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Branded content has never been more in demand—but producing it efficiently and at scale remains a struggle.
While audiences expect high-quality, interactive content, many publishers and content studios might still be wrestling with outdated production models.
According to Tine Karlsen, CEO and co-founder of Vev, a no-code builder, the problem isn’t just about creating visually engaging content—it’s about doing so without breaking workflows or overburdening tech teams.
“The demand for high-quality branded content has skyrocketed, but the tools and workflows used to produce it haven’t evolved at the same pace,” Karlsen explains. “Many publishers are still using rigid CMS templates or relying on fully custom-coded solutions—both of which slow down production and limit creative flexibility.”
Choosing between two less ideal solutions
For content teams, the options are limited.
They can either use their CMS, which prioritizes structure and efficiency over creativity, or go the fully custom-coded route, which is costly, time-consuming, and difficult to maintain.
“Right now, publishers have two choices—neither ideal,” Karlsen says. “They can build within their CMS, which is great for managing structured content but too rigid for visually rich, interactive experiences that stand out. Or they can go fully custom, which offers flexibility but is expensive, slow, and hard to scale.”
Some publishers attempt a middle ground by adopting visual editors and third-party design tools. But these solutions often require hosting content outside the CMS—resulting in fragmented workflows and major headaches for SEO, security, tracking, and compliance.
“The real challenge isn’t just creating content visually—it’s ensuring it integrates seamlessly within the CMS and existing workflows,” Karlsen says. “The future of branded content production lies in tools that enhance, rather than bypass, the publisher’s tech stack.”
The hidden costs of custom builds
Custom-built solutions seem appealing at first. They offer full control and unique design flexibility. But they come with hidden costs that many brands don’t consider.
“There are actually a few hidden costs,” Karlsen says. “First, time—custom builds take longer to develop and deploy. Second, maintenance—every update requires more development work, which adds up fast. Third, SEO and analytics—many fully custom solutions are JavaScript-heavy, which can make content invisible to search engines and disrupt tracking.”
What seems like a creative advantage often turns into a long-term operational headache. Without the right tools, publishers end up with content that’s difficult to update, expensive to maintain, and hard to measure.
Why publishers can’t abandon their CMS
On the other hand, there’s also a reason publishers can’t simply abandon their CMS—it’s the backbone of their operation.
“For publishers, the CMS is where content is stored, managed, and tracked,” Karlsen explains. “Security, analytics, workflow governance—everything runs through the CMS. Branded content has to live inside that system to ensure consistency across platforms, proper audience tracking, and ad revenue optimization.”
Yet, traditional CMS platforms weren’t designed to handle highly visual, interactive branded content.
This is why content teams often feel stuck: They need creative flexibility but can’t afford to break the underlying infrastructure.
So, how do publishers solve this dilemma? Karlsen believes the answer lies in a flexible frontend layer that works with the CMS instead of against it.
“The key is to complement the CMS rather than replace it,” she says. “Instead of forcing branded content into rigid templates—or managing a completely separate tech stack—publishers need tools that integrate seamlessly, enabling them to create high-quality, custom-designed content while maintaining workflow efficiency, security, and tracking capabilities.”
For many publishers, this realization comes after they’ve already struggled with costly, inefficient custom solutions.
“Many publishers come to us after facing the challenges of scaling content without adequate support from their internal tech teams,” Karlsen shares. “They quickly realize that managing a separate tech stack just for branded content creates unnecessary complexity.”
This is where, according to Karlsen, Vev’s competitive advantage comes into play—offering a way to produce immersive content without compromising CMS functionality.
Scaling content in an AI-driven landscape
But outdated production models aren’t the only challenge facing publishers.
With AI-generated content rapidly increasing, publishers face a new challenge: standing out amid the noise. AI can produce articles and images at scale, but truly impactful branded content still requires human creativity and strategic design.
“With AI-generated content growing exponentially, quality will matter more than ever,” Karlsen says. “Anyone can generate text or images with AI, but creating unique, high-impact branded content requires thoughtful design and storytelling.”
New technologies, including AI-assisted content tools and no-code builders like Vev, are unlocking new levels of efficiency and creativity.
“AI can help automate repetitive tasks like generating metadata, summaries, or translations, while visual tools enable teams to experiment, iterate, and scale without writing a single line of code,” Karlsen explains.
The future of branded content production won’t be about replacing creativity—it will be about enhancing it.
“The next big shift is AI-assisted branded content production—but in a way that enhances human creativity, not replaces it,” Karlsen says. “We’re working on AI tools that help generate content drafts, create voiceover versions of articles, and even suggest design improvements.”
But she is clear on one thing: AI is a productivity booster, not a creative replacement.
“While AI can generate drafts, automate workflows, and suggest optimizations, it can’t replicate human storytelling, intuition, and creative direction,” she says. “The best brands and publishers will use AI as an accelerator—but the magic still comes from people.”
Looking ahead, the studios and publishers that will thrive are those embracing scalability, flexibility, and intelligent automation.
“Speed and adaptability are everything,” Karlsen says. “The studios that thrive will be the ones that can produce, iterate, and scale content efficiently—without being slowed down by outdated tools or manual processes.”
