Marketers are increasingly concerned about reaching the consumers who avoid them. 41% say ad avoidance or ad blindness is a major area of concern, up from 29% in 2022, according to a November 2024 Mediaocean survey.

• 71% of audiences can recall the brand featured in branded content without prompting, per Capital One research.

Compelling messaging and storytelling is the top creative priority for brands and agencies (64%), per a July 2024 Digiday and Celtra study. While marketers facing budget cuts must prove ROI, consumers are hypersensitive to brand interruptions, which means they can’t afford to replace high-quality narratives with sheer product placements.

“I'm finding that in the storytelling space we're in, [marketers] are less inclined to want their brand all over the place,” said Jen Westphal, founder and CEO of Wavelength, which has produced content for clients including Lululemon and Hoka. “[Entertainment] a fun space for brands to be a little more creative in how their products impact people’s lives in a good way.”

Reaching a broader audience

While personalization has its benefits, marketers can also benefit by creating high-level content for a wider audience. This was Northwell Health’s approach when developing the HBO documentary “One South: The Portrait of a Psych Unit,” which features young adults undergoing treatment for mental health challenges at one of its facilities.

• Mental health is the top value Gen Z wants brands and companies to support, per a March 2023 ISC and Big Village study.

Instead of leading with solutions, broader storytelling lends the healthcare brand a values-based approach, Ramon Soto, senior vice president, chief marketing & communications officer, who pointed to a typical healthcare commercial focused on a specific need like heart surgery.

“How many people is that relevant to?” said Soto during a Brands and Culture panel. “Very few, which is why we decided to pivot to really understand on a longitudinal basis how you consume care over time, the relevant issues that are important to you, and disrupt and use other storytelling techniques to engage with you.”

Creating a content flywheel

Some brands are approaching films or series as a starting point for a range of assets throughout the marketing funnel, opposed to a siloed brand awareness play. This was Hartbeat's positioning to AXA when creating Group Therapy, an Amazon Prime documentary where comedians discuss their mental health.

Individually licensing talent for a standalone commercial is often harder than bringing them on for an entertainment project, said Janina Lundy, executive vice president and head of marketing and brand partnerships at Hartbeat.

“We’re taking the opportunity to make something that is truly entertaining, but then cutting that down so that they can use it in their traditional media,” said Lundy, speaking to creating lower-funnel, call to action assets after the project is filmed. “It’s a more economical way to approach it.”

Replacing branded with brand-funded

Instead of inserting their brand into the narrative, AXA funded Group Therapy, and this approach has become more accepted in this era of entertainment marketing, said Lundy.

“If we’re bringing in a car company for a film, we want to do more than just put the car in the movie,” she said. “We’re looking to build shoulder content that speaks to their audience and highlights their product that aligns with the film.”

Brands are becoming comfortable owning content they can freely use on their channels even if it lacks branding, which is effective for young consumers sensitive to promotional content, said Westphal.

“Gen Z consumers like the organic space and the funky story,” she said. “To get their attention, it has to be short, it has to be to the point, and it has to be something crazy great that they’ve never seen before.”

This was originally featured in the EMARKETER Daily newsletter. For more marketing insights, statistics, and trends, subscribe here.