Companies & Webshows. They have somethin in common.
Webisodes — part of a trend called branded entertainment — are growing because marketers feel compelled to find new methods to reach consumers in an era when the traditional media are losing eyeballs, ears, hearts, minds and perhaps other body parts to the Internet.
Web series can cost from tens of thousands of dollars to sums in the range of $2 million, depending on how sophisticated they are, the number of episodes and whether the cast members are famous or just would like to be. Among the major brands proclaiming “brought to you by … ” online are Maybelline cosmetics, which is sponsoring Ms. Bushnell’s Web series, “The Broadroom,” available at maybelline.com/thebroadroom, and ConAgra Foods, which is sponsoring a daily show, “What’s So Funny?,” on yahoo.com, peddling products like Healthy Choice and Marie Callender’s!
source: NYTimes
