Storytelling Through Marketing

Alexandra Calderon • 25 • Recent CSULA Marketing Graduate • I'll be talking about how Content Marketing can help a business stand out against the rest

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How GoPro Gets Consumers To Share User Generated Content

Hello readers! Let’s talk about GoPro and how they are mastering at content marketing. If you don’t know what GoPro is, let me shed some light. GoPro is a technology company that sells cameras, drones, and accessories. GoPro claims they are much more than a camera, they are an experience. GoPro cameras aren’t like any ordinary camera, they are small handheld high-quality cameras that can come along with you as you live your life; whether that’s, going skiing, snowboarding, swimming, surfing, the list continues. Basically, GoPro cameras are meant for individuals who are active and want to capture the moment without worrying if the camera will break or get soaked in water; either way GoPro can handle it.

One content marketing concept that GoPro is mastering at is encouraging users to share content featuring the product. GoPro likes to post user generated content because it gives a user perspective. But not all companies are using user generated content to their advantage. Today a lot of companies tend to be focused on one thing, themselves!

But that’s not what the consumers want to see because posting a constant product promotion or selfies can be quiet annoying, but that’s not the case with GoPro. GoPro are the masters at creating valuable and compelling content that is worth sharing. Today I am going to talk about how companies can learn how GoPro gets their consumers to share their content, according to the article, “Get Your Fans to Share Their Love: What Every Brand Can Learn from GoPro” written Ardath Albee.

1. Distribute the Best User Generated Content

One thing that can make your brand more intriguing is posting the best user generated content. Why? Because of its exclusivity. The user that gets chosen from GoPro will feel a more personal bond from that brand and they are most likely going to generate word-of-mouth to their family or friends. If the company only choses the best content then it’s a win-win for both that consumer and the brand because the consumer gets a personal shootout and the company can choose which content best represents their company. On GoPro’s Instagram, they like to post user generated content so they can be more relatable to the average consumer. If consumers see that regular people use GoPro then they will most likely use GoPro on their next adventure; monkey see, monkey do. Out of 13.3 million Instagram followers and 3,890 posts, GoPro tends to mostly post user generated content. That’s a 0.03% chance of a consumer’s photo being chosen! That’s insane! Just like in the photo below, it’s also important to give credit to the user who created the content because this builds trust between you and the consumers.

2. Partner with Influencers

GoPro tends to market to individuals who live an active life. One perfect group of people that uses GoPro are athletes. GoPro decided to use athletic influencers to help expose their product. Influencers are a great strategic, but often can be expensive, tool that can expose your product to a wider audience. But GoPro doesn’t just get an athletic influencer, put them in front of a camera, and has them rave about the product. This can sometimes come off ingenuine and very unoriginal. So, what this company decided to do was have their influencers show how they use the product in their lives. In the video’s below, GoPro shows how two high-profile athletes, Shaun White (snowboarder) and Ryan Sheckler (skateboarder), demonstrates how GoPro is the perfect camera for their lifestyles. This is a different way on promoting the product without the consumer realizing they are being sold to. Once your company has an influencer, think of a way how they can use your product by depicting a story.

*Example 1 - Shaun White video: 

*Example 2 - Ryan Sheckler video: 

3. Partner with Brands

One brand GoPro likes to partner up with are travel brands. There are so many incredible destinations to see in the world and using GoPro is perfect for any adventure that an individual wants to embark on. Specifically, in a marketing campaign trying to promote the GoPro Hero 4, they partnered up with the Marriot Hotels in 2015; this included 17 participating hotels in the Caribbean and Latin America. What GoPro did was give complimentary cameras to guests and encouraged them to share their photos and videos of their adventures. I mean these guests got to use a (temporarily) free camera? Sign me up! This gave the guest just a taste of the camera and this trial period may have helped a possible increase in sales. Once again, GoPro is using user generated content to increase consumer’s trust by displaying genuine videos (genuine in terms of videos coming from individuals just like the average consumer). This was unlike any other marketing campaign! 

*Campaign advertisement: 

*User generated content example: 

All-in-all, it’s important to encourage consumer’s share your content. But in order for a user to share your company’s content, make sure your content is both valuable and compelling. Remember, humans are creatures of habit; monkey see, monkey do!

