Banijay launches branded entertainment division led by Carlotta Rossi Spencer

CONTENT LONDON: Banijay has set up a dedicated division to spearhead the production and distribution giant’s branded content activity, overseen by Carlotta Rossi Spencer, who will discuss the new strategy at Content London this morning.

Banijay Branded Entertainment (BBE) comes as Rossi Spencer, who was appointed as head of branded entertainment business development, speaks on Content London’s Branded Entertainment Renaissance panel at 10.00am today in Kings Place.

The division is tasked with evolving the group’s global efforts in branded entertainment and, housed centrally within Banijay, will leverage the group’s expansive global production expertise to deliver against brand briefs at both local and global levels.

Tapping into worldwide ad, media, and event agencies, and liaising directly with brands, it will supplement traditional marketing offerings with Banijay-produced content in the 21 markets where it operates.

Currently, Banijay’s teams create branded content in 11 of those markets, varying from dedicated labels to immersed teams in multifaceted prodcos.

Recent examples include Electric Robin’s Live Italian with Birra Moretti and Niall Horan’s Homecoming: The Road To Mullingar with Lewis Capaldi with Guinness, both for Prime Video.

Others include Banijay Italia’s Lindt Maître Chocolatier, which aired on TV8 in Italy, and the multi-territory Hairstyle: The Talent Show with Alfaparf from Shine Iberia, which has five local versions covering Spain, Italy, the US, Mexico and Brazil.

In addition to the in-house production houses, the department will also partner with Balich Wonder Studio and Banijay Events on its brand-led activations to extend deal potential.

Rossi Spencer, who will be speaking alongside execs from Channel 4, WaterBear and United Talent Agency today, said: “Crafted stories, passionately told – BBE embodies the Banijay spirit and reflects our ambitions to drive up our activity in the branded content space. While we have some fantastic producers worldwide already dedicated to this area, we recognised the need to take a holistic approach to agencies and brands alike and hope to inspire them to dream bigger and bolder, with content that creates powerful connections with their audiences.”

The launch of BBE comes as branded entertainment becomes an increasing priority for cash-conscious streamers, broadcasters and producers around the world. UK commercial broadcaster ITV recently launched BE Studios to produce entertainment content alongside advertisers. Meanwhile, brands such as Footasylum have funded their own reality TV shows on YouTube with Locked In.