Insurer MassMutual went through a major rebranding in 2017 to support its heritage as a company based on promise and community. And it chose to support this effort with a campaign that focused on real people who made a positive impact during the trying times of the past 12 months.
To ensure that these stories were told with authenticity and polish, the company partnered with CNN’s branded content studio Courageous to create a series of six videos profiling these exceptional individuals, which aired across Great Big Story, CNN and CNN Airport Network. The campaign culminated in a live ad that aired during CNN’s New Year’s Eve programming.
In the above video, Jennifer Halloran, MassMutual’s head of brand, advertising and community responsibility, explains the strategy behind this branded content execution. “We see a lot today with brands saying these are real actors, these are real stories, and I think there can still be skepticism with that,” she says. “Our biggest challenge and our real focus… was to make sure that people knew these were real news stories.”
The results were even more positive than MassMutual expected. Comments on social, for instance, seemed to mirror the brand’s creative brief, Halloran notes. And the company saw a 400 percent spike in traffic and doubling of social sentiment.
