Content Strategy at 30,000 Feet

CONTENT STRATEGYat 30,000 ft.

for CONFAB CENTRAL 2014by HAWK THOMPSON

Icons: Stephen McKarney + Anthony Lui (The Noun Project)

#confabmn | #csat30kft| @hawkt

Hawk Thompson

Sr. Content Strategist | Razorfish

Content Director | hawkthompson.com

Content Generalist | hawkt.com

Content Whisperer | @hawkt

I’m here to talk about content strategy for airlines.

(I’ve worked with a couple.)

It’s...different than your average CS challenge.

But also similar, in this way:

You have to put yourself in your client’s shoes.

Get inside their heads.

And fly to places you’ve never been before.

Sometimes dark places.

Ready?

Welcome to the terrordome.

Aerodrome.

We all dream of ideal flight experiences.

(In reality, they cost ~$120k a person.)

SPOILER ALERT:

Monument Valley screenshots courtesy of ustwo.

Flying should feel like this...

Y’know, Monument Valley is a truly amazing game.

You could say it’s visual storytelling at its finest.

Clearly full of gorgeous surprises at every turn.

No pressure or anything, but it’s worth owning.

Seriously, buy Monument Valley from ustwo. Now.

It’ll make you want to spread your wings and fly.

...not this.

Photo: Diego Torres Silvestre (flickr / CC)

YOU ARE HERE

Yet sometimes, it does.

And you know what they say in the industry:

“As goes the experience, so goes the content.”

OK, so they don’t really say that.

But if they did, why would they?

Tarmac.

Certain issues keep airlines in a holding pattern:

Photo: snoll (flickr / CC)

$$$#confabmn | #csat30kft| @hawkt

The airline industry’s profits may be huge...

$143.4BSource: Forbes, 2013.

...but at ~1%, its profit margin isn’t.

$0.15B

$143.3B

Source: Forbes, 2013.

No wonder airlines are cutting costs like limes.

Photo: Harmony Huskinson / MCT

Icon: Paul te Kortschot (The Noun Project)

People use technology to plan trips.

Source: Forrester, 2013.

And airlines obvs rely heavily on technology too.

But let’s get back to that ~1% profit margin for a sec.

$0.15B

$143.3B

How large a slice do you think goes to technology?

$0.15B

$143.3B

And how much goes to digital content?

$0.15B

$143.3B

(Hint: Virgin made this viral hit in-house. For $5k.)

Lastly, how much goes to content strategy?

$0.15B

$143.3B

Yeah, that looks about right.

(The stem, not the tomato.)

So you learn to make do with what’s available.

OOOo oo o oo o oo

Most airlines have fairly small content teams...

...supplied with relatively tiny budgets...

...saddled with legacy technology...

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Content Content Content

Marketing Loyalty

Int’lTravel

CorporateAffairs

CustomerService Mobile

PreferredPartners

SocialMedia

IROP Alerts +Advisories

Ad Sales

MediaRelations

DomesticFlights

InvestorRelations

CharterServices

Sponsorships

ContractorsQ A UX ProjectMgmt.

DesignTech

BusinessTravel

GroupTravel

CareersTraining

AncillaryProducts

Legal#confabmn | #csat30kft| @hawkt

...and surrounded by product-oriented silos.

Photo:Kicki Holmén (flickr / CC)

These silos often constrain content teams...

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

o oo o oo o oo o o o oo o o o

o o o o o o o o o oo oo o

OOOOOOOo o o o o o o o o oo oo o

...which can make it tough to focus on the big picture.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

o oo o o o oo o o o

o o o o

That’s why you’re here.

???#confabmn | #csat30kft| @hawkt

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

o oo o o o oo o o o

o o o o

How can you strategize in this environment?

Think like a controller.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

o oo o o o oo o o o

o o o o

John Sri Martha LeilaMo Curtis Ali

Selena Carol DirkJR Soraya Jon

Don Farnsworth Caleb MusangiAly Buck Pete

Aloysius Kaisar Rishi AngelaBud Winston Gordo

Understand the lay of the land.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Marketing Loyalty

Int’lTravel

CorporateAffairs

PreferredPartners

SocialMedia

Ad Sales

MediaRelations

DomesticFlights

InvestorRelations

CharterServices

Sponsorships

DesignTech

BusinessTravel

GroupTravel

CareersTraining

AncillaryProducts

SelenaJR Soraya Jon

(in terms of people *and* their products)

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOO

Marketing Loyalty

Int’lTravel

CorporateAffairs

PreferredPartners

SocialMedia

Ad Sales

MediaRelations

DomesticFlights

InvestorRelations

CharterServices

Sponsorships

DesignTech

BusinessTravel

GroupTravel

CareersTraining

AncillaryProducts

SelenaJR Soraya Jon

Map out the connections.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Marketing Loyalty

Int’lTravel

PreferredPartners

SocialMedia

Ad Sales

MediaRelations

DomesticFlights

Sponsorships

BusinessTravel

GroupTravel

Merch AncillaryProducts

NewRoutes

OtherContent

Selena Soraya Jon

Farnsworth Caleb Musangi Buck Pete

DesignTech Copy

Lock in on the routes.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

NewRoutes

OtherContent

Marketing Loyalty

Int’lTravel

CorporateAffairs

PreferredPartners

SocialMedia

Ad Sales

MediaRelations

DomesticFlights

InvestorRelations

CharterServices

Sponsorships

BusinessTravel

GroupTravel

CareersTraining

Selena Soraya Jon

DesignTech Copy

Anticipate delays.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

NewRoutes

OtherContent

Marketing Loyalty

Int’lTravel

CorporateAffairs

PreferredPartners

SocialMedia

Ad Sales

MediaRelations

DomesticFlights

InvestorRelations

CharterServices

Sponsorships

BusinessTravel

GroupTravel

CareersTraining

Selena Soraya Jon

DesignTech Copy

Redirect when necessary.

