Creative Strategy

02/03/2014

Budweiser’s ‘Puppy Love’ Super Bowl Commercial Proves that Cute Animals Win Customers

I’ll say it: Super Bowl XLVIII was arguably the most boring championship game I’ve seen (although Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS was awful as well). But the good thing about the Super Bowl, no matter how disappointing the sport theatrics are, is the fact that we’re treated to the biggest marketing extravaganza of the year. In 2014, marketers spent $4 million for 30-second commercials.

And that’s just to buy the slots. It doesn’t include hiring talent like Scarlett Johannson, Bob Dylan and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

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Cumulatively, marketers might spend as much as $10 million on Super Bowl commercials. With that much cash on stake, it’s imperative that they invest the money wisely, creating as good an ad as possible in order to attract as many new prospective customers as they can. Continue reading “Budweiser’s ‘Puppy Love’ Super Bowl Commercial Proves that Cute Animals Win Customers”

01/15/2014

What Netflix Can Teach Us about Content Marketing

One of the big stories of 2013 was the rise of Netflix. The media company took a big risk by unveiling two high-profile series, House of Cards and Orange is the New Black and it paid off with the media company rising to $306 per share by September 2013, up more than 219 percent in 2013. Both series became critical hits and drew devoted fan bases. Many viewers would “binge-watch” the 13-episode seasons, which were made available all at once by Netflix.

Kevin Spacey, the star and executive producer of House of Cards, spoke to the Edinburgh Television Festival last summer about the challenge in launching the show and his description mirrors many companies’ hesitancy to delve into content marketing.

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“We wanted to start to tell a story that took a long time to tell,” Spacey said. “We were creating a sophisticated, multilayered story with complex characters who would reveal themselves over time.”

Businesses also have complex stories to tell. One of the great benefits of content marketing is that it allows brands to create relationships with their customers and consumers of all types. With each blog post, feature article, e-newsletters, infographic or video, your company shares the word about what’s happening in the world of your business and the industry at large.

Another aspect of content marketing that can sometimes be puzzling is wondering who is reading articles about your business and where they’re looking at them. As Spacey points out, it doesn’t matter where consumers are reading about you, and they’ll want as many options as possible.

“There’s no difference—watching Avatar on an iPad or watching YouTube on a TV or watching Game of Thrones on a computer. It’s all content. It’s just story. And the audience has spoken,” Spacey said. “They want stories. They’re dying for them. They’re rooting for us to give them the right thing. And they will talk about it, binge on it, carrying it with them on the bus and to the hairdresser, force it on their friends, tweet, blog, Facebook, make fan pages, silly GIFs and God knows what else about it.”

The best possible outcome of content marketing is that it will turn consumers into customers and customers into fans. By providing consistent, on-demand content to your audience, you’ll empower them to champion your business. The walls are coming down, and it’s time for the conversation to get started.

12/30/2013

What Exactly is Good Content Marketing?

As a business manager, you have probably come across the same content marketing tips repeatedly. While some of these slivers of advice are helpful, others are so vague that they are a waste of everybody’s time. One tip that tends to pop up fairly often is to make sure to produce quality content. The phrasing may change slightly from article to article, but the message is generally the same.

Continue reading “What Exactly is Good Content Marketing?”

12/18/2013

What Ron Burgundy Can Teach Us about Becoming a Thought Leader

In the lead up to the release of Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, actor Will Ferrell (appearing in-character as fictional news anchor Ron Burgundy) has gone on a marketing bonanza. In addition to showing up in nationwide commercials for Dodge trucks, Ferrell has appeared on a local news broadcasts out of North Dakota, a curling event in Canada and was even in-studio for a radio show in my hometown of Milford, CT.

Continue reading “What Ron Burgundy Can Teach Us about Becoming a Thought Leader”

12/16/2013

Going the Extra Mile to Strengthen Customer Relationships

I was in need of a break.

It snowed here in Connecticut last week. I am by no means afraid of driving in the snow, but after a enduring a harrowing experience en route to college in Vermont one winter—a taxi merging onto the highway didn’t yield to me during a snowstorm so I slammed on my brakes and 360’d across two lanes of traffic, coming to rest in a soft, snowy ditch—I try to avoid it when possible. I’m still driving that endearing jalopy of a 2001 Nissan Altima, so that day I worked from home, sights set on proving Marissa Mayer wrong. (If you’ll remember, earlier this year, after taking the reins at Yahoo, Mayer famously forbade her employees from working from home.)

