For several years, marketing has been shifting from transactional to a relational. Consumers should not be considered as passive targets, but as active and collaborative consumers. What does this mean for brands? Let’s use a hot topic as an example: the World Cup leads to billions of dollars spent in advertisements and communication for firms. Brands fight for prime advertisement spots in this huge “supermarket” as they are able to reach a global audience. You may have seen the Nike five-minute short animated movie starring renowned soccer celebrities playing against their clones. This is a perfect example of branded entertainment – the firm tries to set themselves apart from thousands of other brands by creating entertaining content to capture and maintain the audience’s attention for a prolonged period of time. This content then drives interaction through social media. This is one example that shows how brands can effectively engage with active consumers.

Through the rise of social networks, more attention has been paid to engagement and new market segments. However, it is not the only way to interact with customers. Branded content, events including cause marketing and sponsorships can also be very efficient tools. The main goal for companies is to generate an emotional commitment to their brands in order to differentiate themselves. In such a data-driven age, Brands need to be more creative than intrusive, and should use a number of different fronts to entertain, immerse, engage and eventually reach their customers. It is crucial for companies to foster a close relationship with their community and their customers through diverse drivers. It is this variation and intrigue that consumers look for in a brand, and ultimately pushes a brand from good to great.