Retailers no longer just sell products, they sell stories. And those who control the story, control the market. That is why meal delivery company Wonder is now buying media company Tastemade for about $90 million, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Retailers realise that controlling the story is as powerful as owning the transaction. Wonder's acquisition of Tastemade is not a loose change, but a sign of things to come. Media is no longer an afterthought; it is the backbone of modern commerce.
Why retailers are investing in media
Retailers understand that attention is the new currency. At a time when consumers are not buying just anything, but are guided by stories, experiences and brands with a soul, media is becoming the key to growth. That is why Amazon launched Prime Video years ago and bought MGM for $8.5 billion. It's why Apple not only has an App Store, but also Apple TV+.
With the acquisition of Tastemade, Wonder is buying not just a content studio, but a global audience of millions of viewers. This is not just a marketing ploy, but a strategic move to take control of the entire customer journey.
Media als groeimotor: Inspirerende Case studies
Unilever: Pioniers van Branded Content
The strategy works. Unilever understood this early on with Life & Cooking, a TV programme that reached Dutch households for nine years and unwittingly placed Unilever products at the heart of their daily habits.
Starbucks: Entertainment as a Brand Experience
What Unilever pioneered, Starbucks is continuing at Hollywood level. Starbucks has been experimenting with co-producing entertainment for some time, the This Is Football series on Prime Video being a good example. November last year, they announced they were going one step further by setting up Starbucks Studios, their own production company that tells inspiring stories and contributes directly to the brand experience. Their first project? Madwoman’s Game, a documentary with Keanu Reeves as executive producer, celebrating the power of perseverance and creativity.
Procter & Gamble: Hollywood Level Storytelling
Perhaps the founder of the phenomenon of brand funded programming is Procter & Gamble, dat ooit de soap opera uitvond om zeep te verkopen. In de 21e eeuw pakt het nóg groter aan. Met P&G Studios , they finance Hollywood productions and work with top names like Ron Howard (director of A Beautiful Mind, among others) and Reese Witherspoon. The result? Emmy-nominated documentaries (The Cost of Winning) and films picked up by HBO and Hulu. This is not advertising, this is entertainment at the highest level, with a clever link to P&G's brand values.
Kimberly Doebereiner with the all-important job title VP of the Future of Advertising at P&G and head of the studio says it this way:
“Because ultimately, we’re about connecting our brands to our consumers to sell more product, right? So the brands aren’t necessarily leading it, but they’re looking for ways for their brand to show up. They’re looking for ways to be more authentic and more a part of culture and conversation.”
And sometimes the investment is not even a cost item, P&G earns back on some productions through sales and distribution deals:
“We are looking for an ROI and we’ve had success recouping the cost of some or all or more of the projects, depending on the cost”
Shopify Studios: Glorifying Entrepreneurship
Shopify in 2019 launched Shopify Studios, a full-fledged TV and film production company focused on inspiring entrepreneurship. Jason Badal, head of Shopify Studios, states:
“Behind every product, system, and modern convenience that makes the world turn is an entrepreneur with an idea” The studio produces documentary series such as ‘Studios Films’, which tells stories of entrepreneurs going against the grain, such as David Hieatt of Hiut Denim, who is bringing 400 jobs back to a small Welsh community. And founder Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart with VAUTE she was the first vegan fashion line to appear at New York Fashion Week. Not short promo pitches, but 30-minute long-form content with millions of views.
Home Depot: From Store to Inspiration Platform
Home Depot goes one step further with Studio Orange, a 240,000-square-foot production house established in early 2024. The company took over a former furniture studio and transformed it into a complete content factory. Talitha Wiles, director of marketing operations, explains:
“If we’re using agencies to create this content, there’s only so much you can do because it gets too expensive. This [facility] came along at a fantastic time to [produce] content at scale, at a reasonable cost, that you can control.”
Studio Orange not only produces marketing material, but also inspirational videos such as How to Create a Gamer Space. The three-and-a-half-minute production did not highlight any specific products, but instead was meant to “help you think about the process” of creating a game room, said Studio Orange's senior manager of creative production Jennifer Hudson. “That's different from what we would have done 10 years ago.”
Thomas Ordahl, a brand strategist, called this the “third click” in Home Depot's brand evolution. In the early years, he said, the company established itself as a one-stop, big-box destination for homeowners. Then it worked to position itself as a source of expertise and instruction.
Now it is at the third level:
“Now they’re going to a third level, trying to inspire you around home projects, to move you emotionally. They’re progressing along this continuum to own a more ephemeral space of emotion and dreams.”
Neutrogena: Social Relevance
Another notable example is Neutrogena, which in 2024 launched Neutrogena Studios, the world's first brand-funded content studio focused on skin health. Their debut documentary In the Sun was produced in collaboration with Emmy-winner Kerry Washington as executive producer. The documentary tells the personal stories of seven families and their relationship with sunlight, aimed at breaking misconceptions about skin care. In addition, they launched the First Frame programme, which gives emerging Gen Z filmmakers the chance to make short films about skin health – an innovative way to engage young creators while deepening the brand.
Dove: Storytelling as a Social Statement
Dove shows how brands can use stories to explore deep social issues. In collaboration with Channel 4 and Pulse Films, the brand produced the documentary Hair Power: Me and My Afro, presented by social historian Emma Dabiri.
Moving beyond traditional marketing content, the documentary explores the cultural and social dimensions of black hair in Britain. By highlighting issues such as hair discrimination and the struggle for recognition of natural hair, Dove creates more than advertising. It delivers a meaningful statement about inclusivity and social justice.
Five principles for branded entertainment
What do we learn from these cases? Successful brands follow these five strategies.
- Don't interrupt. Entertain
If you do it, do it well. No slogans, no sales pitches. Just stories.
- Show don’t tell
Every film reflects what the brand stands for. Their style, attitude and values.
You already feel it without even having seen a logo.
- Work less with agencies and more with producers
Agencies work in advertising, producers create entertainment.
So work with reputable producers with access to channels and streamers. Then sometimes they even manage to recoup the investment through sales and distribution deals.
- Support outspoken creatives
Safe is boring. Boring is always a waste of money.
Work with producers and directors with a clear vision.
- Think long-term brand value, not short-term reach
The Emmy nomination didn't make P&G sell more razor blades the next day, but it does make Gillette a brand with a story.
Conclusion
Wonder's acquisition of Tastemade shows that traditional divisions between retail and media are blurring. Retailers that want to stay relevant need to do more than just sell – they need to inspire. In a world where stories have power, every brand must ask itself: are you just shifting boxes, or a brand with a story?
Retailers who think media is an afterthought are falling behind. Those who do not invest in storytelling will remain a salesman in a world that demands storytellers.
Previously published on: Frankwatching