Describe your initiative, what you see as the strongest elements of your program, and what makes it unique:

Village Media has spent the past year developing an integrated program for local businesses called the Community Leaders Program (CLP). The CLP includes elements of traditional display advertising but the core of the program focuses on market-specific sponsored journalism and branded content as a comprehensive advertising solution for local businesses.

Branded content is an important revenue opportunity for media groups and for advertisers because ... Branded content is an important revenue opportunity for media groups and for advertisers because it works. Branded content offers an advertising solution that aligns the goals of the client and the publisher. The content is about the audience and engaging readers in informative ways that evoke emotion while building brand authority for the client and maintaining earned trust for local news media.

 

Branded content is an important revenue opportunity for media groups and advertisers because …

Branded content is an important revenue opportunity for media groups and for advertisers because it works. Branded content offers an advertising solution that aligns the goals of the client and the publisher. The content is about the audience and engaging readers in informative ways that evoke emotion while building brand authority for the client and maintaining earned trust for local news media.

The aspect of the Branded Content Project Beta Group that excites us the most is …

We’re looking forward to collaborating with other hyper-local media publishers to discover the best ways to drive value for local businesses.

We hope to learn [fill-in-the-blank] through the Branded Content Project:

We hope to learn how branded content impacts local revenue streams and contributes to local business success.

If a media organization were just starting to sell branded content, we would tell them …

Don’t create content for the sake of creating content. Find out what your audience is about and create a story that connects the reader to the brand. Also, take time to educate advertising partners on what branded content is and where its value lies. A lack of understanding on the client side can create gaps when it comes to deliverables. Collaboration is the key to success.

 

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