What is the difference between Live Entertainment and Branded Live Entertainment? Well, Live Entertainment can be any kind of live event – music, sport, an awards ceremony, a corporate conference and so on. You are probably more aware of Branded Live Entertainment than you think you are – ever heard of the O2 Arena or your local O2 Academy? (Sponsored by the O2 phone company), been to either of the music festivals T in the Park or V festival? (Sponsored by Tennents brewery and Virgin respectively) or been to gigs which have been part of the Vans, NME or Kerrang tours (sponsored by the skate trainers/rock music magazine and tv station companies respectively)? These are all examples of Brand Name Live Events.

As Live entertainment experiences become more expensive to produce, organisations are increasingly looking to corporate partners to help foot the bill and there are number of brands which are aligning themselves with Live Entertainment events to become Live Entertainment brands – such as those listed above but also brands such as Levis, Disney, Southern Comfort, Channel 4, MTV, Myspace and Vodafone. Such brands are looking for new and different ways with which to interact with new potential – and particularly young – customers and there is no better way than with Branded Live Entertainment.  This is built around the customer’s experience (at the Live Event) of interacting with the Brand in a seemingly natural environment, which is why drinks, phone network and social networking brands do so much with live music in particular. For example, at a live concert, the brand’s potential customer has a drink in one hand, with mobile phone in the other uploading a photograph or video stream taken of their favourite band at this once in a lifetime live experience on that phone to their social networking site of choice. It’s a cost effective way of reaching out to so many people with publicity for such events often using more than one form of media. It makes sense for such companies to ensure their brands be seen as Live Entertainment Brands and be seen as an integral part of any such live entertainment experience and hope that their potential customers will always associate that brand with a great time (and so, buy more of their stuff…).