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What Is Branded Content? Definition, Examples and How to Make It Work
How brands earn attention by making content people actually choose to watch · 8 min read
People skip ads. They don’t skip things they want to watch. That simple truth is why branded content has become one of the most powerful tools in modern marketing: instead of interrupting the audience, a brand creates or funds content valuable enough that people seek it out — and associate the experience with the brand behind it.
This guide explains what branded content is, how it differs from advertising and content marketing, the main formats, real examples from our own work and how to make branded content that performs.
- DEFINITION
Branded content is content created or funded by a brand that entertains, informs or inspires an audience first, and promotes the brand second. The product may appear, but the story, the recipe, the series or the experience is the reason people watch — not a sales message.
- THE DIFFERENCE
Branded content vs advertising vs content marketing
Advertising
Tells people about a product and asks them to act. It is paid, interruptive and product-centric — a 30-second spot or a pre-roll ad.
Content marketing
Educational content — articles, guides, newsletters — published on the brand’s own channels to attract and nurture potential customers over time.
Branded content
Entertainment-first storytelling that carries the brand’s values and personality. It is often distributed through publishers, platforms or creators with their own audiences, and it earns attention instead of buying it.
The lines blur in practice, but the test is simple: would someone choose to watch this if the logo were smaller? If yes, it’s branded content.
- THE FORMATS
6 common branded content formats
- Branded series: recurring episodes on social or streaming platforms built around a theme the brand owns.
- Publisher partnerships: a media brand creates content for an advertiser in its own style, for its own audience.
- Recipe and how-to videos: useful, highly shareable content where the product plays a natural role.
- Documentary and short films: real stories that express the brand’s purpose and values.
- Creator collaborations: creators bring their voice and community to a brand story.
- Entertainment tie-ins: content inspired by shows, films or events that fans already love.
- EXAMPLES
Branded content examples from our work
14 HBO-inspired recipes
For Tastemade, we produced 14 recipe videos inspired by HBO’s biggest series — dishes straight out of shows fans already loved.
15-episode Pinterest series
As part of Tastemade’s deal with Pinterest, a stylish mocktail series designed specifically for the German market, from production to post.
300+ branded projects
More than 300 branded content projects produced for top brands, from social series to platform originals.
- HOW TO DO IT
How to create branded content that performs
1. Start with the audience, not the product
Ask what your audience already loves watching, then find the overlap with what your brand stands for. That intersection is where branded content works.
2. Pick a format you can repeat
A series builds habit and recognition far better than a single video. Design a format with a clear structure you can produce again and again.
3. Keep the brand natural
Show the product where it genuinely belongs in the story. Forced placements break trust and make viewers skip.
4. Produce natively for each platform
A streaming episode, a vertical cut and a Pinterest pin are different products. Plan every output before the shoot — see our guide to vertical video production.
5. Measure attention, not only clicks
Completion rate, watch time, shares, saves and brand lift tell you whether the content earned its place.
Want to produce branded content at scale? Explore our content production services, our case studies or read how to scale content production.
Frequently asked questions
What is branded content in simple terms?
Content a brand creates or funds that people want to watch for its own value — entertainment, information or inspiration — with the brand present but not the main message.
Is branded content the same as sponsored content?
They overlap. Sponsored content usually refers to a publisher or creator producing content paid for by a brand; branded content is the broader category of brand-funded, audience-first content, whoever produces it.
What are good examples of branded content?
Branded recipe series, documentary shorts, entertainment tie-ins such as dishes inspired by popular TV shows, creator collaborations and publisher partnerships designed for a specific market.
How do you measure branded content?
Look at completion rate, average watch time, shares, saves, comments and brand lift studies, alongside reach and any downstream traffic or conversions.
Make content people choose to watch.
From branded series to entertainment tie-ins, we produce branded content with craft and conviction. Let’s talk about your next idea.