Mar 25 0 comments
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The Future of Content: An Incredible Expanding Universe

Attendees of the 2011 Custom Content Conference convened today in Charleston, S.C., for the last day of presentations, networking and knowledge sharing.

Although the word wasn’t specifically used today, the theme that emerged could best be encapsulated in the term “multimodal.” To be most effective, content needs to be integrated across print, Web, mobile, social media and more. And that includes the entire content life cycle, from market research to sales call.

David Harris, group manager of digital and alternative media for Mazda North America, described how content creators can take advantage of multiple channels. For example, carmakers are distributing owner manuals through social and mobile media and thereby gaining opportunities to interact with customers.

Diana Derval, president and research director for DervalResearch, explored research that shows how human physiology can affect consumer preferences for color, texture, sound and other product characteristics. For instance, research suggests that nearsighted people prefer blue, while farsighted people prefer red. Derval offered examples of how marketers have used this knowledge to target customers and increase sales.

Rex Sorgatz, creative director and CMO of VYou, talked about his company’s new offering. VYou.com is a new content-distribution channel that can be described as Twitter meets YouTube, Quora and Facebook. It allows users to create a profile and then use videos to respond to questions asked by other users. Simon & Schuster, for example, is using it to allow readers to interact with authors.

Finally, Kristi Adams, marketing innovation manager for Dell, explained why “content isn’t king until it makes your sales team sing.” Content has to be more than information; it needs to touch on what your customer loves.

Ultimately, attendees were reminded that there’s no longer – if there ever was – a single, dominant communication channel. And to be successful, content needs to be multifunctional, multifaceted, versatile and adaptable.

Sounds a lot like the members of the Custom Content Council.

See you all next year at the 2012 Custom Content Conference!

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Mar 25 0 comments
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What CMOs Think About When They Think About Custom Content

Eighty-seven percent of chief marketing officers think custom content is very or somewhat valuable. Ninety percent of consumers find custom content useful. Those are just two of the more salient results of recent surveys conducted by Roper Public Affairs & Corporate Communications.

A presentation of the results kicked off the speakers’ agenda of the 2011 Custom Content Conference today in Charleston, S.C. Insights were provided by Michael Winkleman, president and chief content officer of Leverage Media, and Andrew Seibert, president of Dow Jones Custom Solutions. Both are Custom Content Council board members.

In a survey of more than 100 CMOs, respondents were measurably more accepting of custom-content solutions. For example, 83 percent of CMOs are very or somewhat receptive to custom content, up from 67 percent in 2006. On the flip side, only 54 percent are worried that custom content is too expensive, down from 65 percent five years ago.

In fact, 35 percent “strongly agree” that custom content is the future of marketing, and 47 percent strongly agree that custom content should be an integral part of marketing plans – up from 19 percent and 30 percent respectively. As a result, 59 percent are now shifting funds away from traditional marketing to custom content.

On the consumer side, 78 percent believe that organizations providing custom content are interested in building good relationships with customers, and 73 percent prefer to get information about an organization in a collection of articles rather than in an ad. More than three-quarters of consumers understand that the organization is selling something, but they say they’re OK with that as long as they’re getting valuable information.

Among the most frequently used types of custom content are Websites (86 percent), electronic newsletters (69 percent), print newsletters (58 percent), social media (57 percent) and video (48 percent). Note that social media wasn’t even on the radar in 2006.

Complete survey results will become available to members of the Custom Content Council in the next few weeks.

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Mar 25 0 comments
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Igniting Brands – and the Custom Content Conference

At the 2011 Custom Content Conference today, among the standouts in an outstanding gallery of speakers was Robin Fisher Roffer, founder and CEO of Big Fish Marketing. Roffer inspired her audience with equal parts enthusiasm and insight.

Roffer’s focus was on “igniting” brands. Some highlights:

  • A brand’s identity is how customers feel about it.
  • The holy trinity of branding is consistency, clarity and authenticity.
  • The first thing to ask in any pitch meeting is, What’s your mission? All great brands have a mission, a reason for being.
  • Identify your client’s mission and push that mission through every piece of content.

