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Evolution of visual public relations: the essentials of branded video

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Evolution of visual public relations: the essentials of branded video

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EVOLUTION OF VISUAL PUBLIC RELATIONS:
THE ESSENTIALS OF BRANDED VIDEO
by
Lin Qi

______________________________________________________________________________

A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS)

May 2019

Copyright 2019 Lin Qi
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Dedication
This thesis would not have been possible without the unwavering support from my family
and friends. Thank you for all your love and patience throughout this journey. I have a special
thank you to Professor Amy Lu, my undergraduate research director at Northeastern University
Health and Technology Lab. Thank you for showing me the magic of academic research. I put all
my passion and love toward visual storytelling into the following work. I believe that this thesis
will enhance the power of visual stories.

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Acknowledgments
I want to thank my thesis committee—Chair Advisor Professor Fred Cook, Professor Su
Jung Kim, and Professor Mary Murphy for supporting me throughout this journey. I am grateful
for their help and patience. I want to thank all research participants and interviewees for their
participation. Being a member of USC Annenberg is an honor. Thanks to all professors for
helping us flourish.

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Table of Contents
Dedication ....................................................................................................................................... 1
Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................... 2
Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... 5
Chapter One: Introduction .............................................................................................................. 6
Chapter Two: Literature Review .................................................................................................... 7
Visual Public Relations ............................................................................................................... 7
Visual PR and the Development of Technology ......................................................................... 9
The Power of Storytelling ......................................................................................................... 12
Branded Entertainment ............................................................................................................. 14
Branded Video in Different Industries ...................................................................................... 16
Develop a Branded Video Project ............................................................................................. 17
Produce a Branded Video ......................................................................................................... 21
Chapter Three: Methodology ........................................................................................................ 23
Chapter Four: Focus Group .......................................................................................................... 24
Procedure .................................................................................................................................. 25
Video Content ........................................................................................................................... 27
Focus Group Findings ............................................................................................................... 28
Chapter Five: Case Study .............................................................................................................. 34
Coding Scheme ......................................................................................................................... 35
Case Study 1: Real Beauty Sketches by Dove .......................................................................... 37
Case study 2. #LikeAGirl by Always ....................................................................................... 42
Case Study 3: The DNA Journey by Momondo ....................................................................... 48
Case Study 4: Honest Yearbook by Because of You ................................................................ 50
Case Study 5: Dream Crazy by Nike ........................................................................................ 53
Case Study Summary ................................................................................................................ 54
Chapter Six: Interview .................................................................................................................. 57
Interview Findings .................................................................................................................... 57
Chapter Seven: Discussion ........................................................................................................... 59
Branded Video Story Essential Pyramid ................................................................................... 59
Branded Video Development Suite .......................................................................................... 60
Chapter Eight: Limitation and Future Research ........................................................................... 63
Chapter Nine: Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 64
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Work Cited .................................................................................................................................... 65
List of Figure ................................................................................................................................. 69
Appendices .................................................................................................................................... 73
Appendix A: Focus Group Transcript ....................................................................................... 73
Appendix B: Interview with Fred Cook .................................................................................... 86
Appendix C: Interview with Alex Jutkowitz ............................................................................ 88
Appendix D: Interview with Professor Su Jung Kim ............................................................... 92
Appendix E: Coding Scheme Explanations .............................................................................. 95

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Abstract
Since the 20th century, the world of public relations (PR) has been evolving along with
the development of technology. Consumers used to gather brands’ information from traditional
media. Now, they get information from and make purchases on social media. Consumers now
believe that a brand is more than its products. They started to seek social responsibility,
humanity, and morality in branded content.
Companies began to “brand” their videos. These videos are not for providing product
information anymore; it is a communication tool for brands to connect with their audience
emotionally. But what is a branded video? What empowers it to benefit a brand in the
contemporary PR world? Guided by these questions, this paper explores the essentials of a
successful branded video.
The result shows that a successful branded video must have a clear central question and
should be developed based on consumer or brand insights that resonate the audience’s Zeitgeist.
Brands should also create branded videos for all potential online viewers, not just target their
consumers.

Keywords: branded video, visual public relations, digital storytelling, content marketing,
consumer insight

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Chapter One: Introduction
Although many people are unfamiliar with the phrase “branded video,” it is not a new
concept. According to Hudson and Hudson, there were already more than 250 articles on the
subject of branded entertainment videos in 2005 (490). Some people think that branded video is
the same as an advertisement. However, this paper differentiates branded video from traditional
advertising.
The author defines branded video as a type of visual public relations. Instead of directly
focusing on sales, branded video’s primary purpose is to build and maintain a positive brand
image. Usually, a branded video does not mention the benefit of products but sends a message
about the brand’s belief, mission or vision. In this way, brands will get more opportunities to
build an emotional connection, strengthen brand personality, and improve public image among
their target audience.
There are tons of method for branding; why choose video? Previous research explained
the benefit of video branding through statistics.
According to Insivia, 64% of consumers purchase products after watching branded social
videos (Insivia Marketing Web Design). Forrester Research also compared the effectiveness
between video and text that, to the audience, one minute of video is as powerful as 1.8 million
words (Idea Rocket). Research of millennial consumers reported that 70% of millennials like to
watch a branded video when shopping online (Animoto). These research results prove that
compelling branded video contents will lead to an increase in brand affinity and sales.
However, researchers have yet discovered the must-have factors for successful branded
video content production. This study aims to discover the must-have elements of a branded
video, and to guide PR practitioners step by step to produce strategic branded videos.

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Chapter Two: Literature Review
Visual Public Relations
Many public relations practitioners may have experienced a situation where they were
asked to explain what public relations (PR) is. Some of them might start their answers with “It is
hard to say…” and end with “just a little bit of everything.” Most of the time, people would react
to the answer with a confused look. PR is often being considered as a method of promotion
which became popular since the 21st century. However, the formal practice of PR appeared
almost 100 years ago in the early 20th century (Smith 3). There was no clear definition of PR,
until 2012, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) finalized its official definition as “A
strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between
organizations and their publics” (Smith 3).
The PRSA emphasizes PR’s function in building and maintaining mutually beneficial
relationships and suggested that PR is a long-term process. In fact, PR and communication
professionals had tried to define what they do many years ago. In 1976, Harlow developed a
research to discover a working definition of PR (36). In the paper, he wrote, “Public relations is a
distinctive management function which helps establish and maintain mutual lines of
communication, understanding, acceptance and cooperation between an organization and its
publics.” (Harlow 36).
Compare the two definitions of PR from 1976 and 2012; it is not difficult to recognize
that the contemporary PR industry values mutualism the same as decades ago. However, in the
1970s, PR was considered as a type of distinctive management. While nowadays, PR is a
strategic communication process. This change indicates that the function of PR became broader
than before; organizations and brands need smarter and more effective strategies and tactics to
empower the long-term PR process.
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Indeed, if people want to explain the world of PR, they must notice the fact that, in
recent years, PR is more than words and writing; Now the communication has changed from
newspapers to television, and eventually came to the internet. The evolution in digital platforms
pushes PR to evolve from press release to visual PR experience; the author calls it visual PR.
Same as any other PR method, visual PR is a strategic communication process as well.
Smith explained strategic communication as a plan that is developed based on valid research
findings (5). Strategic communication usually functions in two ways:
1. To provide useful information.
2. To persuade the audience.
Common visual PR formats include but not limited to image, audio, video and other
technology such as virtual reality and augmented reality. It is essential to keep in mind that
visual PR and advertising share a lot of common characteristics but can be very different in some
perspectives.
To differentiate visual PR and advertising, one must review the concepts of PR and
marketing communication. Smith explained that PR’s purpose is to support and enhance
relationships through mutual understanding (6). However, instead of focusing on building
relationships, marketing seeks immediate response of consumer needs and economic exchange
(Smith 6).
A concept developed by Carse could explain the difference between PR and marketing
communication even clearer (3). In his book, Carse stated that there are two kinds of games—
one called finite games, the other called infinite games. “A finite game is played for the purpose
of winning, an infinite game for the purpose of continue the play” (Carse 3). Although both PR
and marketing communication care about both the short-term and the long-term effect (Smith 7),
the author believes that the concept of visual PR falls under the umbrella of infinite games since
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it focuses on developing self-perpetuating connections between a brand and its consumers. While
traditional advertising is a type of marketing communication, or say, finite game, which aims to
drive sales in a short period.
Nonetheless, PR and marketing go hands in hands and are merging into one discipline
(Smith 7). Possibly, the audience would soon find Visual PR blends with advertising to form a
new branch of promotion.

Visual PR and the Development of Technology
The development of Visual PR is closely related to the development of technology and
media use. Donohew, Palmgreen and Rayburn II examined how social and lifestyle would affect
people’s media use (255). Donohew, Palmgreen and Rayburn II proposed a theory of
information (257); the theory suggested that “Individuals have an optimal level of arousal at
which they feel most comfortable” (Donohew et al. 257). The higher one’s optimal level is, the
more sources of stimulation, or say media use, one would need.
In their study, Donohew, Palmgreen and Rayburn II categorized people into four types
(266):
Type I— The Disengaged Homemaker. This type of people focuses on family life and
follows the everyday routine. Compare to other types of people; they tend to have a lower
education level and income. They prefer to stay home rather than going out. Their
primary purpose of media use is for time consumption.

Type II— The Outgoing Activist. This type of people has a younger average age than the
other three types. Most of them are single and have a higher level of education and
income. They enjoy going to cultural-oriented events and have a high optimal level. They
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are the most likely type to support equal rights and female power. For them, life is
optimistic and would never follow a routine.

Type III— The Restrained Activist. Type III people tend to have a higher education level
and income. They are also significantly older than people in the other three types. Type
III people are conservative to fashion and new styles. They usually use media to gather
information.

Type IV— The Working-Class Climber. Type IV is the only type that is predominated by
male. The majority of Type IV people are mid-aged male with relatively lower education
level and income. People of this type are more confident that their life will become better
in a few years. Type IV people feel satisfied by television contents and look for public
affairs information from media.

Although the research was conducted more than thirty years ago, some of the data is still
valid until today. It is interesting to see that Type II audience the Outgoing Activist perfectly fits
the characteristics of Generation Y (millennials) and Generation Z. As Donohew, Palmgreen and
Rayburn II argued, lifestyle has a close relationship with media use and content preference (274).
Outgoing Activists need both internal and external cognitive activation. They spend significant
amount of time on media to collect more information. They also enjoy sharing and networking
with others.
In Tulgan’s article, he defined Generation Z as people who were born between 1990 to
2000 (1). Tulgan discovered that Generation Z is highly influenced by social media, human
connection and infinite diversity (6). Different from Tulgan, Black defined people born from
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1981 to 2001 Generation Y, the “digital natives” (94). But Black agreed with Tulgan that
Generation Y and Z are highly dependent on technology and expects immediate service; this is
where visual PR and branded video serve as a perfect solution for brands to reach younger
generations.
Since 2000, consumer’s passion for television gradually switched to personal mobile
devices. Based on the data from Statista.com, the percentage of website traffic on global mobile
devices increased from 31.16% to 52.4% from spring 2015 to fall 2018 (Statista). The peak
percentage of global mobile website usage was 52.99% in fall 2017 (Statista).
Mobile device enables people to access social media and brands’ news at any time.
Likewise, mobile technology allows brands to reach consumers multiple times a day. Conner
argued that future customers are mobile-savvy (par. 1). They will go to multimedia first before
making a purchase. Conner also mentioned that people process visual contents 60,000 times
faster than texts, and colorful visuals will increase viewership by 80% (par. 3).
Moreover, a one-minute video can generate the same amount of effectiveness as 1.8
million words does (Conner par. 3). These statistics prove the effectiveness of visual PR.
Branded video is the key to build successful branding campaigns.
The rise of the mobile device not only allow people to collect information from visual
content, but also give them chances to share; and eventually become content creators or owners.
Dijck argued in her book that YouTube beat television and broadcasting since it allowed users to
upload self-produced videos and created a social space for users' networking (113). These
features provided two-way communication for viewers to engage with video contents on
YouTube (114). However, television and broadcasting could only send messages to the audience,
which is one-way distribution. YouTube’s two-way communication feature involved consumers
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into a unique branded experience and eliminated the distance between brands and the target
audience.
While many statistics prove that social media incubates a healthy environment for
branding, the fact is that social media platforms can hurt brands too. Edelman’s research result
showed that only 41% of people trust information from social media globally (Edelman par. 1).
Among all 9000 study participants, 48% of them thinks it is the brand fault if its video appears
next to inappropriate content (Edelman par. 5). The global chair of Edelman Digital, King, said
that “the audience could not distinguish brands and social media platforms” (AdWeek par. 5)
Social media gives a friendly promotional environment for brands; but can also hurt
brands and their content.

