In the United States, branded entertainment is a category of marketing with dramatically different entry points and distribution structures to reach consumers. Marketing messages from social video to long-form documentaries and series are reaching consumers across a host of services, and no longer do traditional media hold the reins of marketing innovation. In fact, marketers are increasingly looking to branded content as a lever to reach audiences and consumers directly where they are, with tightly articulated messages that speak directly to consumers' motivations. In the US, branded content and entertainment fit seamlessly with a consumers' life, whether they are a set of films or a raft of brief social videos.

With three influencers across the culinary arts, fashion and art & design, we developed long-form films to capture their "ultimate Joyrides," all sharing a deeply personal story throughout the trips The content series was posted on YouTube and hosted on VolvoCars.com, and was supported by an ecosystem of original content, owned and influencer social posting and a custom content partnership with the Atlantic. All touch points, bolstered by a strategic media partnership, helped Volvo reach coveted new, engaged audiences and engage in new conversations where it had never before ventured as a brand.

The campaign exceeded our Volvo's benchmark expectations for engagement (besting the 3% benchmark and the automotive industry average of 3%), garnering an engagement rate of 4.65% (engagement represents clicks on social sharing buttons and banners). The Joyride films had an average watchthrough rate of 74.18% - this means on average viewers watched approximately 2:24 of the videos, an impressive achievement by industry standards. The Volvo Joyride content series led to key learnings about Volvo’s target consumers’ interest in longer-form content; according to research after the launch of the campaign, the breadth of the content series' subject matter meant the Volvo brand had increased permission from consumers to engage across different passion points. Our results showed that stories told around the Volvo brand are of as much interest to our target segment as Volvo’s vehicle-specific content.