There are four “sparks” for regaining and maintaining brand loyalty:

  1. Unearth big ideas. (What are we really selling? What does the audience like most about the brand?)
  2. Celebrate the audience. (The main character in any brand’s story has to be the audience, not the product.)
  3. Motivate fans to create content. (Give your customers a voice. Reward participation.)
  4. Evolve the brand to increase relevance. (Don’t blow everything up and start over. But change with the times to remain relevant.)

Finally, content is king. And we hold the keys to the kingdom.

For another conference attendee’s perspective of Roffer’s presentation, check out this blog post by Andrew Hanelly: engage.tmgcustommedia.com/2011/03/the-future-of-marketing-cling-to-your-core-and-your-customers.

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Mar 25 0 comments
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“Content Is King”—Plus Things You Didn’t Know

The phrase that recurred most often today at the 2011 Custom Content Conference was “Content is king.” But the nine knowledgeable speakers who shared their experiences and insights did more than simply repeat what most attendees already believe: that content is the most important piece on the marketing chessboard. They also explained how, in a rapidly changing game, custom-content players can make the best use of every piece on the board.

The industry’s largest annual gathering, the Custom Content Conference is being held March 23 – 25 in Charleston, S.C. So far, attendees have benefited from a broad range of information, innovations and calls to action. Each speaker shared useful knowledge, from branding concepts (“a brand’s identity is how customers feel about it”) to hard-won custom-content successes (“we decreased attrition by 6 percent”).

Today’s speakers were divergent in background and practice, but two themes emerged. First, that social media and other game-changers are driving continual re-evaluation of custom-content strategies. And second, that it’s often the nuts-and-bolts work of analyzing audiences, executing programs and measuring results that delivers success.

Game Theory

In the first camp were David Gwozdz, CEO of Mojiva, a mobile ad network; Steve Ennen, CEO of Social Strategy1, a media intelligence service; and Hunter Sebresos, founding partner of Dyvergent, a design consultancy.

Gwozdz addressed the advance of mobile marketing: for example, that by 2013 the number of mobile Internet users will surpass the number of desktop Internet users; that by 2015, 6 million terabytes per month will be downloaded onto mobile devices; that tablets are emerging as “a game changer for mobile-device advertising.”

Ennen delved into social media, in which every channel connects to other channels. In particular, he emphasized that with 1 billion people using social media worldwide, “all media are linked, because all consumers are linked.” That calls for a “total media strategy.”

Finally, Sebresos talked about the changing nature of story. In custom-content terms, the “story” is increasingly interactive, and the “reader” expects to participate in story creation. Sebresos also showed off some cool examples, including promotions for an exhibition of Danish artist Carl Bloch that featured innovations such as an iPhone app that told the story.

The Right Moves

In the second group were Dana Williams, director of marketing, communications and brand integration for Southwest Airlines; Melissa Jones, regional marketing manager for Aetna; and Jeremy Murphy, vice president of communications for CBS.

Williams described how Southwest is using advertising, blogs, Facebook and Twitter to promote its “bags fly free” and “no change fee” messaging. The integrated approach seems to be working: in just two months, Southwest moved awareness of its “no change fee” policy from 33 percent to 73 percent.

Jones explained how Aetna used an integrated custom-content approach to reach Medicaid customers, many of whom aren’t users of the latest technology. The campaign combined interactive-voice-response calls, a print calendar and magazine, and a microsite that tied it all together. The goal was a 1 percent reduction in attrition rates; the result was 6 percent.

To end the day, Murphy told how the nation’s oldest TV network created Watch!, a custom print magazine. A general-interest, advertiser-supported magazine that reaches 200,000 subscribers and newsstand readers, the publication actually acts as a profit center.

Beyond the speakers, equally compelling for attendees were opportunities for networking and knowledge sharing, as evidenced by the lively discussions during session breaks and over breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tomorrow’s agenda includes presentations from four additional speakers. After that, it will be time for attendees to look forward to next year’s conference – and to think about their next moves in the custom-content chess match.

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Jan 31 0 comments
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Custom Content Council And AdWeekMedia Partner Up For An Exciting Opportunity

Hi All,

The Custom Content Council is excited to provide its members with the opportunity to be featured in AdWeekMedia’s Custom Publishing section. Please contact Dan Mcnamee at 212-493-4157 or Daniel.mcnamee@adweek.com and see below for more information.

