How to Use Branded Content Marketing Effectively (with Case Study Example)

What is Branded Content Marketing? 

Branded content is a slice that makes up the whole of the online content marketing pie. Situated within the larger framework of online content, it differs from other forms of content marketing in that it is a content creation strategy that typically consists of paid/sponsored posts created by a media partner for a brand or business. 

The primary goal of branded content is to encourage audiences to engage with a brand or business based on the information, educational value, or entertainment provided. 

For a closer look, check out the graph below for a better idea of where branded content sits within the larger content creation and marketing framework. 

Why Should You Use Branded Content Marketing?

Consumers these days are easily burnt out from being inundated by online advertisements everywhere they look. From seeing messaging like “BUY NOW” to “50% OFF SALE,” traditional online ads with hyper-salesy messaging are more likely to be ignored or brushed off. That’s where branded content marketing has a unique advantage. It can make a lasting impact since it’s first and foremost focused on providing value for the consumer, whether it’s through education or entertainment. 

For this reason, it’s not surprising that this form of advertising is known for being one of the most engaging forms of digital marketing around. Now that it’s growing in popularity in recent years, the results are in - and they’re pretty impressive:

• Branded content is 22x more engaging than display ads.
• Branded content distributed through premium publishers sees 50% higher brand lift.
• People who watch branded videos are 62% more likely to show a positive reaction compared with those who watched 30-second ads.
• Users who feel a connection to a brand spend 2x as much money as those who don’t.

What is Juntos? 

Entravision’s “Juntos” program is a curated branded content platform dedicated to connecting with U.S. Latinos via expert-led educational content, videos, and interviews. The primary mission of the initiative is to bridge the information gap often experienced by the Latino community by providing accessible resources that can inform and empower them. 

What are the Benefits of Juntos Branded Content? 

Primary benefits include: 

• Credibility: Position your brand for success by aligning with the most trusted Spanish news brand among U.S. Latino audiences. 
• Reputability: Emmy award-winning news storytellers give your business a voice by sharing custom educational and entertainment content suited to topics that align with your brand. 
• Engagement: Build or reinforce your relationship with growing Latino communities on the platforms they frequent most. 
• Spotlight: Get your brand in front of thousands of Latinos who are looking for valuable information about topics related to your business. 

Learn more about our sponsored content, custom content, and advertorial content below: 

Want to see an example of Juntos Branded Content in action? Keep reading for more. 



Case Study: The Colorado Department of Transportation Delivers Vital Safety Information to Hispanic Audiences with Entravision Colorado 

The Colorado Department of Transportation had a mission to keep drivers and their passengers safe on the roads. With a higher number of fatalities and traffic violations in Colorado’s Hispanic community as a result of not wearing a seatbelt, they aimed to deliver crucial safety messaging to Hispanic audiences.



Campaign Strategy

Upon hearing about the Colorado Department of Transportation’s passenger and seat belt safety campaign, Entravision Colorado Digital Sales Manager Michael Ferraiolo embraced the opportunity to help the client reach Hispanic audiences by recommending Entravision’s exclusive Juntos Facebook Live Newscast sponsorship featuring Univision News. Entravision Colorado’s audience of highly engaged digital news viewers made branded content marketing a leading strategy in order to reach and connect with this at-risk population. 

Our clients across verticals have been looking for different ways to engage audiences across Colorado, beyond the digital buy. The new immersive branded content concepts, developed in partnership with our branded content and editorial teams, allow us the opportunity to reach Colorado Hispanics with a unique voice that provides value to our community. It was this strategy that aligned the messaging of Seatbelt Safety to Hispanics from CDOT with our NoticiasYa/Univision Colorado brand, into a campaign that was a success for both parties. 

Michael Ferraiolo

Regional Director of Digital Media, Entravision 

Working alongside these teams, Michael decided to use sponsored content and promos to guarantee a wide reach of Colorado’s Hispanic audiences across Noticias Univision Colorado and NoticiasYa Colorado. In June of 2020 alone, NoticiasYa’s platform reached: 

• 278K website users
• 308K page views
• 3.5M Social Reach
• 399K Social Engagement
• 17M Social Impressions 
• 7M Social Video Views
• 477K Facebook followers 
• 12K Instagram followers

Additionally, Noticias Univision Colorado’s social media site maintains the largest audience engagement in the state of Colorado for news, regardless of language, and the Univision Colorado news team had also recently won a whopping 31 regional News Emmys - making them a respected authority for getting the word out about the client’s safety initiative messaging. For this reason, the team strategically implemented Facebook Live segments across Noticias Univision Colorado to spread the Colorado Department of Transportation’s passenger and seat belt safety message to the platform’s highly engaged Hispanic audiences.

The Juntos Facebook Live sponsored Newscast digital elements included: 

• :30 promotion video for newscast
• :60 branded content piece during Facebook Live 1st and 3rd break 
• Full screen logo integration during Facebook Live 2nd break 
• Branded Content Tag on Live Simulcast 

Campaign Results

The Colorado Department of Transportation campaign in partnership with Entravision’s Juntos branded content program ran from August 31st to September 24th, and centered around the topic of seat belt safety. The Spanish-language campaign targeted Hispanic adults ages 21+ in Colorado. 

• Promo ads to encourage viewers to tune in to the news were implemented through a combination of Facebook posts and boosts.These efforts reached over 76,000 people and resulted in over 1,400 clicks with 213 reactions. 

• Additionally, Display Ads on Entravision’s owned and operated sites were included to drive user engagement on Facebook, which garnered 31,000 impressions. 

• The Facebook Live and boost components of the campaign took place on Noticias Univision Colorado, with each News Live featuring two branded content videos and branded commercial break images. In total, the branded content videos reached over 305,000 people, and received more than 23,000 clicks and 2,000+ reactions on Facebook. 

Ultimately, the collaboration between Entravision Colorado and the Colorado Department of Transportation successfully engaged Hispanic adults by providing vital seat belt safety information in their preferred language and online news format. Thanks to this branded content initiative, the client was able to get their message out to keep Colorado’s Hispanic drivers and their passengers safe on the road. 

Every year hundreds of unbuckled people are killed or injured on Colorado roads. By partnering with Entravision, our client (CDOT) was able to communicate, in a relevant and results-oriented manner, that wearing a seatbelt is the most effective way to prevent serious injury or death in a motor vehicle crash.

Laura Sonderup

Managing Director, Hispanidad

How to Get Started with Branded Content Marketing 

In an increasingly digital world where consumers are hungry for helpful and innovative content, branded content marketing is emerging as a key tactic for brands and businesses amid a growing digital environment. 

Want to learn more? Feel free to contact one of our expert digital marketing consultants or find a location near you. 

General questions? We can answer those too. No question is too big or small!