Reaching critical mass: Moving into media
In the 1940s, homemakers in the U.S. were increasingly listening to daytime programming while they engaged with their day. You have heard of "Guiding Light;" you have heard of "As the World Turns," but have you heard that it was P&G that produced the beginnings of these soap operas?
Incorporated in 1949, Procter & Gamble Entertainment is "focused on creating original content that enables the company to connect with consumers and advertise its brands." You read that correctly: 1949. Over the past 60-plus years, P&G has produced more than 20 different content programs for radio and TV that served as native advertising experience.
Didn't know that the brand that brought you Tide and Pampers also brought you 54 years of plot twists and backstabbing while watching the world turn? That's exactly the beauty of native advertising. It's organic. It's in line with what you expect when you're looking to kick back and enjoy a good story.
Native advertising highlights your brand in a native context: A main character does laundry, uses Tide, and has the cleanest white sheets -- the perfect solution for a perfect house. The show itself built an object around which consumers could ignite a conversation, opening the potential to discuss the brands featured in the previous episodes.
"As the World Turns" was cancelled in 2010, marking the end of an era for exclusively producing content for TV. This opened the door for the new wave of native advertising: original digital programming.