In partnership with the Custom Content Council, AdweekMedia will publish a Custom Publishing section featuring marketing services and content providers who are experts in creating impactful branded content across all platforms.  The section will appear in Adweek, Brandweek and Mediaweek as well as at AdweekMedia.com and be distributed at the Custom Content Council Conference in March.  This opportunity is ideal for custom content service providers looking to illustrate their capabilities, highlight success stories and help drive new business.  To reserve your ad, contact Dan Mcnamee at 212-493-4157 or Daniel.mcnamee@adweek.com

Nov 29 0 comments
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25% Discount to ME* Conference on November 30th for ALL Custom Content Council Members

Here’s a nice offer from Ad Age: a 25% discount for tomorrow’s all day conference featuring an A-list of marketers and media.  

The ME* Conference
*Media Evolved
November 30, 2010
New York City
http://adage.com/meconference

 

FINAL DAYS TO REGISTER.
IF MEDIA IS IN YOUR FUTURE, YOU NEED TO BE PART OF THIS CONVERSATION.

Special Discount: CCC Members email info@customcontentcouncil.com for special discount code to receive a 25% discount when registering.

 
The ME* Conference – *Media Evolved
Featuring the First Annual Media Vanguard Awards

Speakers Include:

Judy Hu, GE
Piers Morgan, CNN
Scott McCune, Coca-Cola
George Bodenheimer, ESPN, ABC Sports and Disney Media Networks
Dana Anderson, Kraft Foods
Nick Brien, McCann Worldgroup
Denise Warren, NYTimes.com
Bob Bowman, Major League Baseball
Betsy Frank, Time Inc.
David Knox, Rockfish Interactive
Mark Kaline, Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Scott McCune, Coca-Cola
Nick Shore, MTV
Denise Warren, NYTimes.com
Mike Haggerty, Universal McCann
Leslie Dance, Kodak
Walker Jacobs, Turner Broadcasting System
Matt Seiler, Universal McCann
Brad Meltzer, Author
Joshua Auerbach, betaworks 

See full agenda and speaker list

Register today at http://adage.com/meconference

Presenting Sponsors:
McCann Worldgroup  •  Time Warner   •   Kodak

Sponsors Include:
The Economist  • Viacom  • OwnerIQ  • Interclick

Special Discount: CCC Members email info@customcontentcouncil.com for special discount code to receive a 25% discount when registering.

Aug 26 0 comments
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Fostering Loyalty Through Branded Stories

Totem on cover of Digital Marketing magazine

Note: This article appears in the July 2010 issue of Direct Marketing, which is available for download.

All marketers work hard to capture the attention and imagination of the public in order to further the objectives of their clients. Getting people to look is the easy part, but the leap from flash to substance is more difficult to orchestrate. How to engage consumers, who already have so much choice in the matter of what media to consume when, in a truly significant and sustained way? For only then can marketing magic take place, as words and pictures come together in perfect harmony to attract and retain happy, loyal customers.

Read Full Article Here

Aug 09 0 comments
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Customer Roadshow 2.0 – Top 13 BtoB Content Marketing Tips

Written by Owen McDonald, Demand Creation Specialists    
Read Post Here
 
Having just attended the very first stop in the multi-city Customer 2.0 Roadshow – held right in the heart of Manhattan’s Theater District – I couldn’t help but think, “If they can make it here, they can make it anywhere.” And make it they did. The event, co-sponsored by sales intelligence firm InsideView, marketing automation provider Marketo, and hosted by the American Association of Inside Sales Professionals, was three hours of fairly solid ideas and a decent buffet. My thanks to InsideView, Marketo, Scott Albro, Bob Perkins, and all of the speakers. In the spirit of everything I heard there, I offer the following Top 13 nuggets about communicating with BtoB prospects of today:

