Entertainment Redefined

Betsy Frank, Chief Research & Insights Officer of Time Inc. gave an extremely compelling presentation in yesterday's Media Research track, Multi-Platform Storytelling. As the workshop progressed, my perception of 'entertainment' shifted a bit. In their research at Time, Inc., they have discovered that entertainment for most consumers includes 'anything I'm not obliged to do.' In fact, 77% agree 'I can find entertainment value in almost anything.'

She went further to say that the more stressed you are, the more important entertainment becomes. The benefits? To relax, feel less stress. It's an escape. Entertainment is the antidote to anxiety.

However, they have discovered that entertainment is not only about escape, it also fulfills three other emotional needs, to: Connect, Create, and Share. She shared rich insights from a study of 30 (non-entertainment) brands. Here is an example of the model they developed as a result.

They found certain brands resonated on some of the spectrums while at least one brand (Target was the example given) was able to connect on all 4.

Betsy was kind enough to visit with me for a few minutes after the workshop. Here are a few highlights of the presentation: