WiM Awards Judge Spotlight: Patricia Weiss
With submission for entries for the 2018 WiM Awards now open, we shine a spotlight on some of the WiM Award Judges…
Patrícia Weiss, Branded Entertainment specialist and Chairwoman of the Branded Content Marketing Association (BCMA), South America tells us more about her specialist industry…
WIM: Patricia, tell us about your specialism in global branded entertainment
PW: Branded Entertainment goes beyond a content that entertains the audience and any kind of sponsorship or product placement. It is about the powerful intersection between brands, entertainment and people. It refers to a new way for brands to connect people’s hearts amplifying brand values without interrupting their lives bringing relevant messages that create value and make sense to the audience.
And in its best way is the encounter of the brand’s purpose with the human insight where the brand narrative is a meaningful story about people, not about the brand.
Branded Entertainment is not Advertising. The story can increase sales but it is not an explicit selling moment where the brand sells a products or an institutional campaign speaking about itself.
WIM: What key elements are you looking for in an Awards entry?
PW: I believe there are 3 key drivers that create a successful branded entertainment and content project: relevance, truth and meaning.
Stories where the hero and protagonist is the audience, finding the perfect meeting between the brand purpose or positioning and what is really important to people. Where brands should represent the society and be the catalyst of a broader conversation that is more people-oriented and less product-oriented, because great stories are bigger than products and humanize brands. It means brand legacy.
WIM: What advice would you give to someone entering the WiM Awards for the first time?
PW: Original and authentic brand narratives that generate human identification with people and establish emotional connection are those in which the story is related to us, based on truth and made for real people. When the brand’s truth is in tune with people’s truth through humanistic stories, it really creates value.
WIM: Where do you see yourself professionally in 5 years time?
PW: The future is already here… so as today I feel so happy and extremely motivated with my choices, being helpful to our industry producing, being a consultant, teaching and writing about relevant and meaningful brand narratives, I believe that I will be doing almost the same in the coming years and hope that my book about The Branded Entertainment & Content and the power of truth is released.
Find out more about the WiM Awards Judges, the 12 award categories and how to submit your entry.