I remember in 2004 when I went to my first Cannes Lions festival, the talk was all about consumer control and compelling content.
This was a time when Facebook was taking its first baby steps and few of us in Australia had even heard of personal video recorders, let alone had them in our homes – to give us the control we were being told would be era defining.
Almost 10 years later and the mantra is still content, content, content. And thanks to social media and the internet in general, we have more control over what we buy, when and from where. Brands have well and truly embraced the fact that they have to engage with their consumers in more entertaining and compelling ways. And this means content.
Content might simply be the words on your website, or a comprehensive social media content plan with daily activity. It might be a short film or a photo gallery.
But just giving a cursory nod to content can do more harm than good. The key ingredient to make any content strategy sing is quality and that demands attention to detail and resources. If there is a lack of strategic thought or care in execution (hello, spelling and grammar!) then your content will not cut through, worse, it can devalue your brand.
It’s not simply a nice-to-have add on anymore. It’s becoming an increasingly important part of the marketing mix and needs to be a budget consideration if it’s going to form part of an overall strategy.
Danielle Veldre
Newsroom