*Article source: http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2015/09/brand-learn-from-gopro/

*GoPro history source: https://gopro.com/about-us

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Virtual Reality Marketing

Hello readers! We live in a world where technology is always advancing and depending on who you ask, that could be either scary or exciting! So, in today’s time one simple photo is so yesterday and the evolution of virtual reality is all the rage right now. What is virtual reality? According to Merriam Webster online dictionary, virtual reality can be described as, “an artificial environment which is experienced through sensory stimuli (such as sights and sounds) provided by a computer and in which one's actions partially determine what happens in the environment.” Still confused? Check out the video below that demonstrates a virtual reality headset in action.

Basically, virtual reality is all about enhancing an experience. Marketers are using VR to make themselves memorable by having the consumer immerse themselves with the product. Also, VR should be treated as a platform, not an idea. Your company needs to find their audience and which emotions they want to convey when using VR. In today’s post, I am going to talk about how virtual reality can help market three types of content; according to the article “Everything You Need to Know About Virtual Reality Marketing” written by Jes Scholz.

1. Immersive Gaming Content 

The key to virtual reality is immersion. Immersion gives someone a different type of experience unlike anything before. VR is able to create an alternate universe and this is evolutionary. In marketing, it’s always important to relate to your consumers and VR has the ability to do that. Through VR, consumers are able to connect to your content in a way that traditional marketing tactics can’t offer. Once a consumer is immersed in VR, they are able to emotionally connect with the content because they feel a part of the VR world. Let’s take Clash of Clans for example. Below is an immersive video the gaming app, Clash of Clans, created to show how a player can immerse themselves in the game. This video is able to show players what the experience will look like and will only peak their interest. This strategy is perfect for gamers because all gamers want is to be immersed in the game. Gamers will be transported into a world that they love and this video only gives them a taste of what they are missing. It’s all about how you can engage your consumers with your brand.

2. Immersive Documentary Content

Humans love to be entertained and one way we satisfy that need is by telling stories. Every post you upload says something about you. Another piece of content companies can use VR for is by creating an immersive documentary video. Through VR, consumers are able to experience the story firsthand. This can be way more interesting than reading about a story in the newspaper, magazines, or online articles. The New York Times are only one of many companies that are using VR to make their stories more immersive and interesting. But the perfect example for creating immersive documentary content for marketing would be the Tom’s Shoe company. If you are unaware what the Tom’s Shoes company does, let me fill you in. With every shoe purchase a consumer makes at Tom’s Shoes, one pair will go to someone in need; they call this the “One for One.” In terms of VR Marketing, let’s take a look at Tom’s marketing campaign from 2015 when volunteers went to Peru. The video showed the impact of how Tom’s shoes can help a community. Instead of writing an article or making a documentary, they have decided to use VR to immerse the consumers into the story. Using VR in this way is giving consumers a different perspective of how much of an impact their company is making.

3. Product Experience Content 

VR is a great way to show how your product or service works in an engaging way. The more a person is intrigued, interested, understands, or trusts a brand, the more likely the consumer will buy your products or services. Using VR to give a product experience exposes the consumer to that product without them having to leave the comfort of their own home. One company that uses VR for their product experience benefit would be Volvo. This company released a video showing what it would be like if a consumer wanted to drive that car. The VR video shows the mechanics of the car and the interior features. Volvo did this so they can have consumers become more familiar and comfortable with the car. By doing this, Volvo was able to create a whole new experience for their consumers.

All-in-all, virtual reality is a great way that marketers can use to immerse their consumers with their brand. The more immersed a consumer is with your brand, the higher chance you have of gaining their trust, which might lead to a future purchase. If your company wants to create a new experience with your consumers, go ahead and try out virtual reality marketing.

*Article source: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/virtual-reality-marketing/200160/

*VR definition source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/virtual%20reality

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Marketing On Instagram

Hello readers! Social media has changed the marketing game in today’s society. Traditional marketing strategies, such as, advertising on television, radio, newspapers, billboards, and flyers, were all just delivering a message to their potential consumers; social media has changed that. Social media gives a company to talk directly to their consumers and vice versa. Social media is all about engagement. Now, let’s talk about one of the most used social media channels out there, Instagram. There are TONS of Instagram accounts nowadays and this can be an issue for your company. Why? Because your company has to figure out a way to break through the clutter and get noticed.