As a diehard Yankees fan, I was still stung by the news that franchise second baseman Robinson Cano had opted to take his talents to Seattle, thanks in part to his new agent Jay Z seeking to make a big name for himself in his latest professional endeavor. And he did, helping Cano land a 10-year, $240 million contract, the third largest in baseball history. Continue reading “Going the Extra Mile to Strengthen Customer Relationships”

10/18/2013

Content Marketing Lessons from ‘Roseanne’

It’s hard to believe it, but it’s been 25 years since America first met the Connors.

October 18 marks the silver anniversary of “Roseanne,” the comedy television show about a dysfunctional working-class family from the Chicago suburbs starring Roseanne Barr and John Goodman.

In celebration of this classic television program, here are some lessons that we can learn about content marketing:

Don’t Be a Couch Potato—You Have to Produce

Fans of Roseanne will remember the classic ongoing battle between the father, Dan Connor (played by Goodman) and David, his daughter’s lazy teenage boyfriend. Just like Dan constantly harped on David for not getting off of the couch, he would also harp on you if he caught you slacking with your content production. In order to establish yourself as a thought leader and engage consistently with your audience, you need to produce fresh content on a consistent basis if you want to succeed.

Be Loud and Outspoken, like Roseanne

Roseanne’s character was a bold woman, and when she spoke everyone within earshot paid attention. While this was partially due to her shrill yet charming voice, it also had to do with the fact that she never beat around the bush. Content producers can learn to speak clearly, boldly and plainly. If your content sounds different than the way you speak in real life, you might be trying too hard.

Balance Your Content with Humor

Part of the reason why Roseanne lasted nine seasons was that it had a steady mix of serious and funny overtones. Fans knew that any given episode could either make them laugh or stress them out and teach them an important life lesson along the way. Your content should work to keep readers guessing, yet at the same time it should be consistent. Don’t be afraid to use comedy to enhance your articles as long as your readers know that the content beneath is full of relevant and useful information.

10/17/2013

Cinnabon, Breaking Bad and Pure Content Marketing Magic

Full disclosure: I’m only in season three of Breaking Bad.

There are a few times in a company’s existence – if any – where the stars align just so, inviting the pearly gates of content marketing heaven to thrust open and outpour a surge of selling genius upon those who lie in waiting. This doesn’t happen often; however, the rare – and extremely profitable – occurrence came to fruition for one very lucky Omaha, Neb.-based Cinnabon.

That’s right – the sickeningly sweet treat that all of us hate to admit we eat when we stop at the mall (don’t deny it) has hit the content marketing jackpot thanks to an offhand mention on AMC’s critically-acclaimed crime drama series, Breaking Bad.

Continue reading “Cinnabon, Breaking Bad and Pure Content Marketing Magic”

09/27/2013

Anthropologie: A Master in Fashion and Content Marketing

I have to give it up to fashion retailer Anthropologie. Not only does the fabulously quirky retailer offer today’s best fashion designs, but the company has mastered the art of content marketing. Blogs, videos, photo galleries, social media – you name it, Anthropologie has it. The fashion maven offers its customers custom creative content across a multitude of platforms, which has undoubtedly placed the brand ahead of the curve.

Let’s take a look at three ways Anthropologie has built its success using content marketing, as well as some helpful tips you can implement into your very own marketing strategy.

All about the Customer

Knowing their customers’ wide-range of interests, Anthropolgie’s blog “Anthro” is the go-to spot for the latest trends in everything fashion and culture. From “The Perfect Sunday Dinner Outfit” to the “Ultimate Road Trip Playlist” to “Designer Spotlights” to “The Summer Sendoff Margarita,” Anthro has a diverse mix of content for every type of customer.

Let’s face it; your customers don’t want to read a blog filled with promotional content. They want a place to go to read about the topics they like without being bombarded by ads. Content marketing is all about finding a happy medium between promotional and informative content. Continue reading “Anthropologie: A Master in Fashion and Content Marketing”

09/20/2013

Want Better SEO Rankings? Create Better Content

Just when you thought you finally understood today’s SEO best practices, Google unleashes another animal from its cage and totally flips what you thought you knew upside down. While you can curse the Google Gods and swear never to use the search engine again, it won’t do you any good. Face it; in a world in which 93 percent of online experiences begin with a search engine, you need Google and Google needs you.

Continue reading “Want Better SEO Rankings? Create Better Content”

08/23/2013

A Picture Says a Thousand Words

I myself am a visual learner, who would rather look at pretty pictures than read a 1,000-plus word article—and I’m not alone. In fact, 65 percent of the population is comprised of visual learners and 40 percent of people respond better to visual information than plain text. For content marketers, this means marrying compelling content with eye-catching visuals.

Visual content garners big results as it not only helps catch the reader’s attention, but it also increases engagement and drives website traffic. Put yourself in your readers’ shoes and consider the following: would you rather read a press release full of text or a post with one or two eye-popping images?

Continue reading “A Picture Says a Thousand Words”