With so many brands competing for consumers’ attention
across multiple digital platforms, it seems that one of the few ways to stand
out is to create memorable, if not viral, content. Indeed the notion of the brand as publisher
phenomenon has grown as brands seek to drive awareness in a way that’s less
overt than a direct call to sales.
Good brand publishing should provide audiences with content
that’s relevant, engaging and supports the brand message. Red Bull, for example, has become an
authoritative voice in the world of action sports. Its website is designed more like a men’s magazine
(interestingly, with no mention of the product on the homepage).
But it’s a fine line, in terms of both content and
tone. Do people really pay attention to
a detergent brand that is preaching on global warming? Worse yet, are they turned off? This is of course a bigger issue for more
established brands that cater to a wide audience. Emerging brands have more flexibility to
experiment with content to see what resonates.
It is a costly operation to maintain an active feed of
creative content, whether it be through Twitter or TV commercials. Hence any publishing efforts must be part of
a larger strategy to directly convert customer engagement to sales. Creating content that has no obvious
connection to the brand itself often only results in wasted marketing
spend.
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