By Brendan Gaul, Global Chief Content Officer, IPG Mediabrands and Global President, TRAVERSE32
“Keep it short” seems to be today’s marketing mantra. We’re told that in a world of diminishing attention spans, we only have seconds to make an impact and that we need to build brand awareness from the start. People want quick bursts of entertainment that leave them wanting more. Successful short-form video formats like TikTok and Instagram Reels are regularly touted as proof that when it comes to branded entertainment, micro-content is the best way to engage easily distracted audiences. And yet, feature films like the wildly successful one barbie And Lego the films prove that there is a huge market for branded feature films. Perhaps the success of a particular format has less to do with the length of the content and more to do with its authenticity and originality? What if content format wasn’t a bad barometer of success and the focus should really be on the content itself? Could spending more time with entertaining, relevant, and longer-form content actually deepen a consumer’s connection with a brand?
That’s the principle we decided to test when we partnered with MAGNA to conduct an independent media study using existing branded entertainment content from the United States Postal Service (USPS).
A unique combination of content formats
In 2020, TRAVERSE32 produced a feature-length documentary for the USPS called Dear Santa (not to be confused with the 2024 scripted film of the same name). The film was based on the more than 100-year-old USPS Operation Santa program, in which people can adopt a written letter to Santa and make a child’s Christmas wish come true. The film won Best Documentary Debut at the Heartland Film Festival, earned (and still maintains) a Rotten Tomato score of 89%, was acquired by IFC Films, and released on Hulu. Richard Roeper even described him as one of “the most wonderful films of the year.” The success of this heartwarming film also led to a television series, which is now in its second season, with both seasons now available to stream on Hulu.
All of this meant that we found ourselves in the rather unique situation of having three formats of content available – the film, its trailer and the TV series – each of varying length, but all based on the same underlying idea. This was the perfect opportunity to study the impact of content length on consumer preferences and behaviors.
We had a hypothesis: the more time audiences spent with high-quality content and the more layers and depth we could bring to a story, the more audiences would connect to the message.
Time spent with content Increased favorability
USPS’s initial goal in commissioning the documentary was to move the needle and become the brand of choice for consumer shipping during the holidays, a time when its competitors have access to significantly larger advertising budgets. important. So we decided to test content length measurement on a nationally representative audience.
The results revealed that consumers who watched only the trailer for the Dear Santa Movies were most likely to choose USPS as their preferred shipping company with an impressive +5 points. This increase is, at the very least, equal to or slightly better than the performance of television commercials of similar length.
And the TV series performed even better. Viewers of a single 30-minute episode were +10 points more likely to select USPS as their first choice than those who had never seen it. Dear Santa content at all. Watch the full 89 minutes Dear Santa The film increased the same measure by an incredible +19 points. All three results indicate that audience affinity for the USPS brand increases as people spend time viewing its content.
We also measured the impact of different content formats on brand perception and saw equally impressive results:
● Perception of the USPS as an organization that works for social good was reinforced by +8 points by the trailer, by +24 points by an episode of the series, and by +30 points by the film.
● Viewers’ choice of USPS as their preferred holiday shipping company increased +5 points with the trailer, +10 points with the TV series, and +19 points with the feature film.
The longer form Dear Santa the formats were also effective in driving action. For example, 39% of people who watched the series said they were inspired to participate in USPS Operation Santa, compared to 50% of those who watched the film.
The secret of Dear Santa Success
While it’s not surprising that there is a positive correlation between time spent with content and brand preference, the evidence of such significant changes confirms the power of long form. The content was designed to be story-driven, so the focus was always on entertaining the viewer and not promoting the brand. The audience can feel the difference. The more time the audience spends with the content, the deeper the connection with the story (and therefore the brand) and the stronger the relationship between the two becomes.
Another key benefit of creating a show or movie is that people will come back to watch it again and again, strengthening that connection with the brand. When we see short content on our social feeds, it quickly disappears or becomes irrelevant, whereas longer content can be persistent.
This is particularly true for Dear Santa as consumers regularly rewatch their favorite movies or shows during the holidays. But this also applies to other brand-funded content. Another film we produced, 5B, commissioned by Johnson & Johnson, about the nurses who built the world’s first AIDS service, has been published for five years, but its message remains relevant today. The film is a mainstay at key times throughout the year (e.g., National Nurses Week, World AIDS Day, and Pride).
Additionally, people will discuss with each other what long-form content they like to watch. 45% of people who watched the series said they would tell other people about it, and 57% said the same after watching the film.
Every brand has a story to tell
It’s easy to assume Dear Santa has done so well because USPS is a beloved brand with a long-established social good program through USPS Operation Santa. But the truth is that every brand has a story to tell:
While it could be a meaningful story about the brand itself – as is the case with USPS – it could also be an entertainment-worthy story about the customers the brand is there to serve. For example, hair care and styling brand göt2B, known for its bold styling products and very popular with the Drag community, is seeing success with Queen of New York, a documentary about Marti Cummings, the first drag artist and non-binary person to run for New York City Council. The brand enthusiastically came on board and provided essential post-production funding so that the LGBTQ+ community and general audiences could see Marti’s historic story. In fact, being an established brand can actually make it more difficult for a brand to scale favorability metrics, making the positive impact of the series and film even more impressive.
Making a film is not the right choice for every brand. There are of course a variety of formats to explore. Whenever a brand contacts us to discuss making a film, the first question our team asks is what the brand hopes to achieve. If the goal is strictly to generate sales, there are other content formats better suited to achieving this result. A 90-minute film is best suited to brands that want to reaffirm their positioning, advocate for a significant audience, or change perceptions. A film or series can be used to reach a wider audience and drive analytics at the top of the funnel, while targeted three- or six-second video ads can be used to improve performance at the bottom of the funnel. funnel.
A new perspective on branded entertainment
Ultimately, long-form, brand-funded entertainment – whether it’s a movie, TV show or something else – is an often overlooked and undervalued tool in the toolbox of marketing.
So when you sit down and rewatch your favorite holiday movie (or maybe even season two of Dear Santa, The Seriess) this month, ask yourself if the short and sweet solution is really the only way, or if your brand could benefit from spending a little more time with its audience next year.