About two weeks before attending AFM for the first time, I started receiving all of these requests for meetings and invitations to stop by office suites to look at film products from sales agents who had obviously found my name and contact details from the attendee database. I ignored most because I am not a buyer, but one struck me as something interesting from a company promising to help independent filmmakers gain secondary funding for their films. I am all about that, so I wrote back requesting an interview. The company is a brand integration firm called Brand in Entertainment (BiE) specializing in bringing together consumer brands with film and TV content creators. Off I went to speak with Teri Morris, COO, and Rolf Auerbach, President, of BiE about how an indie filmmaker can benefit from their service.

What is the difference between brand integration and product placement?

Morris-“With brand integration, brands will be integrated into the storylines of films to provide a seamless synergy. It is not meant to stand out from the story. This kind of placement is attractive to the brand because it cannot be fast forwarded or Tivo’d out; it is integrated into the fabric of the story. Product placement is a little different than brand integration in that placement gets you product for your film (a case of Pepsi or bags of Doritos). Brand integration entails the company name or the product being openly discussed within the story. This gets you money rather than product. “

How is a script chosen as an integration candidate?

Morris-“We do script analysis to see what brands will seamlessly fit within the storyline and which brands have budget and objectives to reach that a certain film will help with. It isn’t that we only have a certain brand that we try to move into films. We have relationships with thousands of brands. We read a script and look at all of the possible ways to integrate products that will make sense for both parties. We aren’t looking to make fits where there aren’t any. We think it is disrespectful to the audience, to the creative process and ultimately it doesn’t serve the brand image to force a brand into a story. We receive scripts generally through an agency and if we are unfamiliar with the track record of the producer, we charge a nominal fee for analysis.”

How do brands choose the projects they will become involved in?

Morris-“Before becoming involved with a project, every brand will assess whether the project will reach their target demographic in a meaningful way. It doesn’t make sense for them to participate if it doesn’t. Before a brand comes on board, we look at the audience for the project and how widespread the project will be delivered and make sure that it all makes sense. We can assist in films getting wider distribution too by partnering with the producer to pitch distributors with the idea that the integrated brands will be running cross promotional campaigns with the film in their own marketing. This makes the project even more visible and attractive to a distributor.” 

How do independent producers benefit from working with your company and what types of projects interest you?

Auerbach-“BiE is a champion of the independent film producer. We enable producers to raise secondary funding apart from the studios to get projects made. We are interested in web projects, graphic novels, films, TV shows, etc. If it is integratable, we do it.  We are also interested in integrating brands within live events. It helps if writers can think about what brands might be included in a project during the writing process, but script analysts on staff also read and look for opportunities that a writer might not have thought about.  The budget of the film is immaterial. We are looking for any project that will help a brand reach its objective.”

An aside: they really prefer projects with budgets over $500K.

In January, the company will be holding its first ever integration auction at Christy’s in New York City. The invitation only auction invites professional representatives and advertising agencies to bid on exclusive content packages to feature their services and products among a variety of media platforms. An online auction preview catalog is available on BiE’s website.

Tags: Brand in Entertainment, brand integration, independent film, secondary funding