McMusic Video, iPad Mini Content Impact, Is Branded Content the Future?

The Content Strategist picks the day’s most relevant and interesting stories about the world of content from around the web. Here’s what you should be reading today:

McDonald’s Music Video Debut

McDonald’s has put out a music video called “Getting Serious,” which debuted on X-Factor this past Monday, according to Marketing Magazine.

The company ran a contest to find extras for the video and, during the broadcast, aired footage from the video shoot. The video runs 60 seconds long on television, while the full version can be found online.

The iPad Mini and Branded Content

With the announcement that Apple is releasing an iPad Mini has come the commentary on how it will affect branded content campaigns.

According to FSEW, the Branded Journalism Blog, the seven-inch screen and the tablet use increase “will change media habits. Attention once given to web sites, TV sets, magazines and books will increasingly get sucked into tablets.”

Branded Content’s Relationship to Publishers

Online Publishers Association asks, “Is Branded Content the Future?” in its latest piece, which highlights the branded content efforts of BuzzFeed, Gawker, and Business Insider.

Specifically, Business Insider is setting up a spot on its site called “Brand Insider,” where “advertisers can sponsor videos, slideshows and even set up their own blogs.”

The recurring questions are asked in the article: Is branded content even journalism? Should journalists stop trying to control the production of content? Is it wrong or unethical for publishers to collaborate with brands in this fashion?

Martini Media and Forbes Working Together on Branded Content

Forbes is allowing Martini Media, which represents brands, to integrate content onto its website, and vice versa.

For example, the brands will be using staff written stories from Forbes in its ads, and ads will appear alongside the stories on the Forbes website.

What makes this campaign different, reports AdWeek, is that the ads will run across Martini and Forbes’-owned sites as well, which include Salon, LexisNexis, and Kayak.

Netflix Shares Decline in Light of Unmet Subscriber Goals

On Tuesday, Netflix’s shares decreased on Wall Street, according to the New York Times, due to its subscriber goal falling short of expectations.

The entertainment content provider has 25 million subscribing households in America, and its estimated revenue is doing well. In the first financial quarter, it lost money because it was expanding to international territories, but in the second and third profits stayed strong.

Online Publishers with Social Content

NewsCred posted a new chart from BuzzFeed which shows which top-40 online publishers had the most social content.

Measured in terms of likes, comments, shares, and other interactions, Huffington Post came in at number one with 2,531 stories during September that received at least 100 interactions, second place was awarded to the Daily Mail at 1,715, and Yahoo ranked third with 1,668.

Inspiration for Creating Content

CopyBlogger put out a list of rituals for staying productive, which is sometimes just what content creators need.

Kelton Reed looks to famous writers and their routines. For example, George Orwell and Mark Twain wrote while lying in bed, and Charles Dickens and Henry Miller would try and wander around with the purpose of getting lost.

While some writers find standing up to be more conducive to creativity, others write at times that suit them. If it works, forget the 9-5 and create content on your own watch.