Image credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty
Attention is a hot commodity. Algorithms prioritise content that people stay to watch, but audiences are scrolling at lightning speed.
You have a matter of seconds to get their time.
Some brands are thriving in this environment, and if you’re wondering why, it’s because they’ve clocked on that the way to win is to stop selling and start entertaining.
The shift in consumer behaviour has given rise to a new type of brand: the entertainment-first brand.
What are entertainment-first brands?
Entertainment-first brands prioritise engaging and entertaining audiences rather than a traditional, product-first approach to marketing.
By tapping into humour, pop culture and trends, they produce content that their audiences are more likely to engage with, and media outlets are eager to write about.
These brands behave more like creators than corporations, embracing lo-fi production, fast-moving trend cycles and reactive storytelling to stay culturally relevant and build real-time engagement.
The approach has been known to increase brand visibility and revenue, helping challenger brands knuckle their way in to outpace bigger players with full pockets.
Duolingo, the poster child of entertainment-first social content
Duolingo might be the first example that comes to mind when thinking of entertainment-first brands. The language learning app’s lime green owl began life as a nagging mascot and has since become a pop culture icon whose story is fastidiously followed online.
Its success is down to two things – first, an entertaining, absurdist character, and second, its pop culture commentary. Combined, its content is anchored to the app and entertaining.
@duolingo charli said “talk to me in french” and we listened 🗣️ #brat #sweattour credit: @Julia 💚 #charlixcx #troyesivan ♬ DUOLINGO RIGHT THERE BABY - Duolingo
Duo has amassed in numbers at the front of Charli XCX’s Brat tour (which shares the app’s lime green brand palette). He professed his love for near-homophone name-mate Dua Lipa and built a relationship with the singer. He even died, was mourned by the world (and Dua Lipa), and resurrected.
It’s funny, engaging and culturally relevant because it’s all in real-time. This is not to say that all brands should funnel marketing budgets into creating a mascot and building it relationships with pop culture icons, but it’s clear evidence that pushing brand boundaries in the pursuit of entertainment works.
How do other entertainment-first brands do it well?
A study published by Small World details an Entertainment Index ranking brands outperforming competitors through pure entertainment.
The index considers worldwide revenue performance, share of search, social performance, media performance, share of voice, plus the years since founded to create parity.
Of the 20 entertainment-first brands assessed, 70% of them outperformed their competitors. The top performers include Duolingo, Liquid Death, Starface, Crocs and PRIME.
The report describes eight archetypal entertainers, each reflecting a different creative approach that winning brands use:
The Script Writer
Knows their product is not the most entertaining thing about their brand, so they create a new brand world that is more like a long-running sketch show.
Examples: Duolingo, Liquid Death
Newsjacker
Entertains by attaching their brand to short news cycles and current cultural moments.
Examples: Merrell, RyanAir
Celebrity CEO
Founded by a celebrity or turns its founders into celebrities building trust through candour.
Examples: Feastables (Mr Beast), The Absorption Company (Ian Somerhalder)
Collaborative Chameleon
Forms unexpected partnerships with brands, influential people, cultural institutions, and even fans to create something completely new.
Examples: Crocs, Lush
Whiplasher
Provocative and all about looks, the Whiplasher brand entertains by making us double-take.
Examples: Starface, HiSmile
Purpose Punk
Entertains first to earn the right to prompt people to make purpose-driven decisions.
Examples: Tony‘s Chocolonely, Who Gives A Crap
People’s Play-Doh
Entertains through audience participation, for example, members might shape the brand and provide input into everything from product iteration to equity.
Examples: RTFKT, Starface
Hype Machine
Generates hype through stunts, close communities, or self-imposed product scarcity to spread by worth of mouth.
Examples: Columbia, SUPREME
Want to turn your audience into your biggest fans?
We’ve worked with brands like Columbia and Merrell to launch creative, culturally relevant campaigns that connect culture and commerce. Get in touch to find out how we can drive results for your brand.
About the author
Natalie Clement | Digital
Marketing Executive
With international experience as a digital marketer, writer, and editor, Natalie has worked across sectors including lifestyle, technology, and tourism.
