More Who’s Who in Content Marketing

TalentZoo.com | Beyond Madison Avenue | Flack Me | Digital Pivot

Archives | Categories

By: Janet Kalandranis

There are more success stories around content marketing that need to be shared. Those brands that have made content the top priority and have a dedicated focus around its benefits. It’s not about content itself but the effect that this tactic can provide — customer engagement. Here are the brands that have taken to this little successful gem.

Marriott. Beds, towels, TV...what could Marriott know about content marketing, let alone really successful content marketing? Well, a whole heck of a lot. Marriott was smart enough to launch an experiential lifestyle brand called Renaissance Hotels. And the brand didn’t stop there. Instead it launched two platforms that allow customers to receive and engage with content about both the inside of its hotels as well as the area they are staying. That’s useful customer content and one that engages customers with the brand to hopefully help them choose Marriott in the future. And Marriott understands that content is a key tool to being relevant on a limited marketing budget. Because at the end of the day, it’s all about being in a customer’s consideration set the next time they go to make a reservation. Very smart for Marriott.

L’Oreal. Oh, the amount of content this brand could talk about! But L’Oreal took this a step further and used a partnership to create content. Associated with Rolling Stone, the brand is asking customers what they want and what they think in regards to style. This forces customers to get engaged with the brand and ultimately creates a new level of brand attraction. This partnership is no joke. L’Oreal had a serious goal to build stronger customer affinity and an emotional connection with the brand. When brands ask customers what they think and get them involved, this is exactly what can be achieved.

Vanguard. Finances and investing...booorrriinng. Well, that is, unless that financial brand is Vanguard. The brand launched a campaign to connect more with customers using content, and content that is relevant and understood by its customers: movies. Vanguard created spoofs on classic movies to explain what using Vanguard doesn’t feel like. It seems silly and maybe a bit odd, but this brand was spot on. It understood the need to connect with customers and give them something tangible to pass along. Hello, integration with YouTube. For a financial brand, this is nothing but smart and successful. If customers are able to understand the brand and the way it fits into their life, then Vanguard has made it into a consideration set that may not have even existed prior to this content.

Whether it's partnerships or funny content, one thing is certain. Ignoring content marketing as a strategy will leave brands behind the success curve. Oh, and customers will probably move on to someone a bit more exciting.