The Power of Storytelling
PR practitioners must have heard a communication strategy called storytelling. Stories
help organizations present positive and favorable brand images. Jutkowitz believed that story is
the base of reputation and can humanize a brand, “Good content, especially compelling stories,
sits between science and mystery. Stories command our attention and open our minds to receive
new ideas. They aren’t effective because they force ideas, but because they awaken our vital
needs for wisdom, wonder and delight” (5).
Jutkowitz believed that the more empathy people have for a person, the more they will
trust him or her. Consumers will have more empathy for brands when they are “in the realm of
storytelling” (6).
Gershon and Page endorsed the effectiveness of storytelling since it is easier for human
beings to understand information through a story than through a list (31). Storytelling is the best
way to allow the audience to emphasize brand value and personality.
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Another reason why people love and need stories is that they are a part of our human
nature. Discovered by Zak’s neurobiology study, the brain produces a neurochemical called
oxytocin when a person feels safe and trusted (par. 3). Oxytocin motivates a person to interact
and work with other people. It also improves people’s capability of emphasizing with others’
emotions. Moreover, Zak found that emotional, character-driven stories help people to
understand better and remember what the speaker says (6). Through experiments, Zak proved
that an excellent character-driven story in a video could produce oxytocin. The more oxytocin
people produce, the more likely they will take actions like purchase or donate. Another finding is
that people are more likely to remember stories that start with struggles but end with triumph
(Zak par. 9).
Similar to Zak, Bhalla also agreed that successful branded stories usually start with
problems and end with triumph (par. 3). In his article, Bhalla quoted Gottschall that good stories
display “a deep pattern of heroes confronting trouble and struggling to overcome.” These stories
give the audience strong feelings but require no actual emotional costs from them (Bhalla par. 3).
To create an engaging story, Bhalla generated a story formula as “character(s) + predicament(s)
+ attempted extrication(s).” With that being said, a good story must present a relatable problem
to the audience, then shows strong enough tension to keep the viewers interact with it.
However, it can be very challenging to tell compelling branded stories within 30 to 60
seconds. 30 to 60 seconds is a good time length for traditional advertising since its prior goal is
to provide enough information for viewers. Advertisement needs to be short and sweet.
However, a branded story needs to be longer to keep the audience engage with the brand.
Sometimes branded videos are as long and entertaining as short films. These branded videos are
called branded entertainment.

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Branded Entertainment
In 2013, the Branded Content Marketing Association defined branded content as “any
content that can be associated with a brand in the eye of the beholder” (Canter et al. par. 27). The
study also divided branded content into six forms (Canter et al. par. 19):
1. Branded Entertainment
2. Native Advertising
3. Product Placement
4. Sponsorship
5. Advertiser Funded Programming
6. Brand Licensing
Among these six forms, branded entertainment and product placement used to be
considered as the same thing; since branded entertainment used to be a new term for product
placement in movies (Hudson and Hudson 489).
The word “entertainment” used to suggest the film and music industry. In 1998, Gupta
and Lord depicted a few cases of food product placement in films-- Tom Hanks kept a Pepsi
vending machine in his living room in the film “Big”. In “Back to the Future 11,” viewers can
see Michael J. Fox ordering a Pepsi from a fictional cafe. Coke and McDonald’s logos appeared
throughout the movie “Mac and Me” (50).
Gupta and Lord discovered that the audio content of a movie does not help build brand
awareness. This result shows that visual content plays a dominant role in branding through
multimedia. When consumers capture a brand in an entertaining video, they are more likely to be
able to recall it (49).
In the study, Gupta and Lord found that there are two kinds of visual product placement
in the movie. One is called prominent product placement; the other is called subtle product
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placement. Prominent product placement is to place brands in films in a highly visible way, and
subtle product placement means to put products or logos in the background (Gupta and Lord 49).
Their research showed that Prominent product placement outperforms advertisement in capturing
the audience’s attention. Besides, advertising is more effective than subtle product placement
(Gupta and Lord 49).
Gupta and Lord believed that prominent product placement has more advantage than
advertisement since the audience expects cognitive and emotional stimulation when watching
movies. So, viewers are more willing to process the information they receive from films and
stories (50). Gupta and Lord also mentioned Balasubramanian’s research finding in 1994 that
“audiences do not expect to be exposed to messages for branded products when watching a
movie,” which could make the process of branded information even faster (Lynch and Srull 32).
However, Balasubramanian’s research was conducted in 1994. Product placement could
have been an advanced marketing concept in the 1990s. Today, the audience is familiar with
product placement and can immediately recognize branded content in films. The public also
believes that the ultimate goal of product placement is to raise sales. Therefore, prominent
product placement has a high possibility of backfire. Consumers have strong negative emotion
toward conventional sales-oriented advertising (Moyano et al. 522). Further investigation is
needed to reevaluate the effectiveness of prominent product placement.
In the past ten years, the word “entertainment” started to mean more than the
entertainment industry. The contemporary definition of branded entertainment has changed as
well. Branded entertainment has separated from product placement; now it refers to long-form
branded communication through entertaining stories. Suzuki believed that long-form brand
communication should be created for viewers who want to be entertained rather than just target
consumers (99). Brands need to use strategy to ensure their content will be seen. However, what
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attracts the audience is always a good story (Suzuki 98). For long-form branded entertainment,
an entertaining story is a must or brands could not keep viewers continue to watch (Suzuki 99).
Furthermore, successful branded entertainment can embed the brand’s key message in the story.
A good branded video also sets the brand as the primary reason why problems can be solved.
To have enough time for an entertaining story, people freed branded entertainment from
time constraints (Suzuki 99). It can be a one-minute long video or a twenty-minute short film.
Some brands even produced short film series. For example, Marriott International produced a
short film called Two Bellmen in 2015. Later in 2016 and 2017, the company produced Two
Bellmen Two and Two Bellmen Three. The story features two bellmen’s work and life at a JW
Marriott hotel; they encounter difficult issues and successfully protected customers and hotel
properties. All three short films were shot in a real JW Marriott hotel in Los Angeles.
Two Bellmen was recognized as the winner of Hospitality in the 8th Annual Shorty
Awards which honors the best works on social media produced by individuals, brands, and
organizations. The Shorty Awards mentioned that Two Bellmen’s ultimate goal was to “deliver
Content, develop Community and drive Commerce” (Shorty Awards). David Beebe, the
Executive Producer of Two Bellmen, said that, "Marketing as interruption is over, and TWO
BELLMEN propels our strategy of providing entertaining and informative content that adds
value and helps build a community of people passionate about travel who ultimately drive
commerce for Marriott's global brands, such as JW Marriott" (Shorty Awards).

Branded Video in Different Industries
While pursuing branding success through visual PR, PR practitioners must keep in mind
that not all industries gain the same amount of benefit from strategic storytelling (Jutkowitz 7).
Jutkowitz argued that the power of storytelling could be weak in certain industries such as
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energy and finance. But these industries definitely could find opportunities to forge reputation
through stories (7).
In 2013, Paus and Dobre researched to discover storytelling as a tool of leadership among
insurance companies in Romania. They interviewed three target groups and found that the
primary cause of the bad relationship between Romanian insurance companies and clients was
the lack of transparency (25). Romanian journalists and the public did not fully understand or did
not realize insurance companies’ values. Paus and Dobre wrote, “According to the journalists,
the lack of educative communication in the insurance industry - that could be successfully
achieved through storytelling - supports the lack of the Romanians' insurance culture, becoming
thus the "Achilles" heel" of the local market” (26). Paus and Dobre stated that the concept of
storytelling is new to Romania. Leaders of Romanian insurance companies are unfamiliar with
how to resound brands with the audience’s feelings (28).
Although people in the United States may embrace different culture and values from
people in Romania, American insurance companies share the same issue in utilizing storytelling
to build trust among their audience; as well as the industries of energy and finance. Unlike
consumer goods brands, energy and finance companies would have a long way to go in
positioning their secured and trustworthy brand images in branded entertainment (Jutkowitz 7).

Develop a Branded Video Project
The author of Cases in Public Relations Management Swann stated that to start a PR
process, practitioners must follow five steps (7). Swann’s five steps for the PR process include:
Step 1: Research the issue. Discover the company’s opportunity or problem.
Step 2: Set goal and objective based on the company's opportunity or problem.
Step 3: Develop a PR strategy regarding the goals and objectives.
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Step 4: Develop Tactics to achieve goals and objectives.
Step 5: Evaluate the effectiveness of the tactics.

Step 1: Research the issue. Swann highlighted the importance of having a deep
understanding of the organization and its audience (22). Understand a brand’s history would help
PR practitioners analyze current issues and discover opportunities. “To evaluate an organization,
think about the quality of the product or service. Look at sales and other indicators to measure
the performance of the organization” (Swann 22).
To know the company’s environment is another crucial research that must be included in
Step 1. Swann mentioned that “an organization’s environment is more than the local community
where the company is physically located” (23). Swann’s argument suggested that PR
professionals must have a deep understanding of a brand’s online community, online reviews,
and online media platforms. It is also critical to know competitors’ environment-- What other
brands are doing in their physical and online communities? What opportunities or problems are
they trying to address? (23)
Last but not least, getting to know a brand’s target audience. For better target audience
research, Swann suggested to segment the overall target audience into particular groups (24). For
example, particular groups can be college students, young professionals, etc. Swann’s target
audience segmentation may link to the four types of media users developed by Donohew,
Palmgreen and Rayburn II (266-270). Target audience segmentation allows brands to catch
consumer insights from different groups of audience. Then develop different branded content for
each group.
Swann stated that audience could be segmented based on social identity or their
relationships with the brand (24). Grunig and Todd, authors of Managing Public Relations, found
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that there are four types of the public; each of them has a different attitude toward the brand
(160):
Type 1: Nonpublic—people who have no interest in the brand at all.
Type 2: Latent publics—people who are not familiar with the brand but share the
same common interests.
Type 3: Aware publics—consumers who are receiving the brand’s messages but
need more motivation to take action.
Type 4: Active publics—consumers who actively look for the brand’s news and
need no trigger from the brand to take action.

Step 2: Set goal and objectives. In Step 2, one should set clear goals and objectives.
Swann explained goal as “the overall plan that recognized the issue and generally how it will be
addressed” (25). Typically, there are three types of PR goals:
1. Reputation management. Reputation management focuses on managing how the
audience views and understands a brand’s mission and value.
2. Relationship management. Relationship management focuses on managing how a
brand connects with its audience.
3. Task management. Task management focuses on fixing specific problems.
An objective, Swann explained, should be clear, time-oriented and measurable (26).

Step 3: Develop a PR strategy. When it comes to developing a strategy, PR professionals
must first understand what a strategy is. As Porter mentioned in his article, a strategy is often
confused with operational effectiveness (61–78). For branded video, a strategy means to develop
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a unique story of the brand. While operational effectiveness means to create a story with less
time and input, but this does not ensure the story itself is unique and relatable.

Step 4: Develop PR tactics. In the fourth step, tactics must be designed based on goals set
in Step 3. To produce a branded video, one must consider storyline, story format, and story
genre. For example, what story to tell? Is it going to be a three-minute video or a short film? Is it
an anime or live-action? What platforms to release the video?
It is noteworthy that the platform for release could influence branding result. In 1964,
Canadian professor McLuhan proposed a concept that “the medium is the message” (1).
McLuhan pointed out that communication medium has the power of shaping and changing
human behaviors (1). Each social media has its characteristics that could serve different branding
goals.
According to Hootsuite statistics, 96% of 18- to 24-year-old American internet users use
YouTube (par. 4); 70% YouTube users use YouTube on mobile devices (par. 10); 70% of
millennial YouTube users watched how-to videos in 2018 (par. 18).
Similar to YouTube, Instagram has a lot of young users. 95% of Instagram users in the United
States use YouTube (Hootsuite par. 8); 60% of users explore new products on Instagram
(Hootsuite par. 19).
As for Facebook, 50% of Teenagers in the United States uses Facebook (Hootsuite par.
8); 43% of Americans use Facebook as their source for daily news (Hootsuite par. 19).

Step 5: Evaluate effectiveness. This step could be the most critical part to ensure a good
PR result. Smith argued that many PR campaigns failed since they focused too much on novelty
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and ignored the fact that not all creative tactics are effective (17). Do not just create for
innovation, “Innovative ideas need to serve a purpose,” (Smith 17).

Produce a Branded Video
The process of creating a branded video is as complicated as film production. To produce
successful branded video, Suzuki suggested creators ensure video’s production value (100).
Usually, production value depends on two aspects:
High-quality craft to keep the audience in the story. Craft includes but not limited to dialogue,
lighting, setting and prop design; as well as the quality of special effect and sound effect.
Superior artistic visual. Artistic visual includes but not limited to acting, scenes, music, directing
and editing. Rather than the quality of a physical prop, artistic visual refers to the video’s texture
from an artistic perspective.
Suzuki also provided anatomy of a branded entertainment video production. A branded
video could include the following elements (100):
1. Plot: What happened in the story and which order.
2. Character:
3. Protagonist: A character who seeks changes for his or her destiny.
4. Antagonist: A character who confronts the Protagonist.
5. The Central Question: The story’s objective.
6. The Want: The main character’s objective.
7. The Need: What drives the main character to grow.
8. Three-act Structure: A story composed of three sections-- the beginning, the
middle, and the end.
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9. High-concept Story: A story features an intriguing world, a unique setting or
mysterious power.
10. In Tune with Zeitgeist: A story that relates to all viewers regardless of the
difference in language and culture. A story that speaks for social issues or
concerns that the audience hesitates to comment.

After reviewing relevant literature, the importance of good branded video has been
proved, yet the critical factors of a banded video have not been examined. In this study, the
author poses the following questions to deepen an understanding of branded video:
1. What are the essentials of a branded video?

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Chapter Three: Methodology
Primary research of this study comprises one focus group, five case studies, and three
interviews.
The focus group discovers consumer perception of the concept of the branded video,
examines what factors of a branded video could influence target audience’s attitude toward a
brand, and discovers Generation Y and Z’s habit for social media use.
Case studies were selected among branded videos that have made a big impact on brand
image. Selected branded videos are from five different industry.
Interviews were conducted with seasoned PR professionals with rich experience in the
branding and have noticed the trend of branded video.
All research analysis is qualitative. The author will first discuss the focus group in the
next chapter.

