What if the secret to winning in branded content isn't reinventing the wheel, but knowing exactly which wheels to put together?

On this episode of Branded Content That Works, we're breaking down how STAT Brand Studio brought a live-streamed branded content event to life at the world's biggest biotech conference, and then squeezed it for everything it was worth.

Host Stine Holmgaard sits down with Brittany Whitmore, Vice President of Commercial Strategy at STAT, and Jesse McQuarters, Editor of Branded Content and Brand Studio Lead at STAT, to unpack their multi-year relationship with bio manufacturing client Cytiva and the live activation they co-created at the BIO International Convention in San Diego.

Brittany and Jesse share how they pitched "blurry lines" instead of finished ideas, why the entire live event was scripted yet had to feel completely unscripted, how a two-person team ran a full-funnel program spanning brand awareness, thought leadership, and lead gen, and how free coffee at a booth turned conference foot traffic into a captivated audience — both in person and on the live stream.

Keywords: Branded content, STAT Brand Studio, Cytiva, Live branded events, Biopharma marketing, Healthcare content strategy, Full-funnel campaigns, Multichannel content activation

Appendix:

The Cytiva Campaign: https://www.statnews.com/sponsor/2026/09/14/keeping-breakthroughs-moving/

STAT Brand Studio website: sbs.statnews.com

STAT Brand Studio LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/stat-brand-studio/

Brittany Whitmore LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/britt-whitmore-0306a513/

Jesse McQuarters LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessemcquarters/

What if the best branded content campaign you ever produced almost never saw the light of day - not once, but three times?

On this episode of Branded Content That Works, we're breaking down how Fortune Brand Studio turned three years of rejection, a broken wind turbine, floods, and a national grid outage into an award-winning masterpiece.

Host Stine Holmgaard sits down with Megan Gilbert, Vice President of Fortune Brand Studio, and Lauren Chomiuk, Executive Director of Program Management for Fortune Brand Studio, to unpack their six-year journey with Iberdrola, a global energy company based in Spain.

Megan and Lauren share the story behind their brand film Staying Power and its accompanying content hub, including how they pitched the client for three years before winning the business, why a single mechanical failure off the coast of Massachusetts sent them scrambling to Spain, and how constant communication and deep trust turned a string of force majeure events into a campaign that overperformed Fortune's benchmarks by 3x in impressions and 14x in engagement.

This episodes was recorded in FBS's podcast studio in New York.

Produced by Pia de Soiza

Filmed by Youssef Lehnin

Edited by Jonathan Harris

Keywords:
Branded content, Fortune Brand Studio, Iberdrola, Brand film production, Energy marketing, Global branded content strategy

Appendix: https://fortune.com/brandstudio/iberdrola/how-energy-storage-is-redefining-power-on-the-iberian-peninsula/

Description:

Yvonne Beister, Director at Axel Springer Brand Studios, shares her perspective on reinventing branded content through AI-powered interactive storytelling, exploring how to push the boundaries of native advertising while staying brand-safe and editorially credible. Drawing on her extensive experience leading content and strategy across more than 20 media brands reaching 52 million Germans, she presents a detailed case study of Axel Springer's groundbreaking partnership with Samsung, outlining how they invented and launched a first-of-its-kind AI story format — and the remarkable results it delivered in engagement, dwell time, and purchase intent.

Keywords:

Branded content, AI storytelling, Interactive content, Axel Springer, Samsung, Gamification, Native Advertising

Appendix:

Samsung Campaign: https://hey.bild.de/experience/besser-schlafen-fit-in-den-tag-starten-04ba51e6

Sixt: https://www.sixt.de/mietwagenleitfaden/werbung/

Per Karlsson, Senior Pitch Director at Bonnier News, shares his perspective on the art of pitching branded content, exploring how to balance commercial ambitions with authentic storytelling while meeting evolving client expectations. Drawing on his extensive experience, he presents a detailed case study of the successful Go Live a Little campaign for Apollo, outlining the strategies that drove its strong performance and the key lessons learned along the way.

keywords

branded content, pitching, advertising, media, Apollo campaign, content strategy, AI in media, client relationships, industry trends, content marketing

Chapters

00:00 The Art of Pitching Branded Content

02:18 Understanding the Role of a Pitch Director

03:52 Defining Branded Content: Clarity and Confusion

07:31 A Personal Anecdote: Lessons from a High-Stakes Pitch

10:40 AI in Branded Content: A Tool for Authenticity

12:12 Case Study: The Apollo Campaign

27:46 Measuring Success: KPIs and Outcomes

35:19 Lessons Learned: Challenging Client Expectations

37:12 Trends in Branded Content: Shifts in Client Expectations

Appendix:

Hemkop Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hemkop_sverige

In this conversation, Harry Morton, founder of Lower Street Media, discusses the transformative power of podcasting, particularly in the context of branded content. He shares insights on how setbacks can lead to new opportunities, the evolution of podcasting as a medium, and the importance of understanding client needs. The discussion also highlights a successful case study with Boston Consulting Group, showcasing how creative approaches can lead to impactful campaigns. Throughout the conversation, Harry emphasizes the need for brands to be brave and innovative in their podcasting efforts to truly engage audiences.

Chapters

00:00 Turning Setbacks into Opportunities

05:16 The Evolution of Podcasting and Branded Content

10:51 Understanding Client Needs in Podcasting

16:39 Creative Campaigns: A Case Study with BCG

27:44 Lessons Learned and Future Directions

Keywords

podcasting, branded content, audio storytelling, creative campaigns, client collaboration, marketing strategies, podcast agency, audience engagement, content creation, media trends