Brands as Entertainers

MSN recently announced the renaming and rebranding of their custom solutions team as the branded entertainment and experiences team.

The move positions MSN on a direct and level playng field with the likes of the big Y. Moreover, it positions the portal as a major player in the sector of the industry which is arguably where the puck is right now...product placement/content integration/branded entertainment et al

MSN's dabbles in "custom solutions" has really been one of their finest investments and efforts to date. Arthur Chan (then with Team One; now with Palisades) led efforts behind lexus.msn.com which is still around and pursuing it's luxury for living. Then there's Ideas Happen, Visa's sublime efforts.

On one level, I think it's somewhat limiting to refer to this as "branded entertainment" as I think it's much more evolved and valuable than the current slew of glorified product placement going on. That being said, the word "experiences" certainly makes up for it.

On another level, I think this is a glimpse into the future of the paid media business. Put simply: ads (traffic drivers) are not enough; solutions, destinations and experiences are being called for.