  1.  Make lists (like this one….people love lists…Top 10…Best Five…whatever)
  2.  Vendors have not adapted well to a customer-driven marketplace
  3.  Vendors had better adapt to #2 (so said Sales 2.0 CEO, Nigel Edelshain)
  4.  Stop thinking in terms of the “Sales Cycle.” Now we’re in the “Buyer’s Cycle.”
  5.  3 Phases of the Buyer’s Cycle are 1) Awareness; 2) Consideration; 3) Purchase
  6.  There is a battle raging between sellers and buyers over information. For many decades sellers were in charge; now buyers are in charge. Deal with it.
  7.  Over 50% of Buyers think Peers are the best source of information. Conversely, sellers are the least trusted information source. How can vendors deal with this?
  8.  Always Be Helping (I loved Glengarry Glen Ross, but “always be closing” died).
  9.  Always be helping with relevant, contextual information.
  10.  Create value with remarkable content
  11.  Reach customers with long-term nurturing campaigns.
  12.  The biggest challenge today is attention scarcity. What can you do? (see 8 – 11).
  13.  Sales and marketing need to help each other.
Aug 04 0 comments
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Custom Media Day 2010 Delivers Innovative Content Marketing Solutions

Post courtesy of American Business Media

There wasn’t an empty seat in the house as Joe Pulizzi, founder and chief content officer of Junta42, kicked off Custom Media Day 2010, a full-day program from ABM, Junta42 and the Custom Content Council.

Quoting an anonymous global brand’s CMO, Pulizzi set the day’s theme: “Al Gore created the Internet, and now we are all publishers, whether we like it or not.” A perfect storm of content has spurred the growth of spending on custom activities – SEO, lead generation, social media, etc. – and now, everyone wants a piece, from traditional publishers to direct marketers to agency executives and others. In fact, the latest study from ABM, the BMA, Junta42 and MarketingProfs, entitled “B2B Content Marketing: 2010 Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends,” found that the average spend on content marketing (creation and distribution) consumes 26% of a company’s total budget. And 96% of those surveyed reported that they’re maintaining or increasing that spend over the next 12 months. (Click here to request a copy of the final report.)

During the program’s panel session, experts explored opportunities for publishers with new media devices like smartphones and the iPad. Panelists focused on how media companies can create immersive digital magazine experiences to keep up with expected growth through 2012. One indicator of this growth: Amazon.com sold more e-books than hardcover books last month. While Web-based technologies aren’t optimal for branding experiences, the iPad is the first device to showcase digital magazine capabilities.

Considering the fact that Apple sells an iPad every three seconds, it’s clear that consumers are dictating how they want to receive media in today’s multi-screen world of content consumption. And there’s good news for advertisers: 70% of readers are less likely to ignore display ads in digital editions than on Web sites.

According to min, Internet access from mobile devices will surpass access from desktops in just five years. So, although only a small percentage of your audience may be currently demanding a mobile experience, that number is sure to grow, so start (carefully) experimenting now. Click here for a guide to e-readers from Nxtbook Media.

Other speakers, like Dan Blank, founder of We Grow Media, also advised attendees to start focusing on these new revenue streams immediately. He acknowledged some of the challenges – like clients becoming competitors, new skill sets, and protecting existing revenue streams while pursuing organizational change – but encouraged scaling interaction and credibility to engage your audience. Blank pointed to success stories like Demand Media, Flipboard and Radian6 as examples of workflows and user interfaces that are impacting content.

Keynote speaker Jim Hopkinson of Conde Nast Digital/Wired.com brought his “audible caffeine” to the program. He suggested three very distinct steps for an optimal content strategy: Find your voice. Build your brand. Spread the word. He also shared case studies on brand building (GoDaddy.com) and brand tarnishing (Tiger Woods). To check out Hopkinson’s entire presentation, visit the ABM Video Network at www.AmericanBusinessMedia.com.

‘Tweetable Tweets’

Custom Media Day didn’t just occur in-person this year … The event was well-attended and represented throughout Twitterville. Here are a few of the “Tweetable Tweets” that media folks were inspired to share (via #CMDay):

brianbierbaum Highlights from Custom Media Day in #NYC including an analogy between social media and butter. Not to miss! http://ow.ly/2iUfz

Deffree Key take away from 2010 Custom Media Day: When it comes to Media 2.0, take what u need, share what u can, & compete like never before

WeGrowMedia “Social media doesn’t replace the personal connection… but it does make it easier to keep in touch.” http://bit.ly/deadx5

chadmendell Like this: Xerox: we changed how we talk to customers. More like talking to a person. Less slick brochures. via @Junta42, @JoshGordon

JoshGordon PriceWaterhouseCoopers: over 5 yrs top growth is internet advertising: N America 7.70% global 11.4, second is video games

AmBusinessMedia @DanBlank: Publishing itself is no longer a business metric … We need to measure action.

