Brand entertainment and its influence on brand equity: a comparative study between UK and Italy.

This paper is aimed at investigating to what extent brand(ed) content influences the “brand equity” – as defined in the CBBE model (Keller, 1993). To the abovementioned purpose, the following study presents an empirical research carried out across two countries (UK and Italy), consisting of: an on-line quantitative questionnaire among a sample audience of 347 individuals, 11 qualitative semi-structured interviews among international media companies with internal creative divisions for brand(ed) entertainment. The findings, synthesised in a holistic conceptual framework, reveal that - although there is no direct correlation between branded content strategy and Return On Marketing Investments (ROMI) - branded content marketing boosts in the audience a positive attitude toward the brand. In conclusion, branded content is an effective marketing strategy since operates on Brand Image and Brand Awareness: the two components of Brand Knowledge that, in turn, influences directly Brand Equity.