User Generated Content vs Branded Generated Content — What's the Difference?

UGC & BGC are often mistaken for one another, leaving brands visibly confused about their differences— as well as how they compare to ambassadors and influencers. 😵‍💫

And I'm starting to see it far too much in the UGC industry. 

So, ambassadors and influencers aside, what's the difference between UGC and BGC? 🤔

User generated content (UGC) is specifically created by customers or "hired customers" with real, organic reactions.

There's minimal editing of videos and photos. That means during the video editing stage of a project, almost no b-rolls, music, text, mics, transitions, etc. are added. Think product reviews and unboxing videos that you see on Amazon listings.

This is totally different from BGC, which is what a lot of people within the UGC space are actually getting into.

Branded generated content (BGC) is a whole production including script writing and strategy using CTAs and hooks. Videos and photos include heavy editing. A lot of the time marketing campaigns are in mind during the creation of branded photos and videos. 📷 

This type of creative marketing content can be used in-house, on websites, for listings, in blog articles, and on social media. 🖌 

The idea behind BGC is to create polished content, yet look more authentic/real than traditional ads, videos, and photos you'd see with overly glammed up productions (like you'd see on TV). 📺 

So, if you're in the UGC space, when you say you've created UGC for a brand, think to yourself and decide if it's actually BGC.💡

Lastly, the prices a creator charges between the two are immensely different. 

Creative production and strategy for BGC calls for higher rates than true authentic content and raw reactions— UGC.

Did this help you as a business or creator? Let us know in the comments what you think!