Consumers consistently value earned media over paid media in their purchasing decisions. Increasingly, user-generated comments and reviews are more highly prized by consumers than a company’s branded content. Intelligent organizations rely on content marketing strategies to keep potential customers apprised of any awards or recognitions a product or service has received. Industry insiders might know what it means to be named “Product of the Year,” but unless you tell your target audience through content marketing and licensed content, they may miss it entirely.
Licensing FAQ
Content licensing means a publisher grants permission to a third party to use the publisher’s intellectual property in a predetermined way. This can be done when a third party seeks a content license by contacting a licensing agency, or going directly to the publisher, and requesting a licensing quote or simple permission to use the intellectual property.
Logo Licensing – The last time you went shopping, did you happen to notice that some product packaging feature award logos? These award logos have been licensed by the company conferring the award, giving the product’s company the right to feature the award logo on their package. Award-winning products drive sales for the winning companies because consumers respect those who confer the awards and brands that win them. These Gadgety Awards are a great example of badge/logo licensing.
Content Licensing – Today’s consumers recognize reviews as a critical element in their purchasing decision process. In order to use stellar reviews from another website or quotes from acknowledged experts and publishers to promote your products, you need to license that content. A content license gives you the legal right to use these pieces in your advertising or on your website.
Image & Video Licensing – Do you want to take your marketing campaign to the next level? The easiest way to do this is with great visual elements. Licensed images and videos are an easy way to add “juice” to an ad or social media post. Image and video licensing gives you the right to use someone else’s images and videos in your content or ad without violating their copyright for the material.
Here are more examples of EVG content licensing!
Licensing can drive more traffic to your product or service offering. Potential customers recognize and respect the well-established publications that confer product and service awards. When your brand partners with and licenses from these publications, their brand power elevates the profile of your product and service, ultimately lifting sales and increasing revenue.
Licensing also helps your brand stand apart from the competition. Consumers value the removal of guesswork from their purchase process by reading user reviews and noting the awards and recognitions certain products have received from authoritative publications.
Licensing also helps you avoid the pitfalls of legal liability by protecting copyright and brand marks.
Content licensing can at times be confusing. The best way to ensure you are in compliance is to contact the publisher or firm representing them. Anytime you re-publish content they produced, you should verify it is okay to use. If you are monetizing third-party content in any way, such as using part of an article on a page where ads are running, you certainly should be licensing it.
Any type of published content can be licensed. You can license an award, a picture, a video, a sentence or even a single word.
A licensing agreement is a basic contract between two parties. The licensee agrees to use a piece of content (an award logo, a quote, or a video for example) for a specified length of time, and with certain conditions, on a specific digital platform or in print.
Content licensing is a fee-based contract. The fee is dependent upon the publisher, requested use and duration of the license. Contact our Licensing team with any specific questions you have!
A content licensing agency serves as the “intermediary” between the publisher and the end user. Top-tier licensing agencies work with end users to help “spark” innovative campaigns. EVG’s Licensing professionals can help you by providing successful examples of how licensed content and awards increased sales and helped drive brand recognition for companies who have used it.
Earned media refers to brand recognition not created (or owned) by the brand. Why is earned media important? Well, according to Nielsen, earned media is the most trusted form of media!
Here are a few examples of earned media:
Reviews or Awards – A publication does a review of your product/service and offers an “Editor’s Choice” recommendation.
Social Media Share – Someone shares or retweets your post about a product or service.
Blog Post – A blogger mentions your product or service in a positive light in one of their articles.
There’s a significant difference between “saying” you’re the best and “showing” you are the best. Earned media is third party recognition for your product or service. Paid media is self-generated by the company to promote its product, whether through ads, sponsored content or other means.
Brands: Sponsored content allows you/your brand to have a share of voice on/in a regarded and known publication/site. Typical activations include product review(s), unboxing or a “gift guide” or list sponsorship/powered by option. These posts are featured as “promoted” or “sponsored” and are placed strategically on the publisher’s website and other outlets to drive readership to your brand.
Publishers: Sponsored content is a unique opportunity for added value to your editorial content. EVG facilitates this by connecting you with a company who is wanting to promote a brand or a specific product to your readership. We can be creative with these to best fit your editorial tone and narrative. At EVG, we recognize that you understand this product offering. We want you to understand that we know how to sell it, if you are under-resourced or unsure of pricing models. We can help.