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Chapter Four: Focus Group
The focus group was conducted at Leavey Library at the University of Southern
California on November 6, 2018. The focus group was 46 minutes and 26 seconds long.
One branded video and two advertising videos were shown to participants during the focus
group. All videos were selected from Southwest Airlines promotional videos. The author chose
to analyze Southwest Airlines since the brand is nationally well-known and is successful in
branding its advantage-- affordable pricing. Both branded video and advertising videos were in
similar length.
Total of eight participants joined the focus group. All participants were students at the
University of Southern California. Participants were selected among students with particular
characteristics (see table 1). All participants are active social media users since participants were
expected to share their user habit for social media. All participants had never watched any
promotional videos produced by Southwest Airlines, so their reaction would not be affected by
external factors. Similar to the public, all participants were unfamiliar with the concept of the
branded video, which ensures all participants would comment on video content with no bias.

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Table 1. Focus Group Participants Characteristics
Focus Group Participants Characteristics
Born after the year of 1990
Active social media user
Unfamiliar with and no bias to the concept of branded video
Familiar with the traditional advertisement on TV and social media
Have heard of Southwest Airlines
Have never watched Southwest Airlines promotional videos
Have experience of purchasing flight tickets

Procedure
After introducing the topic and purpose of the focus group, the author started with a few
questions to collect participants’ initial understanding of branded video (see table 2). Then, the
author showed three Southwest Airlines promotional videos to all participants, Video 1, Video 2
and Video 3. Southwest Airlines categorized Video 1 and 2 commercials. Both of them were first
released on television. Southwest Airlines considered Video 3 a branded video, and it was first
released on Southwest Airlines’ YouTube channel.
However, based on the branded video definition in Literature Review, the second video
could be defined as a branded video as well. The author did not reveal which one was branded
video to participants.
After watching all three videos, participants were asked more questions to investigate
their views about a branded video and to examine how each video had affected participants’
attitude toward Southwest Airlines (see table 3). In the end, participants discussed their thoughts
about branding in different industries and branding on social media. Focus group transcript is in
the Appendix A.
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Table 2. Pre-video Questions
Pre-video Questions
1. Have you ever flown with Southwest?
2. Do you like or dislike Southwest? Why?
3. What is your impression of Southwest?
4. Will you fly with Southwest in the future? Will you recommend it to your friends?
5. Are you familiar with the concept -- branded video?
6. Do you think you can tell the difference between a branded video and a commercial?

Table 3. Post-video Questions

Post-video Questions
1. Do you consider these videos ads or branded videos?
2. What do you like or dislike about these videos?
3. What do you think these videos want to tell you?
4. What’s your impression of Southwest now?
5. Would you like to fly with Southwest next time?
6. Have you ever shared any branded contents or videos on social media?
a. What made you want to share?
7. What would stop you watching a video? Can you name any bad examples?
8. Have you ever changed your behavior because of a branded video or ad? Why?
9. What do you think a good brand should be? Any examples?
10. On what platform(s) do you watch videos the most?

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Video Content
Video 1 was a typical 30-second advertisement. It was released in 2015. Video 1
separated Southwest Airlines from competitors for its Transfarency, a word invented by the
company to show it never tricks consumers with hidden fees. Scenes of Video 1 include outside
and inside views of a Southwest airplane; as well as scenes of passengers enjoying a flight.
Video 1 ends with Southwest Airlines slogan “Low fare. Nothing to hide,” and a Southwest
Airlines logo.
Video 2 was released in 2017. Video 2 was created for a Southwest Airlines campaign
called 175 stories, inspired by the insight that every passenger has his or her unique story behind
the trip. Video 2 is 60 seconds long. It starts with what is going on in passengers’ lives— three
people were hiking; a couple was fixing a baby carriage; a woman was listening to big news
from a doctor; a young lady just reunited with her friend, etc. Their Southwest seat numbers
appeared next to these people. Video 2 highlights Southwest Airlines’ value that “behind every
story is the reason for Transfarency.” The video ended with the slogan “Low fare. Nothing to
hide,” and a Southwest Airlines logo.
Video 3 was released in 2018. It tells a true story of a little boy Tristan Thompson. When
Thompson was eight months old, he was diagnosed with a chronic granulomatous disease, a rare
immune disorder. Luckily, Ben Byers, a 57 years old man who lives 500 miles away, was
Thompson’s bone marrow match. Southwest Airlines reached out to the Thompsons and helped
the family to meet bone marrow donor Ben Byers for the first time. Short interviews of Mr. and
Mrs. Thompson and Byers were included in the video.

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Focus Group Findings
All eight participants reported that they understand what an advertisement is but are not
familiar with the concept branded video. Two participants mentioned that they could make an
assumption based on the phrase branded video but were not able to explain the concept clearly to
other participants.
“It’s a term that I’ve never personally used. I assume that I know what it is. But it’s a
term that I have never used or heard anyone used,” said participant E.
“I think maybe the thing I get confused about is what is the difference between a branded
video and an advertisement. Cause I feel like they are kind of similar,” said participant A.
“I think the first one was an ad, more for commercial purposes. Because it compares
southwest with other airlines, it says the price is cheaper,” said participant B.
“I almost forget the first one what it was. I think it’s a commercial cause it’s super short.
And I just forgot it. There is no story,” said participant H.

Six out of eight participants viewed Video 1 as an advertisement since it was short,
product-oriented, and brings them negative feelings. Participant C mentioned that “The first one
is commercial for sure. Because it makes me feel uncomfortable.” All other participants agreed
with participant C.
Furthermore, all eight participants considered Video 2 and Video 3 branded videos since
they target the audience’s emotions. Participants automatically linked advertisement with short
videos about product and sales and thought branded video tells a longer story that focuses love
and emotion.
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“...The last two videos tell us some stories. They don’t provide very useful information.
They just tell us some stories to make us agree with the character of Southwest,” said
participant G.
“I would say the last two videos are more content heavy. They both have a story, ” said
participant D.
“...The rest two were so calm like they give a sense of their long-term purposes. And give
some emotions I think after watching.” said participant B.

Moreover, participants felt uncomfortable as soon as they realized that a video is trying to
sell, no matter what the content is. All participants reported that they always wait to skip every
ad they see on YouTube.
“And right when it says skip, I will click skip. Again, unless it’s a really powerful video
of a brand I very much care about. Most of the time is, my mouse is waiting to skip,” said
participant E.

Although most of the time the negative emotion caused by advertisement would expend
to brands, participants reported that they treat some brands’ advertisement differently. Similar to
Jutkowitz’s view (7) discussed in the literature review, participants had more negative feelings
for insurance and pharmacy industries.
“It depends on the brand. If it’s Lego, I'm ok; if it’s Disney, it’s ok. But if it’s an ad like
car insurance…” said participant F.
“If it’s medication or something,” said participant E.
“If it’s something not related to me, like some insurance company. Every time I see it’s
not related to me, I will skip all the time,” said participant B.
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The author believes that, for insurance and healthcare industries, produce effective
branded videos is the second step. The first problem to solve is to educate the audience why
these industries are as relatable to them as Disney and Lego.
Another factor that would change participants’ attitude toward a video is the medium. All
participants reported that they are more willing to watch promotional content on Instagram than
on YouTube or Facebook, even they are the same content.
“I think also if it’s videos on Instagram, I will be more likely to watch it than on
YouTube,” said participant A.
“Even in the Instagram story too, we are not angry with these ads. But not ads on
YouTube and Facebook,” said participant E.
“So, I got ad from Sephora on YouTube, I will skip it because it’s so long. I still want to
watch my video, that’s the only reason. While the Instagram one, it’s only seconds.
That’s ok for me,” said participant F.
“When we are on YouTube we are usually with a purpose. Instagram is like, we are just
scrolling without purpose, unconsciously. So, when we see something, we are not mad
about this, cause we don’t have a purpose on being here,” said participant E.

Participants consider YouTube and Facebook platforms "invaded" by brands. When
people are on YouTube, they have clear purposes. For example, to watch a particular how-to
video to learn new skills. When branded content appears, the audience feels stuck and
interrupted. However, most of the time, people may feel comfortable with branded videos on
Instagram since they can control to continue watching or to skip. On Instagram, the audience is
not forced to watch branded content on Instagram.
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Although all participants favored Instagram much more than YouTube and Facebook,
they felt unconfident that Instagram will remain a social-oriented platform in the future.
“But like I don’t want my experience on Instagram to become my experience on
Facebook. I don’t want companies to take this information we are sharing right now to
be, ‘ok Instagram is the next, the next advertising platform.’ Cause that’s what Facebook,
Google, and YouTube are. And Instagram is going. I don’t want it to happen,” said
participant E.
“I think Instagram is the next Snapchat or Facebook. All social media is going on this
commercial track. They track you with new features. Before, they didn’t have this
sponsored ad. Now it’s becoming a little bit annoying. Maybe there will be new social
media to replace Instagram,” said participant H.

These findings emphasize the necessity for brands to separate their advertising and
branded videos. All participants showed a neutral or positive reaction to branded videos since
they felt branded videos do not target them for sales. However, their negative emotion for
advertisement was too strong that they expanded the negative feelings to brands immediately.
Brands that treat branded video the same as an advertisement will lose their opportunity in
gaining benefits from storytelling. Another thing to notice is that, no matter how good the story
is, a branded video should never interrupt the audience’s intention and force them to watch.
While had better reaction toward branded video, participants also had a higher
expectation for it. Participants reported that their attitude toward a promotional video might
change based on form. If they were told the video is an advertisement, they would consider it is
in good quality as long as it provides useful information about a product. However, for branded
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video, participants would expect “a better story.” A branded video needs a good storyline and
high production quality to grab the audience’s attention.
“I feel like, as a commercial, like it doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be time-
efficient and tells whatever it wants to tell. I think commercial doesn’t have to have that
high standard that a branded video needs,” said participant H.
“Yes, I agree. If I know that’s a branded video; I would expect more from it. I will expect
a more… a better story” said participant C.

Although branded video should be created for all viewers who want to be entertained
(Suzuki 99), brands still need to consider what content could attract their target audience and
encourage them to share. Participants reported that they would not share Video 3, Thompson’s
story, with friends, “On social media, my friends are college students. They are more into
something more fashionable, something new, something trendy. Probably they don’t want to see
this stuff on social, but I may share with my parents.”
When seeing a branded video, viewers would generate a brand identity based on its
content; then match the brand with a particular persona or demographic. Viewers would also
decide whether the brand is for them based on how the video’s value fits theirs or their friends.
Two primary reasons that participants do not share branded videos are:
1. The content is not interesting. They believe that what they share represents
who they are.
2. Sharing branded content means to endorse the brand. They feel hesitant to
advocate for brands.
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“I will see the video, but I won’t send it to friends. Unlike I really really really strongly
believe in that company. Like Tristan’s story is great, but I won't share it to friends.
Because it will be like pushing my friends to Southwest,” said participant A.

During the focus group, participants reported that branded video helped improve their
impression toward Southwest Airlines, but are not powerful enough to change their behavior,
which proves that for products with high prices, a branded video is effective in building good
brand image but might not help raise sales.
“...Because usually, we think airlines in a negative way. Because the cheap ticket, we feel
like it doesn’t provide us with good service. But now, Southwest is trying to tell you that
they are good at taking care of their customers. They care about us. They do all these
things. That impressed me a little bit,” said participant F.
“For me, when it comes to airlines, I always choose the cheapest ones. Whatever airline it
is. So even if I have a better understanding of the southwest, I will still choose the
cheapest one,” said participant C.
“For me it’s going to be like, next time when I see southwest and the cheap ticket, I’ll be
like ‘oh that’s the sweet one!’ but you know, if UA has a better price, I’ll still go with
UA,” said participant H.

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Chapter Five: Case Study
Five successful branded video case studies are included in this research. Cases were
selected among branded videos that have successfully made a positive impact on the brand. They
have either generated global conversations or won awards for outstanding performance. Five
branded videos were produced by brands in different industries which include personal care,
feminine hygiene, technology, nonprofit, and sports apparel (see table 4).

Table 4. Branded Video Case Information
Branded Video Industry Why Selected
Case Study 1:
Real Beauty
Sketches by Dove
Personal care Became the most viewed promotional video of all
time within one month after release.
Case Study 2:
#LikeAGirl by
Always
Feminine
hygiene
Became the number two viral promotional video
globally. The brand’s Twitter followers tripled, and
YouTube Channel subscribers grew 4339% in the first
three months.
Case Study 3:
The DNA
Journey by
Momondo
Technology/
Metasearch
engine
Recognized as Clio Award in Branded Entertainment
in 2017.
Case Study 4:
Honest Yearbook
by Because of
You
Nonprofit Selected film for Brand Film Festival New York 2019.
Case Study 5:
Dream Crazy by
Nike
Sports apparel Gained the most single-day video views on social
media. Mentions on Twitter increased 1,300%.

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Coding Scheme
A coding scheme was developed from focus group insights and published literature to
discover the factors that made selected branded videos successful (see table 5). The author
summarizes the essential elements of good storytelling from the following sources:
1. The Art of Branded Entertainment, Back to Basics: Principles of Storytelling
Applied to Branded Entertainment by Suzuki (97- 105).
2. The Four Elements of Storytelling by Fog, Budtz, Munch and Blanchette (31-46).
3. Storytelling Across Worlds: Transmedia for Creatives and Producers by Dowd,
Niederman, Fry and Steiff (48-54).

