Content marketing has been defined as “the overarching practice of using information and entertainment to promote a brand or product” (DeMers, 2014, para. 1).
It is important to note that this content does not have to be produced exclusively for an online or mobile application, even if some articles about content marketing focus heavily on the online or mobile application of content marketing and its growing importance in those mediums. A strategic content marketing plan is much more than having a content based digital strategy. If you go to the following page, you will see a variety of content marketing campaigns employed in different mediums. My favorite example is the Duracell example. It uses both an outdoor billboard (bus-stop) and the advertisement, which is available on you-tube, its website and my guess several other places.
Content marketing is the next big thing in advertising. In fact, 61% of consumers agree that they are more likely to buy products from companies that create custom content online than those who do not (Singh, 2014, para. 1). Some advertising experts have even compared the ongoing popularity and trends towards using content marketing to the importance placed on the television commercial at the beginning of advertising (Contently, 2014).
The impact is clear inside of many companies. Tribune Publishing invested in a content marketing shop called “Contend.” Contend will make videos to assist in telling the stories behind its Tribune advertisers. Content marketing is a significant part of the marketing strategy for P & G, Microsoft, Cisco Systems, & John Deere, Red Bull, Coca-Cola, Oreo to name only a few of the biggest players in the space (Content Marketing Institute, 2014; Contently, 2014).
This is only the beginning of the content marketing. Today, content is important to all phases of the marketing and promotion. With a variety of different media available to tell your brands story, story means more to the consumer than it ever has. Producers of content, marketers and promoters need to work together in this new age of media and find the best story to tell around their brands. Brands that create compelling stories or lifestyles around their product keep them top of mind. For instance, Red Bull has a sports division, a publishing division and a media house all dedicated to content around Red Bull that has very little emphasis on the sports drink itself. Instead, Red Bull is developing an entertainment based lifestyle that consumers follow and embrace the Red Bull product around.
Content marketing needs to be considered a priority in companies that want to connect to consumers in a meaningful way. This is not an additional asset that you employ in the chain of marketing and promotion. Content marketing is the DNA that will be essential in connecting with consumers across all platforms, whether it is a blog, a webcast, a magazine or social media event.
References:
Contently. (2014, Feb 25). From Oreo to red Bull, CPG Brands are transforming marketing. Mashable [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2014/02/25/cpg-content-marketing-brandspeak/
DeMers, J. (2014, August 19). The top 7 content marketing trends dominating 2014. Forbes Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2014/08/19/the-top-7-content- marketing-trends-dominating-2014/
Singh, K. (2014, August 11). 61% of consumers prefer companies with custom online content. Mashable [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2014/08/11/content-marketing-roi-data/
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