The Power of Production/Brand Relationships: Q&A with Entertainment Studios’ Jason Hermes

Rick Parkhill, Founder, BrandStorytelling.tv

The Weather Channel’s partnership with Land’s End is a best in class example of a great producer/brand relationship

Don’t miss this week’s discussion with Entertainment Studios CEO Byron Allen on Brandstorytelling.tv – RSVP HERE

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Brand Storytelling recently caught up with Jason Hermes, VP of Client Partnerships at The Weather Channel and Entertainment Studios, to learn more about the value of relationships fostered between production and brands when executing entertainment brand integrations:

You have just joined Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios to head up client partnerships and brand content across the Weather Channel and the entire Entertainment Studios stable of programming. Tell us about your decision to leave a decade-long career at The Martha Stewart Show and NBCU and what has you excited about this new role?

The highlight of my 22-year media career was working with Martha Stewart on her daytime show, MARTHA from 2007-2009. During those years I worked directly with the show’s producers identifying segments that called for brands; in a way, I was part of the production team. After our weekly production meetings it was my job to reach out to those identified brand marketing teams and have the conversation of integrating their brand into our content, monetizing through paid integration fees. The conversation changes when you can start with a marketer by saying, “my producer has identified your brand as one we would like to work with in our content….”

I have the same collaboration with the producers across Allen Media (Entertainment Studios and The Weather Channel) that I did with The Martha Stewart Show and I’m excited, and happy to be back in a similar role. Full 100% Producer collaboration is the single key to successful organic product integration executions for brands.

At MARTHA, you developed a “creator/producer first” approach to brand integrations and content opportunities. Tell us how this is unique and why it’s more productive to bring opportunities to brands that are first envisioned and vetted with producers.

Great question - because when set up this way it becomes authentic. If an ad sales executive tells a producer what to produce based on dollars, the execution will fall flat. The producers are the artists and that needs to be respected. Once producers recognize they are dictating the content, not sales, the authenticity of the opportunity for brands becomes so much more valuable.

The art of successful brand integrations and content partnerships begins internally with producers trusting the executive in charge of working to monetize their content. I call it an art because it’s a delicate balance between gaining the trust of your producers, that they trust you understand their vision and finding the brands they are comfortable working into their content. “Follow the money” in this business is NOT the formula for success. Gaining the trust and ultimately the ACCESS to the producers is the formula!

Can you describe a couple of brand integrations that ES has developed that are “producer-first” concepts and executions?

Currently our outerwear partnership with Land’s End is a best in class example of when our producers love a brand it shows.

Here’s what I mean. This is the definition of authenticity:

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Don’t miss this week’s discussion with Entertainment Studios CEO Byron Allen on Brandstorytelling.tv – RSVP HERE

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About Jason Hermes

Jason Hermes is a high energy Superconnector and business professional with a passion for new technologies and executions in the media marketing industry. Excellent communication skills along with superior presentation abilities and deep media industry and c-suite client relationships, Jason is a dynamic, creative and passionate sales professional who has built a reputation of integrity and a great partner to engage in business. With a combined 22 years in media and marketing consulting and sales, Jason is a senior executive who identifies strategic opportunities, develops and executes new business strategies and creates revenue growth partnerships. He works closely with marketers and c-suite clients directly, in a consultative manner, to build solutions specific to individual partner KPI's. He has expertise in developing and executing innovative strategies in monetization and operations including digital and programmatic video sales, multi-platform media sales, contextualized integrated marketing, consumer products, licensing and organizational efficiencies. He has extensive experience in crafting and negotiating high-profile branded entertainment fee based and combined upfront and multi-year deals with brand and client partners. Jason is recognized as a senior sales executive who recruits, trains, mentors and motivates employees to thrive in their roles and within the organization.