Table 5. Case Study Coding Scheme
Case Study Coding Scheme
1. A character-driven story
2. A story that is told in an emotional tone
3. Background music
4. A story with Narrative
5. A story in 3-act structure
6. A story that is developed based on brand insights
7. A story that is developed based on consumer insights
8. A story that proposes a question in the beginning
9. A story that provides a solution at the end
10. A story with an unpredictable ending
11. A story with a unique setting
12. An ethical story
13. A story that is in tune with the audience’s Zeitgeist
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14. A story with a clear central question
15. A story with a high concept
16. A story with a conflict
17. A story with high entertaining value
18. A story that features the brand as the key that drives the plot forward
19. A story with high production values
20. A story with high-quality artistic visuals
21. A story with product placement
22. A story that targets all potential viewers rather than only focusing on potential
consumers
23. The video was first released on social media
24. The video was first released on television
25. The video starts trendy topics and online conversations

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Case Study 1: Real Beauty Sketches by Dove
Real Beauty Sketches is a 6-minute short film presented by Dove in 2013. Dove is a
personal care brand owned by Unilever, which is based in the United Kingdom. Popular Dove
products include hair shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, and skin care, etc.
Through research, Dove discovered that 80% of women feel anxious about their looks.
Only 4% of women think that they are beautiful. Anxiety about appearance starts to build in
women’s personality at an early age—six out of ten girls feel anxious about how they look. The
anxiety is with them in every aspect of their lives and is preventing them from performing better
(Dove).
In Real Beauty Sketches, Dove invited several women to come into a warehouse one by
one and describe their looks to Gil Zamora, an FBI-trained Forensic Composite Artist. Without
seeing their faces, Zamora drew these women’s faces by listening to their self-description. Then,
Dove invited people who have met these women in-person to describe these women’s looks to
Zamora. Later, Dove put each self-described portrait next to the portrait drawn based on other
people’s description. Surprisingly, every woman looks much more beautiful and more outgoing
in other people’s eyes (See fig 1). Through this branded video, Dove highlighted that women are
more beautiful than they think.

Figure 1. Self-described portrait (left) and how others perceive their looks (right)

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This short film targeted all women who had not realized how beautiful they truly are.
This insight goes with Dove’s vision that “beauty should be a source of confidence, not anxiety”
(Dove). Through Real Beauty Sketches, Dove hoped to support the next generation of women to
find confidence and self-esteem from their appearance.
Comments at Dove’s YouTube channel indicate that the audience engaged with this
branded video’s central question throughout the story.
“If we could only see ourselves through over [peoples] eyes...” said Marelize Earle; this
is one of the top comments of Real Beauty Sketches, which received 5.4 thousand likes.
“Omg he actually drew them how they looked on the second drawing,” commented by -
MIMI - and received 3.9 thousand likes.
Naina Dhaliwal’s comment received 2.8 thousand likes, “When you try answering the
questions yourself but then you realize you can't remember/describe how you look. ”
“Did anybody else cry because they felt exactly like those people did? That we see
ourselves way worse than others see us. It's really sad,” said Candi Chadwick, whose
comment receives 1.2 thousand likes.

These comments proved that Real Beauty Sketches successfully found a consumer
insight and was in tune with the Zeitgeist of its audience. Most viewers could relate to the story.
They feel the same as these women who were drawn in the video. Some comments even
mentioned that they would love to be in the project because they wish to know how other people
think of them.
“I would love to do that, I've always wanted to spend the day as someone else and get to
know myself to see what other people think of me,” said Faith Jowett, whose comment
receives 1.6 thousand likes.
Qi 39
According to Dove’s website, Real Beauty Sketches has initiated a global conversation
about women’s self-perception. “More than 50 million people viewed the Dove video within 12
days of its release.” To date, Real Beauty Sketches has been viewed nearly 8.9 million times on
Dove US YouTube channel alone. Real Beauty Sketches became the most viral video of all times
one month after its release; “It was uploaded in 25 different languages to 33 of Dove's YouTube
channels and has been viewed in more than 110 countries.” Stampler said in her article on
Business Insider (par. 3).
Real Beauty Sketches led public interest in the 2010s and invited everyone to join the
evolution of self-esteem boosting and body image perception. Another insight that made Real
Beauty Sketches successful was that people care about how other people think of them so much,
that they neglect the fact that their lives should be about self-perception and how they get along
with themselves. People try to present the best of themselves unconsciously. However, there are
no criteria for evaluating whether they are good enough. Back in 2013, most brands and stores
were full of edited posters that encourage consumers to become prettier people with “perfect”
bodies. Dove stood out and told the story from a unique angle—you are already prettier and
better than you know. Women do not have to change. They ARE beautiful. Dove helped women
to discover their real beauty. This message was as attractive as aromatherapy that calms the
audience and successfully built a tight emotional connection with viewers.
It can be hard to identify whether Real Beauty Sketches is a character-driven story. There
were several female participants featured in the video, but none of them were in the leading role.
Although there was no character in the leading role, all women featured in the story shared the
same characteristics. They all represented a woman who is limited by anxiety and lack of
confidence. Dove made every female viewer feel that she is the main character of the story. The
Qi 40
author would say that Real Beauty Sketches is a character-driven story developed upon
consumer insights.
It is also interesting to see that Dove’s logo only appeared at the very end of the video.
There was no product placement throughout the story. However, every viewer could connect the
story with Dove’s brand image. Dove did not put much brand-related information into the video
since the primary purpose of this branded video was to create a caring, heartwarming story.
Product placement could damage that emotional atmosphere. Dove treats viewers as people who
came for love and care, not people who can be converted to future consumers. Thus, viewers
were more willing to share the video to friends to endorse the value.
According to Unruly Media, Real Beauty Sketches was shared about 600 thousand times
on the first day if its launch. Total share number reached 3.1 million in the first two weeks after
launch (see fig 2).

Figure 2. Real Beauty Sketches total share number

Qi 41
The high volume of viewership was not achieved by organic social media posts.
According to Dove Skin Vice President Fernando Machado, Dove worked with YouTube for
paid advertisement to promote this branded video. Dove also generated initial media placement,
“Such as the Today Show, Mashable, Huffington Post and Channel 7 Morning Show in
Australia. The film was distributed to top media around the world and was quickly shared by
women, men, media and even other brands," (Business Insider). Dove’s initial paid media
placement generated about four billion PR impressions.
According to Unilever’s 2013 annual report, Dove had had strong growth in the year of
2013. The brand received 23 Lions at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Real
Beauty Sketches won Cannes Lions highest honor, the Titanium Grand Prix (12).
It is difficult to evaluate how much impact Real Beauty Sketches had had on Unilever’s
sales. Unilever’s 2013 Q2 report mentioned that “Latin America posted an eighth quarter of
double digit growth with a good balance between volume and price whilst North America
declined by (2)% in the quarter. In US hair care our share is up but sales were held back by trade
stock movements while at the same time we saw higher sales in Brazil ahead of a forthcoming
SAP system change. Core operating margin was up 40bps with higher gross margin partly offset
by increased advertising and promotions.” The overall performance in the Americas was good
but could not prove any correlation or cause-and-effect relationships between Real Beauty
Sketches and sales.
Back to the branded video aspect, in all, the author believes that three major factors made
Real Beauty Sketches the most viewed promotional video online:
1. Dove developed the story based on consumer insight and Zeitgeist.
2. The conflict between women’s self-described portraits and how other
people see them.
Qi 42
3. Dove told the story for all viewers rather than targeting potential
consumers.

Case study 2. #LikeAGirl by Always
#LikeAGirl is a PR campaign launched by Always in 2014. Always is a feminine hygiene
brand owned by Procter & Gamble, which is based in the United States. Major products of
Always include pads, liners, and wipes. Always considers #LikeAGirl as an epic battle for
supporting the girl’s confidence.
The story idea was inspired by a 2017 U.S. study among girls between 16 and 24 years
old. Always discovered that, during puberty, half of the girls are fear of failure. More than 80%
of girls are anxious for being expected to be perfect (Always). Girls started to avoid trying new
things so that they can stay away from failure. Always created #LikeAGirl to tell girls in puberty
that failing can be a good thing. Girls can learn from and build confidence through failure.
In the branded video, Always invited several young women and a man, and several
young girls and a boy to answer a few questions. The director first asked each of them to act the
first thing that comes to their mind when they hear “run like a girl,” “throw like a girl,” and
“fight like a girl.” All older female and male interviewees act in a shy way (see fig 3). They run,
throw, and fight with shy smiles and cared about their appearance more than their body
movement.

Figure 3. Older female and male interviewees act “like a girl.”
Qi 43

However, when young girls were asked the same questions, they act in a completely
different way (see fig 4). All girls run, throw and fight as hard as they can. The director asked
one of the young girls, “What does it mean to run like a girl?” The girl answered, “It means run
as fast as you can.”

Figure 4. Young girls act “like a girl.”

Later, older female interviewees were inspired by younger girls’ confidence. They were
given a second chance to redo all three acts. This time, all of them ignored what “like a girl” is
defined by the society. They ran like themselves.
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In the video, Always highlighted that the brand wants to change girls’ lacking confidence
during puberty. The brand also encouraged people to stop viewing “like a girl” as an insult and
start to make #LikeAGirl an accomplishment.
Different from Dove’s Real Beauty Sketches, Always involved logo placement in the
video and directly reminded the audience to share the story at the end (see fig 5).

Figure 5. Always encouraged the audience to share the video.

#LikeAGirl was designed to target the next generation of consumers; this is not a
character-driven but an insight-driven story. Always brought up the central question-- what can it
mean to be like a girl? How can we change the unwanted status? Always asked a central question
at the beginning of the video and answered it at the end. Although the ending was predictable,
the contrast between acts of young and older female interviewees was a huge surprise to the
audience. Similar to Dove, Always tried to tell a story that is in tune with the audience’s
Zeitgeist.
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After two months of launch, #LikeAGirl were viewed 76 million times worldwide. The
topic, #LikeAGirl, had gained 4.4 billion impressions throughout the web (Shorty Awards).
It is noteworthy that Always did involve logo placement in the video, several times.
From the comment section of Always’ YouTube channel, the author was a little surprised to find
that comments are more controversial than expected. One of the top comments was posted by
YesFunnyYes, “Tell a girl that, ‘she walks like a man,’ would be considered an insult as well.”
Some people disagree with the statement since Always’ video is not about girls being the
opposite but about girls being equal to boys. While others did not see the problem that Always
was arguing due to “Different genders do different things and they have different physical
features.”
DriftyWingss commented that “I’m a hater of these videos to be honest as [their] is a lot
of girl insults but there is never any highlights on men insults from women because as my
personal experience, if girls are being treated the same as men why is it that if you hit a
girl it’s seen worse than hitting a man? I think that problem needs to be solved.” Many
male viewers agreed with DriftyWingss’ opinion.

However, a lot of female viewers agree with AfroDollBabe’s comment that “I love how
this video didn't even say the word 'man' and yet you guys still think you're being bashed. Stop
making everything about you, just because they're uplifting girls doesn't mean we're putting
down men. Geez stop whining...”
These comments show that when a brand’s key message is for a particular group of
audience, people outside of this group may misunderstand the message. Although Always’
products are for female consumers. It is possible that a lot of males are Always’ consumers too.
For example, a single dad or a husband who comes to purchase female hygiene products for their
Qi 46
family members. Always did a good job in relating the story to their major target audience, but it
sacrificed the opportunity of building a relationship with people outside of its target area.
The author believes that Always wanted to avoid sex-exclusivity; that may be the reason
why two male interviewees were invited in the branded video. However, having male
interviewees was not sufficient enough to prevent the audience from misunderstanding the
central question.
Sam Borgman commented on YouTube that #LikeAGirl is just another campaign trying
to be something else. The ultimate goal of this branded video was to raise sales; “Girls
today already know this is an insult. Even that 10-year-old guessed it right. But girls don't
use it. It is always used by guys to insult other guys, has nothing to do with girls!”

Borgman’s comment shows that after watching the video, he or she still failed to connect
girls’ drop of self-esteem during puberty with #LikeAGirl. According to Robins et al., girls’ self-
esteem drops from 3.8 to 3.5 between 12 and 22 years old (428). Since 22, women’s self-esteem
gradually increases but will not reaches the peak level of 3.6 until 70 years old. However, men’s
self-esteem could return to the same level as before puberty in their 50s; then their self-esteem
will stay above that level before 70 years old (see fig 6). Always might be able to have better
communication with male viewers and reduce negative comments by educating viewers about
the issue before introducing the story. Scientific data or evidence from true stories could also
help the audience to understand the branded video better.

Qi 47
Figure 6. Self-esteem across the life span

Despite controversial online reviews, #LikeAGirl was recognized by the communication
industry. The video won total seven awards, including Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding
Commercial in 2015. #LikeAGirl inspired many people, and they are using the hashtag on social
media until today.
In all, the author believes that there are three major factors made #LikeAGirl’s
successful:
1. The story provided a solution for concern at the end.
2. The story features a conflict between younger and older girls’ action.
3. The story is in tune with the target audience’s Zeitgeist.

