The branded content departments of the main Spanish media: organisational and functional structure, professional profiles and work processes

Abstract

A crucial element in the search for new media business models has emerged in recent years in the shape of branded content departments. A search for renewed sources of funding has become necessary as a result of digitisation and changes in media consumption. The new way of engaging brands through quality content requires professionals who can cope with this hybridisation between the editorial and advertising worlds. Through interviews with executives from the main Spanish media, this qualitative research defines the organisational and functional structure of these departments, as well as the working methods they use and their relationship with the newsroom and other departments. The conclusions show the diverse range of profiles and professional skills are involved, as branded content department managers prioritise the search for talent. The contribution of this study is to represent, for the first time, the typical organisational chart and workflows of these departments. The aim is that others should be able to use these models in their own practice, as the interviewees say that they do not know how other media are resolving the dilemmas inherent in the recent formation of these structures.