That can be difficult, but that’s why I’m here. Today I will be talking about four ways how your company can successfully market on Instagram, according to the book, “Epic Content Marketing” written by Joe Pulizzi.

1. Call to Action Content

In content marketing, it’s important to understand that social media is a tool in marketing. Social media is meant to engage consumers, but redirect them back to your company’s website, blog, etc. You company can’t just post content just to post content, there needs to be a meaning behind why you post that piece of content. Do you want consumers to read your blog? Do you want your consumers to buy a product? Find a way how posting a photo or video can help your brand. Let’s take JCPenney for example. In the picture below, shows JCPenney sharing a photo featuring boots and they shared the link where the consumer can buy the product. This is effective because if a consumer loved the boots and wanted more information about the product, then they could just easily click on the link provided. Doing this can increase your chances of getting a purchase. 

2. Post Behind-the-Scenes Content

One thing your company can offer that no one else can is by sharing behind-the-scenes content. This is one way your company can get personal with their consumers and potentially increase engagement. Posting special content, like behind-the-scenes, is giving your consumers an inside look at what your company is doing; use this to your advantage. Let’s take The Walt Disney Company for example. Below are some special behind-the-scenes videos that Disney posted to help promote their own movies. This gave fans a special inside look on their favorite upcoming movie which entailed excitement. This excitement then increases the chance of more engagement with your brand because the fans are itching for more content. Special content means that the fans feel special. But remember, don’t give away too much behind-the-scenes content! Leave them wanting for more. 

*Video 1: The Walt Disney Company is promoting the movie, “A Wrinkle in Time”. 

A post shared by Walt Disney Studios (@disneystudios) on Nov 3, 2016 at 11:33am PDT

*Video 2: The Walt Disney Company is promoting the movie, “Moana”. 

A post shared by Walt Disney Studios (@disneystudios) on Sep 19, 2016 at 9:09am PDT

3. Turn Followers into A Source of Content

An alternative way to gather content is too ask your followers for content. Sometimes followers can create some of the best content for your brand. Posting your followers content shows that you are interested in your consumers. Also, if the content is worthy enough for your company to post then you should remember to give them recognition. This is another way a follower can feel special and if their content was chosen they’ll tell their friends and so forth thus word-of-mouth cycle continues. Doing this tactic will help build a stronger relationship between you and that follower which means they will have a higher chance to engage with your brand. Let’s take Universal Studios Instagram for example. Below are two photos that fans from Universal Studios took and Universal Studios posted it on their Instagram page. Posting a fans content is a win-win for you and the fan. Why? Because your brand gains engagement and brand loyalty, but the fan gains recognition from their favorite brand.

4. Produce High Quality Content 

I’m not saying that simplistic photos aren’t able to be successful, but I am saying they aren’t as engaging. High quality content is just visually pleasing and interesting. On Instagram, not only can you share photos, but you can now share videos up to 60 seconds! Have your company use this to the best of your advantage. Your company is more likely capture the consumers attention if you post high quality content which can lead to brand engagement. Also, high quality content shows that your company is reputable and consumers will be more likely to trust your brand. For example, Airbnb on Instagram produces high quality photos. They are stunning and interesting to view. Posting high quality content is a great way to break through the clutter and stand out against the millions of Instagram accounts out there. Lastly, it’s important to remember the infamous saying “quality is more important than quantity.”

All-in-all, these are only four tips that can help your company successfully market on Instagram. If you want to break through the Instagram clutter then try out these tips. Find strategies that works best for your company.

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Using Emotions In Content Marketing

Hello readers! Today let’s talk about how emotions can help your company’s content marketing. Emotions are very powerful feelings we experience every second of everyday. We can either be happy, sad, anxious, scared, disgusted, surprised, the list goes on and on. We can easily become happy or sad in an instant. Emotions has the power to influence how we will feel about our day. Let’s take my yesterday for example, I had a long day of classes and once I got out of my last class I was ready to go straight to bed, but then the Dodgers WON the National League Championships and they are going to the World Series! Yay!