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Case Study 3: The DNA Journey by Momondo
The DNA Journey is a short film series launched with Momondo’s Lets Open Our World
campaign in 2016. Momondo is a free travel metasearch engine based in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The website helps users to search and compare flights, hotels, and car rental services. In this
research, the author will analyze the most popular video of the film series.
From research, Momondo discovered that 48% of people think human beings are
becoming less tolerant toward other cultures. Momondo thought that travel to different places
might not be enough to broaden the state of mind. So, the company came up with the idea of
helping people to understand how tightly they are connected with the world. Momondo
developed a story based on the central question— “You have more in common with the world
than you think.”
Momondo collaborated with AncestryDNA, an ethnicity testing company, to present The
DNA Journey. In the video, 67 people of various races and nationalities were invited to join the
project to explore who they really are. Before ethnicity testing, each participant shared their life
stories and countries and ancestries. One participant from England even mentioned that he could
not get along well with people from Germany.
Then, two researchers asked each participant to spit in a tube for ethnicity testing
completed by AncestryDNA. Testing results showed that everyone is formed by multiple races
and has multiple ancestries. Their connections with the world are more complicated than they
could ever imagine. Some results were surprisingly fantastic. For example, Germany is one of
the English participant's ancestries. More incredibly, two of these 67 participants were cousins.
At the end of the video, every participant agreed that human beings have much more in common
than realized. They would love to travel to the places on their ethnicity maps.
Qi 49
One backlash the brand may have considered is that a lot of viewers were skeptical of the
plot since the results seemed too dramatic. It is understandable that the audience would think the
video is scripted; especially two of the 67 people were cousins. However, the brand claimed that
although these participants were recruited among actors and actresses, every participant did test
for ethnicity. Momondo only planned the video’s framework. The results were real. When
evaluating a story, there is no rule where the right amount of drama is. However, if the story is
based on reality, brands should examine whether the majority of the audience can accept the
drama.
Different form Case 1 and 2, The DNA Journey is driven by a brand insight. Momondo
featured the Zeitgeist of seeing an open world through an open mind and noticed that this value
was not receiving enough attention as it should be.
The DNA Journey encouraged people to start traveling and using Momondo’s website.
Along with the branded video, Momondo launched a competition that offers a DNA kit to the
winner. The winner will get a trip to explore his or her ancestries too.
While reviewing online comments, the author noticed that although many viewers did not
believe in the core insight of the video since the story was too dramatic. Many of them still
showed interests in trying the DNA kit; this proves that branded stories can raise consumer
interests in products without developing brand affinity.
What interesting is that Momondo did not involve any product or logo placement in the
video. The only product-related part viewers could see was participants spit into the tubes and
were shocked when they see the testing reports. Is visualizing what a product can do for you
more effective than showing the product itself? To visualize benefits seems like a good
alternative to product placement in videos.
Qi 50
By the time it recognized as Clio Awards and Danish Digital Award winners, The DNA
Journey reached to 585 million people and generated 10.1 million social engagements. Similar to
Case 1, The DNA Journey received incredible organic sharing which was as high as 96.5%
(Danish Digital Award).
According to Danish Digital Award, The DNA Journey was also cited by schools, social
communities, and talk shows. For example, American talk show host Oprah Winfrey mentioned
this story in 2016. The DNA Journey also helped Momondo increased 8% in market penetration
and raised 2% in global market share (Danish Digital Award).
The author thinks that The DNA Journey achieved its success for
1. Telling an emotional story.
2. In tune with the audience’s Zeitgeist.
3. Presenting an unpredictable ending.

Case Study 4: Honest Yearbook by Because of You
Honest Yearbook is a public service announcement created by The Advertising Council
(the Ad Council) for anti-bullying movement Because of You. The Ad Council is an American
non-profit media company that focuses on creating campaigns for social issues. Because of You
aims to prevent bullying among teenagers and encourages them to speak up for their challenges.
Honest Yearbook is a three-minute video that begins with a question: “What’s the impact
teenagers have on each other?” The story starts with clips of multiple high school students
walking into a room to take yearbook photos. The photographer told them that their friends had
prepared surprise videos for them. In videos, friends talked about how friendship saved them
from bullying and built bright, new lives. Then the photographer took pictures of students’
emotional moments as their unique, genuine yearbook photos.
Qi 51
The author considers Honest Yearbook as a story developed based on observations.
Unlike many other anti-bullying public service announcements, Honest Yearbook took a unique
angle to tell an authentic teenage story. Rather than criticizing bullies or showing sympathy to
victims, the story illustrated what could happen when teenagers meet people who treat them well.
A good story, like Honest Yearbook, can encourage the audience to discover the cause-
and-effect relationship by themselves. The worse experience the victim had had, the more
happiness friendship would bring.
Another observation that made this story successful is that the creators noticed that
emphasizing on the result of bullying is not the best way to relate to teenagers. Friendship and
love are what they truly care about. Generation Z is the most likely group of audience who
celebrates authenticity, a genuine moment of their emotional reaction worth more than any
bullying statistics.
The author also noticed that Honest Yearbook’s creators were 20- and 19-year-old
adults, whose ages were close to high school students’. The best way to understand the target
audience’s needs is to become a member of them. A good story does not have to be told by an
insider. However, being a member of the group will help with telling a relatable story. When
creators tell stories as members of the audience’s community, their opinions may earn more trust
from viewers.
Although non-profit organizations always fight for humanity, viewers sometimes
consider their missions less valuable than they are. As mentioned in the literature review, some
industries including insurance and healthcare usually gain fewer positive results from branded
videos. Sometimes, non-profit organizations might face the same issue as insurance and
healthcare brands.
Qi 52
Honest Yearbook once again proved the importance of speaking to the target audience in
the tone of sharing a story, but not trying to educate or sell. The audience understands that the
concept is crucial, but neither theory nor statistic number is interesting enough to grab their
attention.
Although Honest Yearbook was about teenagers, it also attracted many viewers who have
been through adolescence. Among online reviews, many people recalled their bullying-related
experience back in middle or high schools. Their comments inspired the author that Real Beauty
Sketches, #LikeAGirl, and Honest Yearbook all increased brand affinity since viewers were
familiar with these situations and mindset. However, in Case 3 The DNA Journey, seldom do
people have experience in having a DNA test. Does a relatable story need to be developed from
real life and the audience’s experience? This question can be investigated in future research.
Although it is not included in the coding scheme, the author wants to point out that
Honest Yearbook featured students in multiple races and different genders. Brands and
organizations have been doing this for a long time to be in tune with the 2010s’ Zeitgeist of
celebrating all ethnicities.
In all, the author believes that Honest Yearbook became successful for three factors:
1. Unique story angle.
2. Accurate observation of target audience needs and interests.
3. Tell a story that could be relatable to all potential viewers.

Qi 53
Case Study 5: Dream Crazy by Nike
Dream Crazy is a video created by Nike in 2018. This video was made to celebrate
Nike’s 30th anniversary. Nike is a sports apparel and footwear company based in the United
States.
Dream Crazy is a 2-minutes video that features different athletes who fight for and are
willing to sacrifice everything to chase their crazy dreams. The video highlighted the idea that
“Don’t ask if your dreams are crazy. Ask if they’re crazy enough.”
What made the video controversial was that Nike invited Colin Kaepernick, a former
football player for San Francisco 49ers, to be the video’s narrator. During 2016 preseason and
regular season, Kaepernick kneeled during the national anthem to protest for black people in the
United States. Although he explained that he was not anti-America, his behavior became
incredibly controversial. Two years after the event, Nike collaborated with Kaepernick for its
30th anniversary to showcase the brand’s belief – “Believe in something, even if it means
sacrificing everything.”
According to Market Watch, Nike gained 31% growth in online sales during the days
when Dream Crazy was released. Some prediction suggested that Nike sales would drop since
Colin Kaepernick was controversial and could arouse negative feelings for consumers. However,
Statistics from Edison Trens, a digital commerce research company proved the Nike sales highly
increased (Market Watch).
One month after its release, Dream Crazy was viewed for over 80 million times on
Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Several top YouTube comments said that it is the best
branding video they have ever seen. Some viewers commented that “Still buying Nike products,”
“You ever get chills to a Nike video and gotta think about life,” and “Not an ad but the best
motivational speech ever...” Dream Crazy understood what consumers care and need.
Qi 54
The author thinks that Dream Crazy is developed upon a controversial event in reality.
The key factor that made it successful was the brand’s boldness. Nike was bold to say what many
viewers hesitated to say. Nike was brave enough to do what other brands tried to avoid. Dream
Crazy also took strong social responsibility that consumers expect from global brands.

Case Study Summary
After applied coding scheme to all five cases, the author discovered that all cases studies
share nine schemes (see table 6).
All cases were first released on social media, where they had great opportunities to
become viral through earned and paid media. All of them had started global online
conversations, thus boosted positive global brand images.
As for the story perspective, all five videos told stories in an emotional tone, which help
the audience emphasize brands’ values. They all had clear central questions and told ethical
stories with high production values.
Besides, the author believes that the following factors will set a foundation for effective
branded video.
1. Provide a solution at the end.
2. Keep the story in tune with the audience’s Zeitgeist.
3. Targets all potential viewers rather than focusing on potential consumers only.

Qi 55
Table 6 Case Study Summary

Case Study Summary

Case 1
Dove

Case 2
Always

Case 3
Momondo

Case 4
Because of
You

Case 5

Nike
A character-driven story

x
A story that is told in emotional
tone
x x x x x
Background music

x x
A story with Narrative

x
A story in 3-act structure

A story that is developed based
on brand insights

x

x
A story that is developed based
on consumer insights
x x

x
A story that proposes a question
in the beginning

x x x

A story that provides a solution
at the end
x x x x x
A story with an unpredictable
ending
x x x

A story with a unique setting

An ethical story x x x x x
A story that is in tune with the
audience’s Zeitgeist
x x x x x
Qi 56
A story with a clear central
question
x x x x x
A story with high concept

x
A story with a strong conflict x x x

A story with high entertaining
value

A story that features the brand as
the key that drives plot forward
x x

x
A story with high production
values
x x x x x
A story with high-quality artistic
visuals
x

x

x
A story with product placement

x

x
A story that targets all potential
viewers rather than only focusing
on potential consumers
x x x x x
The video was first released on
social media
x x x x x
The video was first released on
television

The video starts trendy topics
and online conversations
x x x x x

Qi 57
Chapter Six: Interview
Three interviews with PR professionals were conducted to explore their thoughts about
branded video. Interviews were conducted on November 8, 2018, November 12, 2018, and
December 5, 2018. Interview transcripts are in Appendix B, C, and D.
Interviewees include:
1. Fred Cook, Chairman of Golin and Director of the University of Southern California
Center for Public Relations.
2. Alexander Jutkowitz, CEO of Group SJR, and author of The Strategic Storyteller:
Content Marketing in the Age of the Educated Consumer.
3. Dr. Su Jung Kim, Assistant Professor of Journalism at the University of Southern
California.

Interview Findings
There is no right or wrong of whether the PR industry should to define branded video
clearly. The boundary between advertising and branded video is and will always be blurry. The
world’s trend is not about to separate things but to merge multiple concepts into one. There will
be more and more branded videos in the future. Very likely we will see a new form of visual PR
that mixes branded video, advertising, and entertainment all into one.
During interviews, all interviewees agreed that the effectiveness of storytelling varies
upon the industry. Some industries (For example, insurance, finance, and healthcare) may have
stereotypes among the public. Thus, they would receive gain less benefit from branded video.
However, branded video still provides an opportunity for these industries to be heard by more
people. They will need more patience and effort to achieve their goals.
Qi 58
During the interview with Professor Kim, Kim mentioned that a consumer’s needs do not
always remain the same; their needs are affected by environment, culture, and people around
them. Every time before drafting for a branded video, practitioners must examine the audience’s
cultural background and current trend. Even they are designing content for the same audience as
before.
While consumer insight is crucial for a branded video, it does not always need to be
generated from massive data. To create an effective branded video, data mining and data analysis
can be helpful but are not necessary.

Qi 59
Chapter Seven: Discussion
Based on primary research and literature review, the author developed a Branded Video
Essential Pyramid to explain the essentials of a branded video. The author also provided a
Branded Video Development Suite that walks PR practitioners through the process of creating a
branded video story. The Branded Video Development Suite is developed based on Swann’s PR
process model.

Branded Video Story Essential Pyramid
Although the tip of a pyramid has always been considered as the superior part, the author
put the most critical factors of a branded video at the bottom layer of the pyramid; since they
form the foundation of a branded video.
Foundation. A good branded video story must be developed based on a consumer or a
brand insight that is in tune with the audience Zeitgeist. A branded video needs to have a clear
central question and provide a solution for viewers to solve their problems (Usually the solution
is tightly connected with the brand). Another thing is to create a branded video for a broad
audience. Do not just create a branded video for a small group of people or only for the brand’s
consumers. Finally, always release the branded video on social media platforms. Which
platforms to use will depend on target audience characteristics.
Middler. The second layer of the pyramid includes tell the story in an emotional tone;
tell a character-driven story and add a conflict. These elements will help a branded video to
impress viewers but are not must-have. Brands should try to involve these elements if possible,
but do not force it.
Qi 60
Tip. High production value sets on the top layer since, compared to other ones, it is the
most unimportant element. The audience appreciates high-quality videography, but it has been
proved that this is not a must-have factor for a branded video to leave a deep impression.

Figure 7. The Essentials of Branded Video

Branded Video Development Suite
This Branded Video Development Suite serves as a guide for branded video story
development (see fig 8). Total of five steps are included.

Figure 8. Branded Video Story Development Suite Diagram.
Qi 61

Step 1. Understand the Issue. Develop a branded video can be similar to launch a public
relations campaign. The first step is to set a timeline. Then, to understand the brand, including
but not limited to the history, mission, vision, and environment (Internal environment, external
environment and online community) of the brand. A comprehensive SWOT analysis should be
conducted at this stage. If the brand had produced branded video before, Practitioners must
analyze and learn from previous cases.
Some insights are hidden among numbers in financial reports. Make sure to review
numbers like new customer conversion rate and old consumers’ purchasing habits, etc.
PR professionals should also review the brands’ competitors. What are the competitors’
mission and vision? What makes them different?
Qi 62

Step 2. Set Goal and Objectives. Set a goal for the branded video. What to accomplish
through the story? What is the key message the brand wants to send? Who is your target
audience and who may engage with the video?
Measurable, time-oriented objectives should be set. Objectives will also help evaluate the
branded video’s effectiveness after launch.

