Don’t Ask for ‘Viral’ or ‘Authentic:’ The Latest Ogilvy Thinking on Content Marketing
Content Marketing. It’s one of those buzzy phrases that raises more questions for marketers than it answers.
“How heavily should I brand my content?”
“How does this fit into my social strategy?”
“Where does this fit in my paid strategy?”
“How can I create authentic content?”
Rob Davis, executive director of content marketing and video at Social@Ogilvy’s cousin, Ogilvy One, stopped by our Washington, DC, office this week to help separate some of the hype from the help regarding content marketing.
But before answering any of the above questions, Davis insisted that his audience – marketing execs from places like Amtrak, The World Bank, BIO, AARP, CSC and more – first put content marketing in its proper place.
“Content is only part of the process,” Davis said, putting it between commerce and conversation as part of a long-term strategy. The message was clear: content marketing, thought important, is not a magic bullet. Instead, it’s only effective when it’s part of an integrated plan that has earned and paid support following it up to bolster its effectiveness.
(Davis also admitted that he cringes anytime a client starts talking about “authentic content.”)
With examples from IBM and DuPont, Davis posited that the best content marketing is stories that are at the intersection of “the goals of the brand and the desires of the users.”
And the goals of the brand for a piece of content should be very specific and agreed-upon before the content launches: Where in the customer funnel do you see this content working and how will you judge its effectiveness?
In other words, if your goal is simply to “go viral” you’re going to be very disappointed on multiple levels.
See Davis’ full presentation and Q&A – and why he hates the word “authentic…”
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