Montreal’s Say Media is plugging BMW Canada’s newest vehicle in a branded content play appearing on Esquire.com.
The content marketing partnership is promoting the launch of the i3, the luxury automaker’s first mass-production electric vehicle. It is built around a series of posts about the car created by Montreal-based lifestyle blogger Marcus Troy.
Developed in association with BMW’s media agency Media Experts, with accompanying creative elements from Cundari, it is the first content campaign to fully integrate original Canadian content within a major U.S. media brand.
Paul Cassar, Say Media’s vice-president, international, told Marketing that the partnership builds on the natural synergy between the lifestyle focused site and the BMW brand.
“It’s a very important launch for BMW,” said Cassar. “They just thought they needed something a little bit more out-of-the-box and a little bit more involved to get their message across.”
Say Media specializes in “point-of-view” content, which Cassar describes as bringing an editor’s viewpoint – rather than that of a brand partner – to content. “It connects brands to readers through authentic content with an editor’s point of view,” he said. “If you don’t have point-of-view content, what you end up with is an editor that is a mouthpiece for a marketing message.”
The BMW content is comprised of a series of posts (both written and filmed) showing Troy as he experiences the i3, talking about its features, design etc. “There’s a very authentic feel to it in the sense that Marcus conceptualized and produced the content himself,” said Cassar.
“It’s very easy for brands to make advertorials and trick readers into headlines that are designed to [attract clicks], but that is not what we do. Say Media believes in building communities around authentic content.”
Esquire.com reaches an estimated 240,000 Canadians each month. The campaign, which runs through Sept. 30, is designed to appeal to young urban professionals 25-35 says Cassar.
Media Experts provided the expertise and insight that brought together Say Media and Esquire.com, working with the media company to ensure the integrated campaign delivers a rewarding experience for the reader.
“We’ve been delivering great success for our customers by recognizing the importance of branded editorial content and being able to syndicate that through paid media,” said Jennifer Douglass, supervisor, digital solutions for Media Experts, in a release. “Being able to match the visual appeal of the editorial, and then syndicating through social and media channels are the obvious next steps.”
BMW brand messaging housed in a leaderboard and big box unit accompany the content. The ads feature the phrase “driving innovation,” and clicking or hovering over them opens up a new unit featuring a 30-second spot, accompanied by product shots, a “learn more” tab and links to nearby BMW dealers.
The campaign is the result of a new partnership between Say Media Hearst Magazines Digital Media that was announced in January. Future initiatives are expected to include other Hearst titles including Cosmopolitan and Good Housekeeping.