Step 3. Find the Insight. Now it is time to conduct comprehensive primary research to
discover the best story to tell. Sample questions include: Who is the audience? What do they
care? What culture do they respect?
Keep in mind that story listeners are as smart as storytellers. The audience can sense a
brand’s purpose, real belief, and true value. A brand should not try to be something it is not or
vice versa. A brand’s genuineness will be challenged throughout the story.
Consumer observation and survey can be PR practitioners’ best friends for finding
consumer insights. Observe how the audience engages with the brand’s product. What problems
do they have? How can the branded video help them with these issues?
Insight should be easy to understand and could direct to a relatable story immediately.

Step 4. Draft the Story. The story of a branded video should be developed based on the
discovered insight. Always speak in the tone of sharing a story rather than selling a brand. Do
not force the pace. Give the video some time to breathe.

Step 5. Evaluate Effectiveness. Before finalized, branded video story must be evaluated
to ensure its quality and effectiveness. Focus groups are needed in this stage. Test the story
Qi 63
among the target audience who had never seen it before. If many participants found the story
hard to relate, practitioners should consider going through from Part 1 again to find the cause.

Chapter Eight: Limitation and Future Research
Although this study includes three kinds of primary research, all collected data were
qualitative. In the future, researchers could conduct control group experiments to collect
quantitative data of attitude change before and after watching a branded video to test
effectiveness. This result may help researchers to quantify how branded videos changed viewers
emotions and feelings.
In future studies, researchers can embed video length, character ethnicity, and cultural
impact into the coding scheme.

Qi 64
Chapter Nine: Conclusion
During this research process, a few words caught the author’s attention— “emotion,”
“story” and “humanize.” These three words appeared very often throughout this study. The
author started to understand a brand as a person. Branded videos are his or her stories. Viewers
get to know this person through his or her stories, then decides whether to make friend with him
or her. People tend to make friends with people who have similar interests and thoughts about
the world with them.
A branded video is a way for brands to make friends with the public. People do not
introduce themselves when others are focusing on something else. So brands should not tell their
stories when the audience is busy watching something else on social media.
Some grocery brands are like childhood friends; they become a part of consumers’ lives
before they even noticed. Luxury brands are party queens, who grab consumers’ attention in
seconds. People seldom become friends with a person who keeps selling things to them. So, in
branded videos, brands should never push too hard on sales or product placement.
What are the essentials of a successful branded video? The answer is simple-- A good
story shared with the right person at the right time.
Imagine a brand is telling a story to its best friends. Tell them a story that makes them
feel good. Tell them the information that will benefit them. Tell them more details when they
have time to hear. It is as simple as that.

Qi 65
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Store.” – Adweek, Adweek, 18 Sept. 2018, www.adweek.com/creativity/as-students-pose-
for-yearbook-photos-this-anti-bullying-psa-has-a-surprise-in-store/.

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List of Figure
Figure 1. Self-described portrait (left) and how others perceive their looks (right)

Figure 2. Real Beauty Sketches total share number

Figure 3. Older female and male interviewees act “like a girl.”

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Figure 4. Young girls act “like a girl.”

Figure 5. Always encouraged the audience to share the video.

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Figure 6. Self-esteem across the life span

Figure 7. The Essentials of Branded Video

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Figure 8. Branded Video Story Development Suite Diagram.

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Appendices
Appendix A: Focus Group Transcript

Researcher:
First of all, I want to thank everyone for being here. This focus group is a part of
my research for a graduate thesis about branded video. In this focus group, I want
to hear your thoughts, your idea about branding, branded video and branded
content. The case we are discussing today is Southwest Airlines. You're invited
because you're all USC students who are active on social media and are potential
Southwest Airlines consumers. I want to tap into all of those experiences and your
opinions about how branded videos can affect consumers’ attitude toward a brand.
There are no right or wrong answers. I expect you will have different points of
view. Feel free to share your point of view, even if it differs from what others
have said. I am recording the session because I don't want to miss any of your
comments. No names will be included in any reports. Your comment is
confidential. And don't feel like you have to respond to me all the time. If you
want to follow up on something that someone has said; You want to agree or
disagree or give an example, feel free to do so. And feel free to have a
conversation with one another about these questions. I'm here ask questions and
listen, to make sure everyone has a chance to share. So, if you're talking a lot. I
may ask you to give others a chance to share. And if you are not saying much, I
may call on you to speak up more. I want to make sure all of you will have a
chance to share your thoughts. If you have a cellphone, please put it on quiet
mode. If you need to answer a call, please step out to do so. Let’s begin with the
question: What’s your attitude or impression about Southwest Airlines?

Participant A:
I guess my attitude towards Southwest…I don’t really know too much about
them. I mean I know the brand. I’ve never flown on their airlines. But I think they
are a good inexpensive option.

Participant B:
My attitude toward the Southwest is neutral. Because I’ve never flown them. I
heard that’s one of the cheapest ones in the USA.

Participant C:
Actually, I don’t have any impressions on it. I only know that’s one of the
cheapest airlines.

Participant D:
I have heard about it. It’s like a cheap option, but I’ve never been on a Southwest
airline.
Participant E:
I personally love Southwest Airlines. Because they are affordable and efficient,
and I’ve always had good experiences flying with them.

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Participant F:
I’ve never flown with Southwest before. But I heard of they are super cheap.

Participant G:
I heard of the Southwest a little before because I have seen a few cases how
Southwest saved money because of the cheap airline.

Participant H:
I have had one experience with Southwest. Years before, my friends and I were at
Southwest. They were overbooked. We happened to be the one who is chosen to
be delayed. I was really upset. My whole trip was delayed. Hotel booking and
everything. I tried to write them an email that I am upset with this experience. I
don’t think it’s fair to me. And it really surprised me that they replied to my email
with 400 dollars' check. I wasn’t asking for it at all. They were really sorry about
this.

Participant C:
Sounds like they have very good customer experience.

Participant H:
I think so. That was really a surprise.

Researcher:
So, are you familiar with the concept branded video?

Participant A:
Kind of.

Participant D:
Not too much.

Participant E:
It’s a term that I’ve never personally used. I assume that I know what it is. But it’s
a term that I have never used or heard anyone used.

Participant B:
The basic assumption is a video about a certain brand.

Participant A:
I think maybe the thing I get confused about is what is the difference between a
branded video and an advertisement. Cause I feel like they are kind of similar.

Researcher:
That’s actually a great question. What about other people? Do you think you can
tell the difference between a branded video and a commercial when you watch it?

Participant E:
Can you give a definition of what a branded video is?
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Researcher:
A branded video we are talking about in this focus group is a video that tells the
story of a brand and promotes the brand’s value without selling a product.

Participant H:
So, a commercial is more based on the profit. And a branded video is more like an
internal culture.

Participant B:
I assume the commercial video is to compare products with other products. But a
branded video is more about the culture and values of the brand.

Participant E:
When I think of branded video, I think of it living on like the corporate website
for us to know more about the company. Like Southwest, I see that every time I
take on a Southwest flight, they show me a branded video--Who they are, who
their employees are, what their value, how they operate. Versus an advertisement
will be telling about prices and all that stuff. I can see the difference between
selling you something and telling you who they are.

Participant C:
I am confused. So is branded video for the audience or it’s just internal.

Researcher:
A branded video can be shown to target audience too. Now we are going to watch
three videos. I’m not going to name which ones are ads, which ones are branded
videos. We can watch and enjoy the three videos and make a comparison. You
can tell me what you think about these videos.

Video Playing

Researcher:
Cool. So, what do we think of these videos? Do we see ads or do we see branded
videos?

Participant B:
I think we saw both of them. I think the first one was an ad, more for commercial
purposes. Because it compares southwest with other airlines, it says the price is
cheaper. But in the second and the third video, it says what the brand values. They
appreciate who they are and what they do. I think the last two are branded videos
because they give the spirit of Southwest Airlines.

Participant C:
The first one is commercial for sure. Because it makes me feel uncomfortable.

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Everyone laughs.

Researcher:
Why do you feel uncomfortable?

Participant C:
It keeps telling how good they are.

Participant G:
Yes, the first one is an ad, and the other two are branded videos. Because I see
two difference. One is time. The first video is short, and it has a lot of
information. The information is focused on the flight experience to describe how
good they are. The other two videos are longer. And the second difference is, the
last two videos tell us some stories. They don’t provide very useful information.
They just tell us some stories to make us agree with the character of Southwest.

Participant D:
Yeah, I would say the last two videos are more content heavy. They both have a
story. The first one is just advertising the brand.

Participant E:
The last two were very purpose-driven. I got the feel of who they are what they
want to do as a company, what they value, and their mission. These two were
storytelling and humanize the brand really well. The last two videos tag on your
emotions.

Participant A:
I liked the last two better. But I think all three of them seem like branded videos.
Because in the end they were not like buy it! It was more like we have low prices
for you, which was more like talking about their branding of their product. And
the other two were still banding but are connecting to make it more human.

Participant E:
I agree. I thought all of them were branded videos as well. The last two was just
toward emotions.

Participant H:
I almost forget the first one what it was. I think it’s a commercial cause it’s super
short. And I just forgot it. There is no story. I think the other two definitely are
branded videos.

Participant B:
I think in terms of the pace of these three videos, the first one is so fast. It has
short0term purposes. The rest two were so calm like they give a sense of their
long-term purposes. And give some emotions I think after watching.

Participant A:
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I agree. Cause I think among all three of them, I’ll remember the third one more
than the other two. Because it was like more… I like the story better. I think the
little kid is cute. It’s just like heartwarming. And it has to do with the pacing too.

Participant F:
I feel like the first one is commercial because it’s all about me. They are trying to
appeal to me by saying they are low cost, they are going to take care of me. It’s all
about me. But for the other two, it’s about themselves. Like what they did and
what they believe in. So it’s not like I am the target which made me feel better.

Researcher:
Great. That’s a great insight.

Participant G:
I have another comment. The first one, I think it’s an ad is because it talks about
money. The last two, they talk about love.

Everyone agrees and nodded.

Researcher:
So, is there anything you like about these videos? Or anything you wish it did not
do or could be improved?

Participant H:
I feel like, as a commercial, like it doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be
time-efficient and tells whatever it wants to tell. I think commercial doesn’t have
to have that high standard that a branded video needs.

Participant C:
Yes, I agree. If I know that’s a branded video, I would expect more from it. I will
expect a more… a better story.

Participant E:
You mean the first one? Or all of them?

Participant C:
No, the last two.

Participant B:
I think both last two are very good stories. Because both of them have some
purposes. Both are talking about love.

Participant E:
I also didn’t hate the first one. To me, it was pretty good. It was short sweet to the
point, punchy. It was visually stimulating. And as a consumer, you only have my
attention like 20 seconds. I think that was successful that I was engaged.
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Participant B:
I thought like, I don’t like the first video because we watch such videos every day,
from computer to phones. I get sick of it. I don’t want to watch any commercials.
But the two other ones, they are more well-crafted, and they give you some
feelings and emotions. Like deep, deep emotions.

Participant D:
The first video reminds me of seeing an ad before a YouTube video. It didn’t
really catch my attention. Usually, if I can skip it, I won't watch it.

Participant E:
I like the documentary style of the last one. I feel like that makes it more of an
intimate story. As I said earlier., it humanizes the brand. I think it makes us reflect
a lot more. It walks us through the journey with them. I think they do a good job
in like choosing how to document.

Participant B:
I thought it’s interesting when they put out the seat numbers. It was creative. So I
thought why are they putting this? Then I realized it’s the seats on the plane.
There is kind of like a video with purposes. It talks about the airplane in general.

Participant H:
I think if they can modify the third one into a commercial, it would be a very good
strategy for a company.

Participant E:
Which one?

Participant H:
The third one.

Researcher:
So, what’s your impression of Southwest now? After seeing these videos. Has
your impression changed?

Everyone silent.

Participant F:
I feel like they are trying to change our impressions through all videos. Because
usually, we think airlines in a negative way. Because the cheap ticket, we feel like
it doesn’t provide us with good service. But now, Southwest is trying to tell you
that they are good at taking care of their customers. They care about us. They do
all these things. That impressed me a little bit.

Participant C:
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For me, when it comes to airlines, I always choose the cheapest ones. Whatever
airline it is. So even if I have a better understanding of the southwest, I will still
choose the cheapest one.

Participant H:
For me it’s going to be like, next time when I see southwest and the cheap ticket,
I’ll be like ‘oh that’s the sweet one!’ but you know, if UA has a better price, I’ll
still go with UA.

Researcher:
Next, we are going to focus on the general idea of branded content. Have you ever
shared any branded videos like this? Any branded content on your social media or
send it to your friends?

Participant E:
Yes, all the time.

Participant B:
Yes. I remembered I shared the latest Nike about Colin. I think it was like more…
it gives people more motivation to push themselves to do more and to do better.
So I sometimes I share this kind of videos to my Facebook.

Participant H:
I sometimes see more ad after Super bowl. So…

Participant G:
I see a lot of branded videos on social media, but I never share to my friend. I
think they are not very interesting. So I don’t like to share.

Researcher:
You mean the content is not interesting, or sharing is not interesting?

Participant G:
The content.