I was instantly ecstatic and my entire day just changed instantly! I was so happy that my family and I went to a sporting goods store to buy Dodger World Series gear. My happiness ultimately led me to go buy a product. So, do you need help trying to use emotion to get your consumers to buy your product? In the book, Contagious Why Things Catch On, written by Jonah Berger, he talks about different strategies that can help you connect with your consumers, but today I will only focus on two strategies:

1. Understanding High Arousal Emotions and Low Arousal Emotions

There are TONS of emotions anyone can experience and it’s important we categorize which emotions are positive or negative. We have positive emotions that are happy, excited, amusement, inspiring, etc. And there are negative emotions, such as, sadness, depressed, scared, angry, anxious, etc. So how does this play into the concept of high or low arousal emotions? I’ll tell ya! First off, arousal is when someone is in a state of activation or readiness for action (108). When we are aroused, psychologically speaking, we want to do something.

So, there are certain types of emotions that are categorized of being high arousal emotions and low arousal emotions. High arousal emotions include, excitement, awe, humor, anger, and anxiety. These emotions have a powerful effect on us and conveying these specific emotions will increase your chance of someone sharing your company’s content. Your company wants to stay away from low arousal emotions because these will not be as successful in terms of engagement/sharing. Low arousal emotions include, contentment and sadness. I was most surprised to learn that sadness is a low arousal emotion. Think about it, when you see a sad emotional commercial do you share this video with your friends and family? I don’t. 

Why you ask? Because people don’t like to share content that makes them sad. They rather share content that makes them excited or funny because this will help build their social currency (helps them look good). In the video listed below is a commercial with a high positive arousal emotion, humor. The Mr. Clean brand was able to promote their product in a humorous way. By doing this, the company made shareable content. They ultimately were able to make a boring task, such as cleaning, into an exciting task. They understood who their audience was and this commercial became very successful.

2. Focus On The Feelings

Often times, companies create content that is too informative. If your content is purely informative and zero emotion, this could lose the consumers interest; they can’t relate to your brand. So how can you keep your consumers interested in your content? By focusing on the feelings. Explaining your product might not be enough to convince a potential consumer to buy your company’s product. If you bring the power of emotions into your content, by using high arousal emotions, then your company is sure to succeed; if done so correctly! According to Jonah Berger, emotions motivate people to take action (113). Even the most boring brands are able to find ways to entertain their consumers. Let’s look at an example from AT&T. Texting and driving has become a common behavior that people do and they don’t think twice about the real consequence of their actions. That was until AT&T made up various scenarios. In the video below we see an adult male driving the vehicle and he checks his phone for one second. ONE SECOND! In that one second, he ends up hitting a child. AT&T was able to create content that was both emotional and informative. AT&T used the emotion of fear to get their point across. Don’t text and drive, it’s not worth it. 

All-in-all emotions are very powerful. Companies who understand which emotions to use will help increase engagement thus will help them gain more consumers. It’s also important to remember that content that is purely informational doesn’t have a lot of success; incorporate the right emotions into your content. If these strategies are done correctly, you will have a higher chance that your consumer will make a purchase. Emotions drive people to action.

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Learning Content Marketing Strategies from Star Wars

Hello readers! Hold the phone, did somebody say Star Wars? That’s right, I did! Today, I’m going to be talking about one of the greatest movie franchises of our time and how companies can learn from Star War’s content marketing strategies. Do you remember the very first time you saw a Star Wars movie? I do! I was first introduced to the Star Wars movies twelve years ago by my 6th grade teacher. We would sometimes spend our days just watching a Star Wars movie.

Those were the days! But Star War’s marketing strategy has come a long way since then. This movie franchise is one of the top in the world. They are widely known and they gather fans everywhere! But how is the Star Wars enterprise able to be widely known? They tell effective stories, that’s how! So, sit back and relax as I will talk about three ways companies can learn from Star Wars, according to an article written by Catalin Zorzini.

1. Keeping Details A SECRET! Shhhhh!!!!

This franchise is known of keeping everything they do a complete secret. Why? It builds anticipation and intrigues people. Fans of the franchise like to predict what might happen next in the movies and this helps build engagement. That’s genius! Think about it, the Star Wars franchise gives so little information about a movie, yet they receive tons of engagement from their fans. The less information fans get, the more Star Wars is being talked about. The phrase “less is more” has never been truer. When it was announced that a new Star Wars movie was coming out later this year, there was not a single piece of information release. Until now! Recently the world was gifted with sneak peak of their new movie, Star Wars: The Last Jedi. After this trailer made its debut, the world went nuts! Star Wars was being talked about even more, if that’s possible! This is one incredible strategy that Star Wars has done that companies can learn from.

