Brands can offer irresistible episodic content because they have an advantage that a TV writer could only dream of: a preloaded plotline. Unlike screenwriters and creators sweating over blank pages, brands with a clear purpose have a storyline and a premise that is already familiar.

Imagine a Survivor-style reality show for the visually impaired called Should I Stay or Should I Go to Specsavers, or Stars in Their Stomachs, a Snickers series featuring delusional celebrity impersonations. The brands that thrive in this new age will spin their DNA into irresistible formats and snag their place in the VIP lounge of Bingetopia.

To thrive in Bingetopia, brands need more than just a familiar plotline, they need a format audiences can come back to, time and again. Blendtec’s Will It Blend? cracked this code years ago. This ‘product demo as entertainment’ was so repeatable that viewers knew both the setup and the punchline and tuned in for over 15 years.