Participant A:
I think…something kind of similar. I will see the video, but I won’t send it to
friends. Unlike I really really really strongly believe in that company. Like
Tristan’s story is great, but I won't share it to friends. Because it will be like
pushing my friends to Southwest.

Participant G:
Yeah.

Participant A:
And I don’t really only fly with Southwest, so I feel like I can’t be an advocate for
the brand.

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Participant C:
Yes, I agree. I will just watch, but I would not like to share.

Participant E:
There is this branded video that showed on my Facebook. I don’t know if I would
share. If it’s sponsored, then I definitely will not share. If I have a friend shared it,
and it really touches my heartstrings. I would. But I mean if it’s cute, I won't
share. If it makes me cry, I will absolutely share.

Participant H:
And one thing is that on social media, all my friends are college students. They
are more into something more fashionable, something new, something trendy.
Probably they don’t want to see these stuff on social, but I may share with my
parents.

Everyone laughs.

Participant B:
Sometimes the reason why I share to social media is that some branded videos
have the same voice or thoughts that I have. That’s the main reason to share.

Researcher:
Great insights! So, have you ever paused or stopped watching a video? Any
video, not necessarily branded video.

Everyone:
Of course.

Researcher:
Why did you do that? What makes you feel “oh, I’m not going to watch it.”

Participant E:
Like the YouTube situation. I'm gonna hang in there for these 9 seconds if I have
to watch it. And right when it says skip, I will click skip. Again, unless it’s a
really powerful video of a brand I very much care about. most of the time is, my
mouse is waiting to skip.

Everyone agrees with loud voices.

Participant C:
That is so true.

Participant B:
Sometimes I feel overwhelming. Especially in the united states when you watch
so many ads. But in the country where I came from, there are very few ads on
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YouTube. Sometimes I feel angry while I was watching YouTube, and suddenly
there is an ad.

Everyone agrees loudly.

Participant E:
I think they made it more aggressive within the past six months. Where is like an
hour-long video with a lot of ads.

Participant D:
It’s the same on Facebook.

Participant E:
If you skip, they will keep coming to approach us.

Researcher:
Is your negative emotion associated with the brand or advertising itself?

Participant F:
It depends on the brand. If it’s Lego, I'm ok, if it’s Disney, it’s ok. But if it’s ad
like car insurance…

Everyone: Yeah! And laugh loudly.

Participant E:
If it’s medication or something.

Participant A:
I think it also depends on how into I’m watching. If I’m just doing homework and
have YouTube on the background playing music videos or something, and an ad
comes up, I may just let it run. If I’m super into watching something, I will
definitely skip through and be like annoyed if the ad comes up.

Participant E:
I don’t if its just because going USC and study communication. There have been
times I have noticed, if I have been watching regular TV, ads come up, and they
ask me to rate them. if I see their labor and hard work, sometimes I will go back
and rate.

Participant B:
I think it also depends on the content. For example, if it says it’s 15% discount at
Nike, of course, I’m gonna watch this to the end. If it’s something not related to
me, like some insurance company. Every time I see it’s not related to me, I will
skip all the time.

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Participant A:
I think also if it sees videos on Instagram, I will be more likely to watch it than on
YouTube. Like if I'm scrolling through and there is a small video there I might
like stop and watch it. And I just keep scrolling. Rather than just pass it. I don’t
usually turn the sound on those videos.

Participant C:
I agree.

Participant E:
Even in the Instagram story too, we are not angry with these ads. But not ads on
YouTube and Facebook.

Participant B:
You can scroll over at any time. On Instagram, it’s like…

Participant A:
You are not stuck.

Participant B:
Yeah, you are not stuck.

Participant E:
Most of the time they are very compelling on Instagram.

Participant A:
And they are also targeted at what I'm interested in. It’s not like a car insurance
commercial, oh not again. It’s like oh this makeup brand that I like is showing me
a blush. Ok cool. I think its more targeted. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a
bad thing. But ill definitely watch them more.

Researcher:
What if it’s a brand you like, but it’s on YouTube that shows the ad. Would you
feel the same as if it’s on Instagram?

Participant F:
So, I got ad from Sephora on YouTube, I will skip it because it’s so long. I still
want to watch my video, that’s the only reason. While the Instagram one, it’s only
seconds. That’s ok for me.

Participant H:
Cause for YouTube you have the intention for what you are watching, you don’t
want to watch the ad. It’s very interrupting.

Participant E:
When we are on YouTube we are usually with a purpose.

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Everyone: Yeah.

Participant E:
Instagram is like, we are just scrolling without purpose, unconsciously. So when
we see something we are not mad about this, cause we don’t have a purpose on
being here.

Researcher:
Great, and have you ever changed your behavior because of a video you see or an
ad or any branded content?

Participant D:
No, not for me.

Participant F:
I feel like most NGO ads are really powerful. For example, those ads that tell you
how horrible smoking is. When you look at their picture, that scares you a little
bit. Make you rethink about quit smoking. The commercials do not have much
influence on me.

Participant G:
It depends. If the commercial is about something I really like. Like video games.
A month ago, I wanted to buy an Xbox one but didn't. Because I will leave the US
soon. But last week, I saw them as that it's on sale. So I bought it.

Participant H:
Sometimes that Instagram has very creative ads, like a self-produced product,
something new and innovative. I like to try new things, so sometimes I try to see
are they good for me. If they are not very pricy I will but it. Instagram knows
what is your preference. That’s why I think they are more successful in terms of
the ad.

Participant B:
I think one of the successes of Instagram is the ad. It keeps adding new features.
But for YouTube, it stays the same, it never changes.

Participant A:
I think if I’m planning on buying something, and I see a branded video or brand, it
just reminds me that I have products in my cart, but I haven’t actually purchased
yet. And on Instagram, they have a branded video from that company. I will be
like, oh yeah, I need to buy that.

Participant E:
Cause they knew.

Participant A:
Yeah, they probably are like “she thought about this, let me get her.”
Qi 84

Participant E:
Whenever I see that happens like I google something and it comes up on
Instagram, I got very angry. Like the data is taking over and they know too much
about me. We have been talking about the Instagram ad in a positive way. But
like I don’t want my experience on Instagram to become my experience on
Facebook. I don’t want companies to take this information we are sharing right
now to be, ok Instagram is the next, the next advertising platform. Cause that’s
what Facebook, google, and YouTube are. And Instagram is going. I don’t want it
to happen.

Participant A:
Same.

Researcher:
We have been talking about how Instagram is different for a while. And I am very
curious why do you guys think that Instagram is different from other social
media?

Participant H:
It’s the most popular one for now.

Participant A:
I don’t really like Facebook, it seems that’s where my mom is hanging out. Also,
when Facebook changed so you can share articles and other things, I wasn’t very
interested, I'd rather just see pictures from my friends and things I want to follow.
And I think it seems more real. On Instagram, there is a picture that my friend
posted, there are my friends… I don’t know how to describe it. It seems more
realistic than Facebook.

Participant E:
There are a lot of branded videos on Snapchat, have you guys ever used
Snapchat?

Participant B:
No.

Participant E:
Same.

Participant A:
I used it for a bit, and I have seen branded videos in between clicking to snap
stories. You just tap through it to get to your next friend’s post. That’s the only
time I see a branded video on there. Instagram has a lot of features I liked in
Snapchat, so I just use Instagram.

Participant H:
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I think Instagram is the next Snapchat or Facebook. All social media is going on
this commercial track. They track you with new features. Before they didn’t have
this sponsored ad. Now it’s becoming a little bit annoying. Maybe there will be
new social media to replace Instagram.

Researcher:
Great. What do you guys think a good brand should be like? Or what makes you
want to buy products from a certain brand? What builds brand loyalty?

Participant B:
A good brand always has good associations. For instance, if you think about
photo sharing, it’s like Instagram. You can share pictures on Facebook as well but
Instagram comes first because it gives you more like a tight association with stuff
in your life.

Participant E:
I feel like good brands used to be brands that sell a good product, but now it’s like
a brand who can tell a story or give me a good experience.

Participant A:
I think it’s like experience and the service I'm getting and a sense of community.
There are other people who love this brand and I'm a part of a larger group. Or if
they have some social good value. If they give back to social charity

Participant C:
For me customer service and experience are important. But I also think that it
depends on what product they are selling. As for airlines or paper towels, I will
just choose the cheapest.

Participant D:
I like brands that I can have some connection with them. their products also need
to be in good quality. And a brand that tells a story.

Participant B:
I think a good brand equals good care to customers.

Participant H:
So first of all, good quality, good services. Second of all, don’t over branding.

Researcher:
What do you consider as overbranding?

Participant H:
I don’t know if you get car accident or car attorney ads? That’s very annoying.

Everyone agrees.

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Participant G:
For me, if a branded video wants to attract me, it should make me feel what the
storyteller feels. And stories told by super starts I like, like Stephen Curry. If he
tells a story, I will be more interested in it.

Researcher:
What platform do you use to watch videos the most?

Everyone:
YouTube.

Appendix B: Interview with Fred Cook

Interviewer:
How do you define branded videos?
Interviewee:
A video that features and is produced by a brand.

Interviewer:
Do you think it’s necessary to set a clear definition of branded videos?
Interviewee:
Yes.

Interviewer:
When and how did branded videos become a crucial tactic for branding?
Interviewee:
In the last 5 years branded videos have become more popular as brands realized
that a good video can reach a lot of people at a low cost.

Interviewer:
What do you think is the difference between branded videos and commercials?
Interviewee:
Branded videos are longer and less prorntional.

Interviewer:
Do you think one is more effective than the other in changing consumer’s
attitude and behavior?
Interviewee:
Branded videos have the ability to tell a more comprehensive story.

Interviewer:
What strategies do branded videos/contents use to reach audience?
Interviewee:
Mainly they want to be shareable.

Interviewer:
What do you believe to be the must-have factors of a successful branded video?
Qi 87
Interviewee:
A good story.

Interviewer:
What research methods would you suggest for brands to understand their
audience?
Interviewee:
Surveys and focus groups and online usage.

Interviewer:
Do brands need massive data to generate a good consumer insight?
Interviewee:
No. Sometimes the insight can come without any research.

Interviewer:
Do you think that branded videos/digital marketing is more effective in
approaching young people, like Gen Y and Z?
Interviewee:
Yes.

Interviewer:
How do industries like healthcare and insurance find their opportunities in
branded entertainment?
Interviewee:
Yes.

Interviewer:
Do you think branded videos work for crisis management too?
Interviewee:
Sometimes when something complex needs to be explained.

Interviewer:
Do you think the borders between branded and unbranded contents will be
ignored in the future?
Interviewee:
They will become very murky.

Interviewer:
How do you see the development of branded entertainment in five to ten years?
Interviewee:
Yes, it will become increasingly popular.

Interviewer:
Do you agree that it’s important to involve consumers in pr campaigns?
Interviewee:
Yes.

Interviewer:
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Have you ever involved consumers to help you to build a campaign?
Interviewee:
Not often.

Interviewer:
What are your favorite branded videos? Why?
Interviewee:
I thought Starbucks’s UpStanders was interesting. I also like the McDonald’s
Frork.

Appendix C: Interview with Alex Jutkowitz

Interviewer:
First of all, thank you for doing this interview.

Interviewee:
Haha. You are welcome.

Interviewer:
Earlier in my focus group, most of the participants were confused by the idea of
branded video. They cannot really tell the difference between a branded video and
a commercial. So, how would you define a branded video.

Interviewee:
That’s interesting. I don’t know if it is important to know what the difference is. I
think they serve the same purpose. I think they are the same thing.

Interviewer:
The same thing but with different approach?

Interviewee:
No. you think a commercial is a 30 or 40-second spot. I think a commercial is a
type of branded video, and you can have a lot of different branded videos. They
are pretty much the same thing. I wouldn’t want to explain it as being different.

Interviewer:
Got it. And when do you think branded video started to become a trend?

Interviewee:
I think in general, you see the proliferation of video and the proliferation of
distribution channels. And social media. The ability for lots of people, including
brands, to have their own channels. I think that really caused the proliferation of
video. It is cheaper to do. We all carry camera on us all time. It developed with
social media and smart phone.

Interviewer:
Qi 89
Great. When I talked about branded videos and commercials in the focus group,
people think that brands say “we are selling this” in commercials. They are trying
to make audience to buy it. But when they see branded videos, they think the
brand is just trying to tell a story.

Interviewee:
That is interesting that they think that. I think they do the same thing. I think that
is a perception. There is thought-leadership that we talked about in the class,
where you talk about the ideas and knowledge you have, not specifically trying to
sell a product. In other words, that could be seen as social selling. Direct selling is
me trying to get you buy something. That being said, both of them come in
branded videos. There is no distinction there.

Interviewer:
So, you think both their purpose is trying to get the audience to purchase?

Interviewee:
To purchase; to think of something better to change their mind. Not always a
purchase.

Interviewer:
Do you think one is more effective than the other?

Interviewee:
I think it is not realistic… I think it depends on where you are. In your sales
journey if you are just trying to buy something, the one that is talking about to
buy something, is more effective. But if you are gathering information, learning
and making decisions about a brand you like a brand you don’t, it is more
effective to have an ongoing story. I think you have both. I do not think you have
one or the other.

Interviewer:
So, it depends on the audience needs.

Interviewee:
I think all audience needs all of these things all of the time.

Interviewer:
Great. And do you think there are some must-have factors for a branded video or
a commercial to be successful?

Interviewee:
We talked about it in the book—“Wonder, wisdom and delight.” That would be
my answer. It has to have the spectacle of wonder, wisdom—the knowledge and
delight—the fun.