2. Know Your Audience and Engage Them

One thing Star Wars knows how to do is cater their content to their different audiences. In order to do that, Star Wars had to first determine WHO their audience was. With a big franchise like Star Wars, there are a lot of different kinds of people who are attracted to them. So, the Star Wars franchise had to break their audience up into different categories in order to give the right content to the right audience. But they couldn’t just give out any ordinary content, they gave out high-value content. When the movie Star Wars: The Force Awaken came out, the hardcore fans had tons of questions. So the Star Wars franchise started to answer their questions months before the movie came out, but this wasn’t enough. In order to satisfy their hardcore audience, they released behind the scene photos of the production and casting. Another strategy they did was invite fans so they can release some behind the scene photos to the public. In the picture below, one fan released the news that R2-D2 was going to be in the movie and the fans loved it. 

This helped engage the audience and encouraged the fans to share this content. Two months before the movie was released, the movie was mentioned 449 times on ABC and 111 times on ESPN. So Star Wars was successful by doing this because all they did was listen to their audience.

3. Different Content for Different Channels

There are so many different social media channels out there nowadays; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Tumblr, Snapchat, and so on. It’s important to understand that not all social media channels have the same purpose. There are some social media channels that are meant for photos, text, and videos that a company can use that’s right for them. The Star Wars franchise creates content in a variety of different channels which helps them maximize their audience. For example, on their YouTube channel, they tend to post movie trailers, Star Wars related show recaps, and behind the scenes footage of whatever they are working on.

On their Twitter, they like to post funny Star Wars related content, polls, and articles.

On Instagram, they like to share fan art creations, videos revealing secrets, and movie promotional posts.

It’s also important to understand not to repeat content across your social media. The more diverse your channels are the better chance you have at gaining more followers because you will offer something different on every channel.

All-in-all, the Star Wars franchise can teach companies a lot about content marketing, but it’s up to the company to find which strategies that are right for them. May be the force be with you! 

Source: https://spinsucks.com/marketing/star-wars-content-marketing/ 

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3 Ways to Attract Millennials to Your Content Marketing

Hello readers! Are you a company that needs help targeting millennials through your content marketing? Don’t fret, I got you covered! So, millennials are usually born between the years of 1980-1995 and are now the largest generation in today’s society. In my household, we have a total of three generations under one roof; my grandparents come from the silent generation, my parents come from the baby boomer generation, and all three of my siblings and myself are millennials. So why is this relevant?

Well, I’ll tell you! Each group has a different way of thinking, different habits, and different purchasing decisions. For instance, my siblings and myself all make purchasing decisions different than our parents and grandparents. Since the millennial generation has now become the largest generation in today’s society this also means they are the largest target market that companies need to focus more on. So don’t forget about them when figuring out your marketing strategy, okay?

Since it is known that millennials have a short attention span and I can personally attest to that and in today’s blog post, I will be talking about three ways that marketers can do to attract millennials to your company’s content marketing; according to an article on the Forbes website written by Jason DeMers:

 1.     Do NOT sell

Nowadays, the old traditional marketing tactics don’t work for millennials, so companies are realizing they need to change their marketing strategies. Jason DeMers mentions that 84% of millennials do NOT trust traditional advertisements (2016). Think about it, this generation was born into the world of technology and they have seen their fair share of advertisements both traditionally and digitally. So, the best way to reach the millennial generation is not to sell your product but to show to them how your product will benefit them; content marketing. Millennials are attracted to stories because they are merely social and sharable, which is what this generation is all about. Let’s take Red Bull as an example. In the video below, it shows a shark chasing a school of fish and just when the fish are about to get eaten, the fish swim into a crate labeled “Red Bull”. The shark tries to use its teeth to break open the box but is unsuccessful. The fish then swim out and are given a new sense of confidence and chase the shark away. Now undersea life has nothing to do with Red Bull but it’s not about that, it’s about how Red Bull used undersea life to demonstrate a story using their product. They aren’t saying here is my product, now by it! They are using a story to show how their product gives you a new-found confidence, you are buying an experience.

