let me entertain you (10.25.24)

This week, Chick-fil-A announced the launch of Chick-fil-A Play, an app “designed for parents and kids to share and experience together, whether they’re enjoying a meal at home, in the drive-thru, or anywhere in between.” When it launches on November 18th (the app is free to pre-download now for customers), it will feature original animated shows, cooking shows, interactive stories, original scripted podcasts, e-books, and more. Tapping into the brand’s positioning of hospitality and fun, the app “is a digital extension of that experience and another way we’re reimagining play for our guests through entertainment that really encourages time together.”

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You might joke about whether the app will work on Sundays, but the “digital playground” announcement is a strong strategic alignment with the brand’s aspirations and the future of marketing. The reality is that everything is content these days—from your social shopping offerings to your influencer partnerships to the packaging your products come in. Content without culture is simply a moment; it may briefly go viral or drive short-term ROI, but inevitably, like all moments, it will fade away into obscurity.

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Content created through the lens of entertainment, however, can transcend the moment and become a culture-shaping movement.

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This distinction between content and entertainment is critical for success as a brand. Entertainment impacts culture and behavior by sparking, driving, and moving it forward. For brands, entertainment is essential, as it can shape consumer preferences and behaviors. Brand-funded entertainment, regardless of the delivery format, can create positive emotional connections with consumers—who perceive it as a value exchange—which can then translate into enhanced brand affinity and loyalty. Don’t believe me? Ask the dentsu Entertainment team, which is leading the way in bringing brands into the narrative storytelling process of some of today’s (and tomorrow’s) biggest cultural cornerstones. And the Merkle team, who has helped Burger King double down on gamification driving the future of engagement and loyalty for the brand.

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As marketers, the heart of everything we do is anchored in the art of storytelling. That art has evolved to take on seemingly limitless formats, designs, and structures, but it still shares the same goal: creating true consumer connections and building genuine relationships that transcend the story. If the future of storytelling is entertainment, how are you ensuring that your ‘content’ goes beyond the moment, leveraging the power of entertainment to become a culture-shaping movement?