Interviewer:
Qi 90
You also talked about personalization in the book. And sometimes the audience
may feel, oh the video is targeting on me and that makes me feel uncomfortable.
So where is the boundary between “this is for me,” and “this is targeting on me?”

Interviewee:
That is a great question where the boundary is. I don’t think we know where the
boundary is. I think it annoys when it annoys. And when we think it’s useful, we
don’t even think about it. I think we only notice what we think is annoyed. When
it is useful, we just treat it as it is normal and fine. People are using more and
more ad blockers. I do not know what the percentage of people use ad blockers,
but that is surely on the rise.

Interviewer:
So, brands are trying to test whether their stories are annoying or good. Do you
have some suggestions for them? How can they reach their audience to see the
true result?

Interviewee:
I think they are pretty effective on reaching their audience. I don’t think they are
struggling. I mean the result is pretty easy in the sense of that they know they are
selling, or they are not selling their products. They know if they are getting a
backlash or criticism for what they do or not. They are getting a lot of data on
that.

Interviewer:
Do you think a brand needs massive data to generate consumer insights?

Interviewee:
Um …It helps, but I don’t think…let me say the other way. I don’t think being
obsessive with a massive amount of data gives you consumer insights. They
become too rely on the data not enough of the other things.

Interviewer:
And what are the other things?

Interviewee:
Your expertise; your understanding of your product and your market place.

Interviewer:
In your book you also mentioned that imperfection is what makes creations
human and meaningful to the users. Can you explain more about the
imperfection?

Interviewee:
Yeah, we are being in the cycle of making everything perfect. It is imperfections
that make things interesting. It is the mistakes that are made. It is the flaws that
make things become much more interesting. It is not about being perfect.
Qi 91

Interviewer:
Do you think that is a strategy to build a brand?

Interviewee:
I think you should not be striving for perfection. Whether you are a brand or a
human being.

Interviewer:
So, develop you brand or treat your brand as a human being?

Interviewee:
All brands, by definition, want to be humanized. By being humanized is being
imperfect.

Interviewer:
Also, do you think that branded video is more effective in approaching to young
generations?

Interviewee:
I think video is. If you think branded video is a subset of video. Yeah, it can be
more effective. Like I never watch video. I rarely watch video.

Interviewer:
Both in your book and in focus group, I noticed that for industries like healthcare
and insurance, people tend to have low tolerance toward their ads.

Interviewee:
Yeah, I think that people feel manipulated when it comes to healthcare. And they
feel that health insurance is not there to help them. They only know the bad
stories.

Interviewer:
Do you think healthcare has opportunities in branded video too?

Interviewee:
Yeah. I think that health insurance companies have to tell their stories. Because it
is a more complex story. They do more good than you would every realize. And
video is a good format for them to show that.

Interviewer:
Do you think branded video works for crisis management too?
Interviewee:
Yeah. I think that telling your story and tell it in different ways works for crisis
and works for any situation frankly. You have to atomize.

Interviewer:
Qi 92
In the book, you also mentioned that it is important to involve consumers in the
projects. What is your experience in working with consumers?

Interviewee:
We should probably do more. I do agree that is a great thing to do.

Interviewer:
Do you have a favorite branded video?

Interviewee:
I like videos for media brands. I like what media brands do to promote
themselves. I like corporate reputation videos.

Interviewer:
Is there any specific reason why you like that?

Interviewee:
I think it is fun that they can play off with their footage. And they have so many
footages of so many different things.

Interviewer:
Lastly, you mentioned that the border between branded and unbranded contents
will be ignored.

Interviewee:
I think they are being ignored. I think it is very blurred.

Interviewer:
How do you see branded videos in the near future?

Interviewee:
I think they are a part of the video world. And you are judged on being good and
authentic. Do not treat it like oh it is a branded video.

Appendix D: Interview with Professor Su Jung Kim

Interviewer:
In the focus group on Tuesday. All eight participants were confused about the
difference between branded videos and traditional advertising. Do you think there
is a huge difference between branded video and traditional advertising?

Interviewee:
I think it’s subtler. When I hear branded video, compare advertising it’s less
direct. In branded video, sometimes they never mention the brand or don’t even
show the logo. So, it’s really focusing on the story. Commercial is really about
“buy this.” I think the intention for branded video is really tell a story about a
Qi 93
brand or a story that is relevant to the value of the brand. Where commercial is
clearly about brand. But sometimes it’s not that clear.

Interviewer:
Do you think there is strategy in branded video that makes people change their
attitude or make them want to purchase?

Interviewee:
That’s a good question. I don’t necessarily think their goal is to increase sales.
They are really about increase awareness and make people feel a little bit more
engaged with the brand. If the ultimate matrix, the success of a branded video is
increase in awareness, the strategy should be discussed in that boundary, what get
more shared, what gets more commented. I am not sure if there is a universal law.
I think it also depends on the type of industry the brand is in.

Interviewer:
But definitely it should be something about what their target audience want?

Interviewee:
Yeah, definitely.

Interviewer:
So, research about what their audience like? What they share?

Interviewee:
Yeah, for example, people are more generous about Disney. It’s a brand we have
higher attachment, affinity; we already know the characters in Disney, and they
are part of our childhood memory. So, when it’s telling us a story it seems fine.
But for insurance companies, we don’t expect that story. What we expect from
insurance and bank or finance industry is reliability. So, it also depends on target
audience, value and mission and what promise they are making.

Interviewer:
So, when developing branded videos companies should also consider how they
have been viewed by the audience?

Interviewee:
I think they should really think about what brand image they have; especially
brand personality. They can create whatever they want, but when customers see it
and there is huge discrepancy, customers will just move on. So, there should be
some type of consumer research beforehand. But one thing I’m not sure about is
when they want to change the attitude…how can they do that? That’s a big
question mark.

Interviewer:
It’s also very interesting that in the focus group. When I asked how the branded
video changes your attitude toward Southwest. Most of participants said “I feel a
little bit better. I know the brand better. But I do not care. When I buy flight
Qi 94
ticket, I ‘ll choose the cheapest one. I like the brand, but I still want to save
money.” So, it can be very difficult for this kind of brand to change consumer
behavior through a story.

Interviewee:
For example, something that is less expensive, like Dove. Dove run the huge
campaign about female body image. I think that is a kind of branded video. They
are not promoting any shampoo. It’s all about how women should embrace
themselves as who they are. Dove is less expensive, and people would like to give
it a try. But flight ticket is like, I love the video the flight ticket is still 500 or 600
dollars.

Interviewer:
So, there is storytelling and reality. Storytelling is like I emotionally feel I like it
but realistically I still need to save money.

Interviewee:
For some expensive categories, people just don’t have that control. Although they
like some brands, but it’s the controllability that individuals have.

Interviewer:
What about luxury brands? Like the fashion industry. Do you think that people
believe that it’s worth the money? I would pay more to buy the story and brand
history.

Interviewee:
Are there successful branded videos for luxurious brands?

Interviewer:
Like the Coco Chanel story.

Interviewee:
Luxury brand is an interesting one. Because I think it really resonates with people
who put really high priority on self-image. they are very conscious about how
they are viewed by other people. And they believe that those luxurious items are
symbols. So, those stories give them more reasons to buy more. I’m not really a
luxurious brand consumer; although I would love to have one.

Interviewer:
What makes you want to have one?

Interviewee:
Especially when I am in South Korea. People will look at you. I had a luxury bag,
I took it to South Korea and brought the bag when I went shopping with my
friends. People were really looking at it.

Interviewer:
So, it’s something about culture too?
Qi 95

Interviewee:
I think so. I don’t shop any bags now. I buy whatever can carry my laptop. I gave
up on buying pretty bags. But when I’m home, I feel like I need more bags. I have
nothing to carry with me. Things like that.

Interviewer:
So, we should research the environment too.

Interviewee:
Yeah, the environment, target audience, the brand region, the value, and of course
the culture they are imbedded in and brand category. I also think that more
established brands can make the best use of branded video. Because their
awareness is already out there. They don’t need to increase awareness any more.
So, then they can play with all these stories. If you are a new brand, you just need
to make people to know your brand first. So, I wouldn’t do branded video that
much. I would do more commercials. So, people would know my brand; what my
brand is about; for me I feel like not all brands can do branded video.

Interviewer:
It may also relate to certain group of people. Like millennials and generation z,
they may feel video is interesting. But for older generations, maybe they are not
interested in watching videos. Even it’s for established brand.

Interviewee:
I heard this a lot that younger generations they really don’t like commercials.
They feel like it’s kind of deception. The original goal of advertising was to
provide information. So, consumers can make a better, informed decision. But
now people would think it’s not information, it’s more about deception.

Interviewer:
Yeah. It’s more about trying to deceive me to spend my money. I actually noticed
that in your article, Five minutes with Su Jung Kim, you mentioned big data,
volume, velocity, variety and later you mentioned veracity, 4Vs. Can you explain
more on that?

Interviewee:
So, the problem with big data is there is also a lot of noise. Sometimes you have a
lot of missing data or data you don’t want. So, researchers always have to verify
the quality of data. That was what I was trying to say by veracity. Because the
data doesn’t mean good data. You have to verify the value of the data. Volume
means the massiveness of the data. The data is gigantic. At the beginning the
definition of big data was the large amount of data that traditional software cannot
handle. Velocity is the speed at which the large amount of data is generated.
Variety means the form of data is very diverse.

Appendix E: Coding Scheme Explanations

Qi 96
#1 A character-driven story
The first coding scheme examines whether the story is character-driven, which means the story
has one or multiple main characters that drive the story to move forward.

#2 A story that is told in emotional tone
The second coding scheme examines if the story is told in an emotional tone and aims to arouse
emotional reaction from the audience.

#3 Background music
The third coding scheme examines whether the video includes emotional background music to
create a soft atmosphere.

#4 A Story with Narrative
The fourth coding scheme examines if the story is told from the view of third person, or the story
is told from the first-person view but needs a third-person narrative to provide further
explanation.

#5 A story in 3-act structure
The fifth coding scheme examines whether the story structure can be divided into three parts—
the beginning, the middle and the end.

#6 A story that is developed based on brand insights
The sixth coding scheme examines if the story is inspired by an insight about the brand,
including but not limited to brand mission, brand value, brand history, brand’s service, and
products.

#7 A story that is developed based on consumer insights
The seventh coding scheme examines whether the story is inspired by an insight about
consumers, including but not limited to consumer purchasing habit, consumers’ social identities,
what they do in spare time, consumers’ concerns about life and concerns about products.

#8 A story that proposes a question in the beginning
The eighth coding scheme examines whether the story pointed out a question or a concern at the
beginning. That concern may cause anxiety so viewers would continue watching to find a
solution.

#9 A story that provides a solution at the end
The ninth coding scheme examines if the story provides a solution to the question mentioned at
the beginning. Usually a concern and a solution go hand in hand. However, it is possible that a
story only mentions one of them.

#10 A story with an unpredictable ending
The tenth coding scheme examines if the story ends unpredictably or gives a huge surprise to the
audience.

#11 A story with a unique setting
Qi 97
The eleventh coding scheme examines whether the story involves a unique setting or special
characters within the realistic world. For example, a patient survived after 2 hours of cardiac
arrest.

#12 An ethical story
The twelfth coding scheme examines whether the story is ethical.

#13 A story that focuses on Zeitgeist
The thirteenth coding scheme examines whether the story is in tune with Zeitgeist—the spirit and
belief of a particular period of time. All case studies will be examined based on the Zeitgeist at
the time they were released.

#14 A story with a clear central question
The fourteenth coding scheme examines if the story has a clear central question that ties all
elements of the story. A central question indicates why the brand chooses to tell this particular
story.

#15 A story with high concept
The fifteenth coding scheme examines whether the story happens in an intriguing world or
involves super powers, which requires the audience to learn background information before
watching later plots. For example, the story of the world of Avatar.

#16 A story with a conflict
The sixteenth coding scheme examines whether the story involves strong tension and conflicts.

#17 A story with high entertaining value
The seventeenth coding scheme examines whether the story is a good entertaining source. Would
the audience treat it as an entertaining art piece?

#18 A story features the brand as the key that drive the plot forward
The eighteenth coding scheme examines if the brand is designed to be the major contribution to
the story’s ending.

#19 A story with high production values
The nineteenth coding scheme examines whether the video is produced in high quality. Aspects
of production quality include but not limited to acting, scene setting, props design, photography,
sound design and special effect.

#20 A story with high-quality artistic visuals
The twentieth coding scheme examines whether the video has superior artistic value.

#21 A story with product placement
The twenty-first coding scheme examines whether the story involves product placement or logo
placement of the brand.

#22 A story that targets all potential viewers rather than only focusing on potential consumers
The twenty-second coding scheme examines whether the story is created for all potential viewers
or for potential consumers only.
Qi 98

#23 The video was first released on social media
The twenty-third coding scheme examines if the video is first released on social media platforms.

#24 The video was first released on television
The twenty-fourth coding scheme examines whether the video was first launched on television.
#25 A video starts trendy topics and online conversations
The twenty-fifth coding scheme examines whether the video inspired viewers to discuss its
central question; as well as whether the viewers begin to discuss the topic on other social media
platforms.

Abstract (if available)

Abstract Since the 20th century, the world of public relations (PR) has been evolving along with the development of technology. Consumers used to gather brands' information from traditional media. Now, they get information from and make purchases on social media. Consumers now believe that a brand is more than its products. They started to seek social responsibility, humanity, and morality in branded content. ❧ Companies began to “brand” their videos. These videos are not for providing product information anymore

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