Branded Entertainment Heads to Centre Stage

Toronto, April 29, 2014 — The ship is slowly starting to turn in the global branded entertainment marketplace as content is better integrated into entertainment platforms that consumers want to watch. And, according to The Future of Branded Entertainment, released today by the Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA), this shift is driven by recurring themes of convergence, the blurring of the lines between brand marketing and storytelling, an increased use of video and an emphasis on experiential, authentic content.

This final white paper in a three-part series Branded Entertainment: A New Production Financing Paradigm was prepared by Duopoly’s Catherine Tait. Funding for the research was provided by the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC), the Canada Media Fund (CMF) and the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund.

It examines where the branded entertainment industry is headed and explores some of the industry’s most innovative case studies.

“All of the experts we interviewed in this paper point to the value of brand-created experiences as one of the most effective tactics for building consumer engagement,” says Ms. Tait. “The biggest take-away for producers is to understand how to develop with brands rather than shoe-horning an existing show idea into a brand’s brief.”

White Paper 1, The Branded Entertainment Landscape examines the current landscape for the fast-growing branded entertainment sector with a focus on U.S. markets. White Paper 2, Branded Entertainment: The Canadian Experience explores the Canadian market in its more nascent stage with successful native examples.

About the Canada Media Fund
The Canada Media Fund (CMF) fosters, develops, finances and promotes the production of Canadian content and applications for all audiovisual media platforms.  The CMF guides Canadian content towards a competitive global environment by fostering industry innovation, rewarding success, enabling a diversity of voice and promoting access to content through public and private sector partnerships. Please visit www.cmf-fmc.ca.

The CMF’s Canadaonscreen.ca is a website designed to showcase and celebrate Canadian creative talent and content destined for all types of screens, from television productions to games, Web content and software and applications.

About the CMPA
The CMPA is a national non-profit organization that represents the interests of over 350 leading screen-based media companies engaged in the production and distribution of English-language television programs, feature films and digital media content in all regions of Canada.

About the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund
The Bell Fund provides grants to Canadian independent producers who develop and produce television content complemented and enhanced by excellent digital content designed for various platforms. These digital media projects reflect state-of-the-art technology and are helping traditional television producers and broadcasters to discover the value added benefits of digital extensions. Since 1997, the Bell Fund has invested over $115M in over 1,200 Canadian digital media projects, television programs, development grants and support for research and professional development.

About the OMDC
Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC), an agency of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport is the central catalyst for the province’s cultural media cluster including book publishing, film and television, interactive digital media, magazine publishing and music industries.

-30-

For more information, please contact:

Pierre Campeau
Communications Manager
Canada Media Fund
416.554.2768
[email protected]

Anne Trueman
Director of Communications & Media
CMPA
613.851.4538
[email protected]