• by Naomi , Chris Young , August 2, 2010

When you consider the amount of time the average consumer spends staring at glowing rectangles each day, you'd think marketers would have figured out how to hold their audiences' attention online.

Remarkably, though, there are some marketers who still think that simply having a basic Web presence is enough. It's not.

Consumers are actually looking for brand interaction -- a dialogue, if you will. The interaction must be based on authenticity, integrity -- and for many brands, it's got to have that element of "cool." And when it comes down to it, not only is your audience equipped for interaction (i.e., faster Internet connections, smarter mobile devices & a host of social networks at their disposal), they're demanding interaction.

So regardless of whether the term "utilitainment" makes you cringe, the concept behind this marketing jargon gem is genius, really. Here's why:

In the world of branded entertainment, utilitainment is exactly what you think it means: utility + entertainment. It's a word used to describe content that offers audiences entertainment value and a multidimensional consumer experience that is, above all, useful to them.

Until recently, the term has almost exclusively been associated with mobile apps. And there have been successes and failures. The new "Karate Kid" app produced by Sony Pictures for the iPhone, for example, provides real entertainment value, and offers users engaging utilities -- i.e., five awesome games -- to keep them coming back for more.

However, as online branded content shifts towards a more interactive experience for the end user, the term has become more applicable to the traditional Web world. In my experience, the success of any branded content campaign for the Web is entirely dependent on the right mix of sponsored content, brand messaging that doesn't hit you over the head, lots of entertainment value, and of course, utility.

So whatever route you take-whether it's offering up clever webisodes centered around a new car model and allowing your audience to create their own version right on top of the video player, or launching a celebrity chef spoof Web series that engages users with games, useful drink recipes, and a character that embodies the ethos of the brand -- the content has to be both entertaining and useful.

Perhaps the inevitable shift towards utilitainment-oriented Web video content was best summed up last month at The Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival by Google's VP for global media and platforms, Henrique de Castro. He told the audience: "Rebalance your media mix because the whole world will become digital."

I'd argue that we're already there.