 2.     Showcase your values

One thing millennials are getting more passionate about is the environment. If your company shows corporate social responsibility than you will be able to engage more millennials to your brand. If you want to attract millennials to your brand then find ways your company can help the environment, whether if that’s going green or giving back to the community. One company that demonstrates good corporate social responsibility would be Seventh Generation. On their website they state, “That you have a right to know that the products you buy are safe for you, your family, and our environment.” Doing this will help your company build trust with the millennial generation, which can sometimes be a hard thing to do.

3.     Narrow your engagement

Now if your company wants to become successful then it would be best if your company targets a more specific target market. Millennials can be a component when figuring out who you want to target because targeting just millennials is too wide of a range. Figure out specifically who you want to buy and engage with your products. Once your figure out who you’re exactly targeting, make sure you understand how them because the more they think you understand them, the higher the chance they will buy something from you. A good example of this idea would be Lush Cosmetics. There are tons of cosmetics stores nowadays, such as, Sephora, Etsy, Ulta Beauty, Clinique, etc. Now how does that make Lush Cosmetics different? They claim all their products are handmade products, their products are 100% vegetarian and cruelty free, and their products are fresh. Their products are aimed at a very specific target market, women who want to relax knowing their products are safe for them and the environment. All in all, if you understand who you are targeting, you are sure of becoming successful.

So, if your company is having difficulties trying to grab the millennials attention, you’re not alone. Try to implement these ideas into your marketing strategy and you will soon become successful.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2016/06/27/7-ways-to-target-millennials-through-content-marketing/#3591a1c13e7f 

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Learning From LEGO’s Content Marketing Strategies

Hello readers! Today I’m going to be talking about the infamous company LEGO. When I was growing up in the early 90’s, the LEGO toys were the toys to have. When I instantly hear the word LEGO, I am instantly brought back to my childhood. I remember my younger brother constantly playing with LEGO’s and I would always try to join in. Fun fact, my brother still has those LEGO’s and it’s been about twenty years! According to the LEGO website, the LEGO Group was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen; that’s 85 years in operations! Now how has the company been able to stay as one of the top toy companies in their industry? It’s through excellent content marketing! In this blog post I’ll be talking about how companies can learn from LEGO’s excellent content marketing tactics.

First off, the LEGO Group aren’t just selling toys, they are selling an experience. They have mastered the concept of content marketing by telling a story through their products. According to the book “Epic Content Marketing” written by Joe Pulizzi, The LEGO Group wasn’t always in smooth waters because there was an incident back in the 80’s and 90’s. There were many toy manufacturer’s and different toy companies that were coping the LEGO products and selling them for a profit. 

I know, that’s awful! This proved to be a major threat to the company and things had to change. After this threat occurred, The Lego Group knew they had to differentiate themselves and they developed a different type of marketing strategy; content marketing. This new marketing strategy ultimately made them one of the top toy companies in today’s time. Although there are many tactics LEGO has implemented into their marketing strategy, I’ll be talking about two important points that helps LEGO create great content marketing; which is discussed in the book “Epic Content Marketing” by Joe Pulizzi:

Marketing by Selling Less

One of the goals in content marketing is being able to communicate a message to your audience without having them realize they are being sold to; LEGO has mastered this concept. Let’s take the LEGO movies as an example. Over the years, LEGO has produced a numerous amount of movies featuring their products. This is storytelling at its best! LEGO was able to find another way to profit off of their toy products and that was to give their toys a story. Ultimately when you are watching the movie, you don’t even realize that this movie is basically just one giant advertisement for their toys. The company is communicating with their audience while unknowingly selling a product to them. LEGO is able to create a story that anyone from any age can relate to. LEGO has mastered the art of storytelling and they are constantly creating content.

Microsites

A microsite is a specific webpage that is dedicated to a specific company product or service. With ever story line LEGO creates, they also make a microsite dedicated to that story line. People are able to look at videos, participate in activities, play games, and are able to get an in-depth background story behind each character. This gives the user a way to interact with the brand and the longer the consumer interacts on the website, the higher the chance it might lead to a sales purchase. 

