Interesting story, suitable stars and authenticity – branded content entertainment at its best

Mutti’s Henri & Sirly Italiassa branded entertainment programme became the second-most-watched food show on Ruutu in November. Distinctive video solutions and strong direction towards the branded content resulted in the desired number of viewers being well exceeded.

Objective

Tomato product producer Mutti was looking for a distribution channel for its Henri & Sirly Italiassa show, where top chefs Henri Alén and Sirly Ylläsjärvi travel to the Italian Food Valley to get to know cucina povera, the cuisine of the poor.

Generally, branded entertainment programmes are carried out at Sanoma in close cooperation with the production company and the show’s collaboration partner. This time, the idea and script for the show were ready.

“We broke down barriers in the sense that this kind of collaboration has not been done before. However, people at Sanoma were immediately open and eager to try new things, which is really great. They saw the opportunities instead of challenges. Sanoma’s team made a fantastic proposal regarding on which TV channels the show would be broadcast, how it would be displayed in Ruutu and how it would be promoted,” says Emma Vuorenmaa, Mutti’s Brand Manager Nordic Countries. 

Solution

Mutti’s team realised the show together with documentary director Ada Johnson. The stars of the show Henri Alén and Sirly Ylläsjärvi were also involved in the series’ themes at an early stage.

“Collaborating with Sanoma was natural and easy. This was a new kind of project for us, too. There were a lot of questions, and we received help quickly,” Vuorenmaa says.

The three 7–8-minute episodes of Henri ja Sirly Italiassa were combined into a 23-minute show, which aired on Nelonen and Liv a total of 10 times in November–December. In Ruutu, the show can be viewed one episode at a time. Viewers were directed to watch the episodes by means of video advertising from the Sanoma network. Advertising and brand marketing was targeted at those interested in cooking.

Henri Alén and Sirly Ylläsjärvi played an important role in boosting the popularity of the show.

“When selecting influencers for a collaboration, many factors must be taken into account. It is important to find the people for whom the topic is important and who have good chemistry with one another. Henri and Sirly were the perfect duo for this show.”

Mutti has collaborated with Henri Alén for many years.

“In the past, influencers were selected for individual branded content campaigns. Today, companies are looking for brand ambassadors who really know and love the brand,” Vuorenmaa says.

The series combined food and inspiration with more serious topics, such as food waste and climate change.

Three lessons learned

It is important to find an angle for the branded content programme that is interesting to viewers and fits the brand.

“In our case, cucina povera was a theme that fits well with both criteria. From the viewer’s point of view, the show was interesting to follow, but it was also a way to talk about the brand in an authentic way. Too much advertising content makes a show less entertaining,” Vuorenmaa says.

The second tip by Vuorenmaa concerns the selection of people in the show.

“It’s a good idea to choose people who own the topic they are talking about and involve them in the planning process from the very beginning. At its best, the connection is authentic, much more than could have been expected.”

The third lesson learned from branded entertainment programmes concerns openness. 

“In branded entertainment, it is important to be open. Difficult topics should also be openly discussed. It’s also OK to admit that there is not a solution to everything.”

Making branded content entertainment was a positive experience for Vuorenmaa as a whole.

“For this, thanks are due to Sanoma. We got a great partner who made sure that the series got the visibility it deserved,” Vuorenmaa explains.

Key numbers

“The collaboration resulted in a great show. The content was of high quality, and the desired number of viewers was well exceeded. Thanks is also due for the strong direction on the content and the utilisation of distinctive brand marketing video solutions.” Kristiina Ihalainen, Client Manager, Sanoma Media Finland.

100,000 readers of native articles

20,000 viewers of video episodes

466,000 viewers on Nelonen and Liv

The total reach of content related to the show is three million. On Nelonen and Liv, the show reached a total of 466,000 viewers. In Ruutu, the series has been launched 20,226 times. In November, the series was Ruutu’s second-most-watched food programme.

“The desired number of viewers was well exceeded. The results were excellent in light of the figures. Our experience of branded entertainment collaboration with Sanoma was really good. I look forward to seeing what comes next.” Emma Vuorenmaa, Brand Manager Nordic Countries, Mutti.

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