PublishingSpy 5% of book publishers revenues come from ebooks

merubin I love this from @johncass: Engagement marketing is both how customer engages your content, and how you engage them

roboregan nicholas pavach @zinio: 13m ipads in 2010 means consumers are telling u they want content electronically.

Jun 29 0 comments
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What are you doing to generate leads for clients?

This week’s tweet up looked at lead generation on behalf of clients.   

ContentCouncil  Welcome 2 today’s tweet up. Let’s talk about how you, the custom publishers, r generating new business leads. What’s the #1 way? #ccc

johncass @customcontent if I’m looking at this broadly, for clients, I think its about creating content that is valuable #ccc

ContentCouncil  @johncass yes, definitely. what about you, the CP – going after new business? #ccc

ContentCouncil @johncass – or we can talk about lead gen for clients.#ccc

johncass @ContentCouncil Well develop a variety of marketing tools for clients. around the concept of content marketing, good editorial content #ccc

ContentCouncil  @johncass -ty, that is helpful. can u give 1example of 1 partic. client (no names) and the life cycle of the content marketing process? #ccc

johncass @ContentCouncil objectives, research, creation, client engagement, dist. measurement, feedback loop #ccc

johncass @ContentCouncil plus here’s the infographic for the custom content dev process http://bit.ly/dazs8A #ccc

ContentCouncil speaking of measurement, do you look at social media outlets? #ccc

johncass  @ContentCouncil Yes indeed, I think you can use web analytics to determine if you generate leads, and we do monitor social media #ccc

johncass @ContentCouncil that question about monitoring SM is interesting, I think that’s the first step in a good content & engagement strategy #ccc

johncass @ContentCouncil listen to find current conversations, interest, and also influencers in a community. #ccc

johncass  @ContentCouncil online content today is not just about great content, but does it include references to credible influencers #ccc

ContentCouncil    @johncass – do you have one person dedicated to all things social media or is it on a client by client basis?#ccc

johncass @ContentCouncil depends on the client, and the internal resources #ccc

johncass @ContentCouncil glad to, my work at Pace has given me a lot of new ideas in how to use editors for corporate social media #ccc

Friday Five: Pay-for-play Twitter brand pages and more Jan 27

Twitter rolled out new brand pages for 21 brands in December, including heavy hitters like Coca-Cola, Disney, and Nike. But if any new brands want their own special page, they’re going to have to sp. […]

Source: D Custom D Custom | Jessica Fritsche,

Is Your Nonprofit Running Away From Your 5K Runners?: Part 1 Jan 26

By Eric Jacobson, Vice President, Media Development Last year, I ran 22 5K runs (between January and October), all benefiting different nonprofit organizations — most of them fulfilling their missi. […]

Source: Ascend Integrated Media - Custom Matters Blog Ascend Integrated Media - Custom Matters Blog | Ashley Puderbaugh,

Print is still a powerful marketing strategy Jan 26

Social media and website content often compete for valuable marketing resources, including time. But print is still a very important part of any marketing strategy. Continue reading →

Source: D Custom D Custom | Elise Anthony,

Linking: It Does a Website Good Jan 26

When it comes to digital media, competition can sometimes make writers turn into digital grinches. While it’s healthy to stoke friendly competition and take pride in your work, stonewalling and shou. […]

Source: @TMGmedia @TMGmedia | Ricky Ribeiro,

The right partners can make or break a campaign Jan 26

Google worked with their agency GOOD/CORPS to create a series of videos that promote small business. Not unlike the American Express Plum campaign, the idea is to showcase how Google properties enhanc. […]

Source: Tippingpoint Labs Tippingpoint Labs | Rebecca Garnick Ast,