To further support my insight on LEGO, I will give an example that demonstrates well executed content marketing. In the video listed below, it shows a commercial where a man wakes up in the middle of the night to secretly eat ice cream, but he then hears a noise. He continues to further investigate the noise and while searching he steps on a tiny LEGO toy. That toy is to be revealed as the one, the only, Darth Vader. This commercial was able to tell a story that everyone can relate to and that would be that infamous pain we get when we step on a LEGO piece. I don’t know about you, but I have had my fair share of LEGO stepping and this commercial perfectly depicts that feeling. This commercial was also able to creatively come up with a slogan to announce their new mini Star Wars LEGO pieces. This piece of content is both engaging and compelling.

All-in-all The LEGO Group knows exactly what it’s doing because they engage with their audience, they listen to their audience, and they curate content for their audience through compelling storytelling. At the end of the day, if you don’t know who your audience is and what they want, you won’t be as successful. 

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How Coca-Cola Mastered Content Marketing

Hello readers! Today in my blog post I will be talking about the infamous beverage company, Coca-Cola. Every time I hear that perfectly crisp sound when someone opens a can of Coke my mouth instantly begins to water. Why is it that Coca-Cola’s beverages are much more satisfying than their competitors? I know, it’s through their marketing! Coca-Cola has managed to create compelling and valuable content throughout the years. They have paved a path in the beverage industry on being one of the top competitors. In the video listed below shows a less than twenty-minute analysis of how Coca-Cola manages to stay at the top of their industry. No worries, if you don’t have time to watch the video I have got you covered.

In the Coca-Cola Content 2020 Initiative Strategy video, there are several points discussed in the video, but I’ll be discussing only a few important ones. The first point mentioned in the video is the importance of content excellence. The purpose of content excellence is to create contagious ideas to the point where they cannot be controlled which is also called liquid.

Yes, that’s right I said liquid, but not the kind you drink. The term liquid simply means new ideas that can link business objectives, brands, and consumer interests. Businesses can achieve this through storytelling. In my previous blog post I mentioned how the key to successfully use content marketing is through storytelling and that’s what Coca-Cola does. They are able to create compelling stories and these stories provoke conversations which Coca-Cola then reacts to those conversations. For example, in Coca-Cola’s “Share A Coke” campaign they were able to make their content more personable while still directing to a message to a mass audience. They were able to create content that was both compelling and created conversations.

Another point discussed in the video is that companies need to move from one-way storytelling to dynamic storytelling. Well, what exactly is dynamic storytelling? To put it simply, it’s a strategy companies use to get their brand ideas across multiple channels in order to create a unified and consistent brand. Now how do brands create content worth viewing? There are several ways a company can gain exposure, such as, working with influencers, working with fans of the brand, collaborating with new creative companies, or working with a well-known company. Over the summer, Coca-Cola partnered up with the Walt Disney Company and made Coke bottles with different phrases only available at Disney Parks. As a result, many more people were going to Disney Parks so they can grab a Coke and take a photo; this increased conversation and engagement.

The last important point discussed in the video, is how the 70/20/10 model should be implemented into a company’s content strategy. First off, the 70/20/10 models means that 70% of a company’s content should be low-risk content, 20% of a company’s content should be innovative and creative content that works for the brand, and 10% of a company’s content should be high risk content. Recently, Coca-Cola came out with a commercial called “Pool Boy” and this was a little out of the box for their brand. In the video below, there’s a pool boy and a pair of siblings stare out their windows just watching the new pool boy at work. They both race to grab a Coke and offer it to the pool boy, but as they go outside they see they were too late; their mom beat them there. This entire video has zero dialect in it, but Coca-Cola is still able to convey their message in a powerful way.  

There are some industries that can use Coca-Cola’s strategy for their benefit, including the alcohol industry. Typically, alcohol marketing generally creates content that is either funny or sexual. This might work for some companies, but if all alcohol brands use this strategy they could become unnoticed by consumers. One beer company that has successfully differentiated themselves from their competitors is Budweiser. This company took a different approach with their content and it has become a viral sensation. In the video listed below, Budweiser takes a different approach and shows a story of a puppy getting accidentally shipped away in a horse carrier because the puppy was looking for his horse friend. The puppy battles his way back home and he runs into a wolf who was going to attack him, but his horse friend comes to the rescue. This commercial became a viral sensation and was one of the most shared videos during the Super Bowl. This piece of content was so widely popular that Budweiser created behind-the-scenes videos on their YouTube page from making this commercial.

