access to the consumer within their physical stores.
Yes, the McDonald’s TV one is a really good example. McDonald’s TV is about being able to walk into a McDonald’s store and watch programming developed by McDonald’s instead of watching “American Idol” and seeing their commercial next to Burger King or Pepsi. McDonald’s TV will own your engagement for the time you’re in the store and it’s not competing with anybody else’s message.
When creating content, how important is it to focus on the brand vs. external entertainment topics?
It has to be entertaining or people will get turned off with the messaging. It becomes a commercial. So when creating entertainment, it has to be entertaining first. There must be sense of humor or plot line, or it has to be visually interesting. If you do those right, then the brand comes after all three of those things.
Do you think major brands creating content will hurt smaller businesses, since they don’t have the same budget to compete?
These big brands have the money, communications and marketing departments, but technology levels the paying field. If you do it and have a social presence and loud enough voice you can compete with Tide. You can create content and put it out there without their budget, by using the web. On the web you don’t have to entertain 2 million or 20 million people. You only have to be entertaining to that group of people interested in your brand to get your money’s worth.
