Branded entertainment is a highly effective marketing tool, but it can be both complex and costly for growing businesses. Here are four lessons to take to heart before you consider your first integration program.

1. Don’t skew too young. Bill Barnett, president of Los Angeles–based Inside Entertainment Ventures, says brand integration can work with virtually any targeted demographic, but he warns, “You do have to be very careful about not skewing too young because the FCC has different regulatory restrictions. Once a consumer hits age 15, 16, 17, they have their own income and can make their own decisions. Too much younger than that and you have to be wary about being seen as taking advantage of them.”
2. You get what you pay for. “It may cost a bit more, but I’m a big believer in working with professionals and top-flight producers, even if you’re producing original entertainment for your Web site,” Barnett says.
3. Find your consumer passion points. “For a 42-year-old, that may be watching Desperate Housewives, but for a younger audience, it may be downloading music,” says David Caruso, vice president and managing director of the entertainment marketing firm Alliance in New York. “You want to build a branded entertainment program that’s going to utilize those passion points most effectively, whether it’s the Internet, TV or even a live event.”
4. Seize the day. Everybody wants to be on prime-time TV, but Glenn Golder, senior vice president of promotions for Los Angeles–based Pic-TV, suggests there are just as many, if not more, opportunities during daytime. In addition to game shows and syndicated talk shows, Golder cites a Proctor & Gamble home viewer sweepstakes that integrated the company’s brand into a soap opera.

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