All-in-all Coca-Cola taught us that companies need to produce new liquid ideas that helps meet a company’s 2020 goals.

[lexcalde]

Understand Marketing vs. Content Marketing

Hello readers! My name is Alex and I am studying Business Marketing at California State University, Los Angeles and welcome to my first blog. In this blog post I will be discussing the differences between marketing and content marketing.

 So, what exactly is the difference between marketing and content marketing? Well, marketing involves advertising or promoting to a mass audience through print, television, radio, email, or social media. Companies who use this method don’t always create valuable content and they can even be disruptive to their audience. Marketing tends to focus on convincing consumers to buy their product or services.

 This is where the difference of content marketing comes into play. Content marketing main focus is to tell a story of their product or services using valuable and compelling content. Content marketing is much more than increasing profits and sales; although this is important it’s not the main goal. It’s about the relationship between the consumer and the company.

 In content marketing, companies market for the customers benefit. In the book Epic Content Marketing written by Joe Pulizzi, there was a passage that sums up the difference between the two concepts perfectly: “Traditional advertising shouts at prospect customers whereas content marketing talks with them.” Companies who implement content marketing into their marketing strategy will stand out against their competitors, if done so correctly.

 Now posting a picture or video on social media won’t necessarily make that content marketing.

 Yes, that’s right there is a difference between social media marketing and content marketing. Mentioned in the book Epic Content Marketing by Joe Pulizzi, he mentions three ways that social media and content marketing differ:

(1). Center of Gravity

*Social media marketing center of gravity is to produce content within the already available social media channels; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+, etc.

 *Content marketing center of gravity focuses their attention on a company’s own website. Companies would still use social media channels, but they use these channels to get their consumers back to their website.

 (2). Types of Content

*Social media marketing content is limited to restrictions depending on which social media channel companies decide to use. For example, Twitter limits posts up to 140 characters.

 *Content marketing gives the company a larger space to make as much content as they wish, since they are creating content on their own website. Companies can build websites with any types of content they wish to include; blog posts, informative videos, e-books, the list is endless. 

(3). Objectives

*Social media marketing main objectives are to build brand awareness and satisfy customer retention. For example, companies can use Twitter to answer customer questions, concerns, or complaints.

 *Content marketing main objective is to build a relationship with a potential consumer and eventually guide them into making a purchase.

All-in-all companies who want to become successful, they need to understand when to use content marketing and when to use social media marketing because there is a lot of overlapping characteristics between the two. Sound good? Okay, good!

 To support my analysis, I will provide some examples of companies who understand how content marketing works; the first company would be The Walt Disney Company. In the videos listed below, Disney decided to use a social media channel, YouTube, to create compelling and valuable content. In the first video, Disney decided to take an alternative approach when promoting their 24-hour day event. They could have easily just tweeted using 140 characters on Twitter revealing the event, but this approach wouldn’t be as memorable. Instead, Disney came up with a better approach and created a video using 140 actual Disney characters to form a hashtag symbol. Not only was this approach creative, but it was compelling and Disney had the liberty to make a video to a length they saw necessary in order to relay the message. 

Disney video one: 

In the second video, Disney goes to a mall in New York and creates a wall showing the silhouettes of different Disney characters. These characters are mimicking the movements of anyone who happens to walk by. Disney managed to grab people’s attention and they ended up engaging with the characters. At the end of the video, people who participated and watched realized that with a little bit of Disney Magic, happiness is contagious and everyone has a Disney side. In the description bar below the video, Disney also put the link to their website. This is great example of content marketing because they are redirecting their audience back to their company website.

 Disney video two: 

Another company that demonstrates great content marketing is Subaru. In 2014, Subaru released a commercial having dogs drive a Subaru. In the video shown below, the dogs in the car get distracted when a mail driver passes by them on the opposite side of the road. Even when the driver was distracted, he did not get into an accident. This commercial shows a story saying that this car is a dog friendly car or as Subaru likes to say, “Dog Tested. Dog Approved.” These commercials have become a viral sensation and Subaru decided to make this idea into a series of commercials. This type of commercial was unlike any other commercial their competitors had displayed. Subaru was able to compel their audience and give valuable information at the same time.

 So, remember the main takeaway from this post would be to invest time into creating compelling and valuable content because it’s this type of content that will make your company noticed over your competitors.