By Micaela Cashman and Kristian Day

In 2017, a point-of-sale Silicon Valley tech company named Square came to Webster City, Iowa, to make a short film about how the town saved itself after the main employer, Electrolux, closed.

There would be no on-camera evidence that this was a branded documentary about Square, nor would there be a call-to-action that would generate a guaranteed return on profit. No actors smiling at the camera and saying, “Thanks, Square!” No rhetoric. No pitch. 

Instead, this was a short film about community and perseverance that could be seen on television or in a film festival. It aimed to inspire and get people talking. 

Square hired local storytellers to help them capture the essence of Webster City. We filmed around town, in homes and storefronts. Every story came from the heart. Not one statement sounded “sales-y.” 

Four months later, the film premiered and won the Tribeca X Award. 

This piece was made by filmmakers who understood storytelling. The result? The story of small-town Iowa hit a chord in Square’s target audience and beyond. And that turned into massive user engagement that gave the company a large return on investment.

Oh, and why did Square choose to tell Webster City’s story? Because per capita, Webster City had the largest number of Square POS users in the United States. Now that’s what we call smart marketing. And this Webster City film is what we call branded content.

So, what is branded content?

Branded content is a marketing strategy with a top priority of engaging your audience while subtly promoting your brand – sometimes very subtly. It often takes the form of entertainment, with your brand acting as the “sponsor.”

Back in the day, shows like I Love Lucy were “brought to you by” cereal brands and cleaning products. Branded content is an updated version of that. 

Here are a few more real-life examples of branded content we’ve produced:

• An ag tech company had us create a Shark Tank-style competition show with ag startups.

• A grocery store executive produced a reality dating show where singles met at the store, shopped for groceries, and cooked a meal together.

• An energy drink created a short docuseries exploring  the “hardest working” people in America, from rodeo stars to custom bike makers.

Why should you try branded content?

Branded content is not about you. It’s about your customer. That’s what your audience cares about. 

With AI, loneliness epidemics, and parasocial relationships reigning supreme, people want to see real humans. Hear real stories. Feel real emotions. That’s how you build an engaged and loyal audience.

And here’s the great news: EVERY brand, EVERY company, EVERY solopreneur has a story to tell. Restaurants, plumbers, accounting firms, hardware manufacturers, office supply warehouses, blood donation centers, laundromats, funeral parlors, food trucks, personal trainers, we could go on, but you get the gist. 

You have a story and that story matters to your customer. So let someone in a customer position show you the story they want to see.

That “someone” is us, if you didn’t guess. So let’s chat! Reach out to me at micaela.cashman@gmail.com. 

Explore my website or check out Daylite Pictures for more great examples of branded content.