It helps keep the planes running on time.

Runway.

Photo: Wikipedia

No offense, but you’re just one content strategist.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Marketing Loyalty

Int’lTravel

CorporateAffairs

PreferredPartners

SocialMedia

Ad Sales

MediaRelations

DomesticFlights

InvestorRelations

CharterServices

Sponsorships

DesignTech

BusinessTravel

GroupTravel

CareersTraining

AncillaryProducts

SelenaJR Soraya Jon

You’re up against a lot of content.

Photo: Wikipedia

And we’re talking *big* chunks here.

Photo: Wikipedia

How best to manage them?

Photo: Wikipedia

Think like a marshaller.

OrchestratedContent

ResearchUser research

Consumer insightsSearch analysis

StrategyMessaging

Channel presenceContent governance

CreationCopywriting

Video productionGraphic design

DistributionStrategic partners

SEO + SEMCommunity building

ManagementWCM

Editorial processWorkflow

MeasurementMetrics

OptimizationKPIs

Courtesy of Rachel Lovinger

Orchestrate the proceedings.

Keep your shared goals top of mind.

Existingsite

Newsitemap

Existingsite

Newwireframes

UXreviews

Designstyle guide

Comps /prototype

New sitepages

Align your content strategy tools with these goals.

Existingsite

Newsitemap

Existingsite

Newwireframes

UXreviews

Designstyle guide

Comps /prototype

New sitepages

Contentinventory

Contentaudit

Contentmodel

Contentmatrix

Gapanalysis

Editorialstyle guide

Editorialcalendar

Copydecks

Direct traffic through checkpoints as necessary.

Existingsite

Newsitemap

Existingsite

Newwireframes

UXreviews

Designstyle guide

Comps /prototype

New sitepages

Contentinventory

Contentaudit

Contentmodel

Contentmatrix

Gapanalysis

Editorialcalendar

Copydecks

Your Client

Leverage tools that can remove obstacles.

Contentinventory

Contentaudit

Contentmodel

Contentmatrix

Gapanalysis

Editorialcalendar

Copydecks

Do your best to clear the runway of challenges.

Your Client

Photo: Wikipedia

Take each new challenge in stride.

Photo: Wikipedia

Even if you’ve never seen it on the runway before.

Airborne.

Sure, the airline industry can be challenging...

...but ya gotta straighten up and fly right.

Photo:National Archives

Think like a pilot.

Get to know how everything works together.

External Referrals

Browser Tier

Web Tier

Middle Tier

Services Tier

Enterprise Tier

Reservation System

Make decisions based on this knowledge.

External Referrals

Browser Tier

Web Tier

Middle Tier

Services Tier

Enterprise Tier

Reservation System

YOU ARE HERE

Make recommendations based on this knowledge.

Web Tier

Static Content Dynamic Content

And this.

Web Tier

HTML JSP

And this.

Web Tier

Marketing Tech

And THIS.

Web Tier

2-3 days to publish 2-3 months to publish

Institute consistent standards for all content types.

Web Tier

Static Content Dynamic Content

Your Content Stardards

You’ll get further that way.

Turbulence.

Courtesy of The Asylum.

Trust me, things are going to get a little bumpy.

Discrepancies create disconnects.

#confabmn | #csat30kft| @hawktCourtesy of The Asylum.

Separate publishing processes lead to bottlenecks.

Inefficient workflows produce inconsistencies.

Custom implementations add layers of complexity.

What’s a good way to deal with these issues?

Photo: Peter Burge (flickr / CC)

Think like an attendant.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Marketing Loyalty

Int’lTravel

CorporateAffairs

PreferredPartners

SocialMedia

Ad Sales

MediaRelations

DomesticFlights

InvestorRelations

CharterServices

Sponsorships

DesignTech

BusinessTravel

GroupTravel

CareersTraining

AncillaryProducts

SelenaJR Soraya Jon

Empower your client’s content team.

Photo: Peter Burge (flickr / CC)

Create tools that suit their needs, not yours.

Contentinventory

Contentaudit

Contentmodel

Contentmatrix

Gapanalysis

Editorialcalendar

Copydecks

Photo:Kecko (flickr / CC)

Help establish processes that make their lives easier.

Existingsite

Newsitemap

Existingsite

Newwireframes

UXreviews

Designstyle guide

Comps /prototype

New sitepages

Contentinventory

Contentaudit

Contentmodel

Contentmatrix

Gapanalysis

Editorialcalendar

Copydecks

Your Client

Shoutout: Akbar Bhaidani

Measure their success (it’s yours too).

Customer-facing metrics Internal metrics

• Page views• Time on site• Bounce rate• Exit rate• Search rankings• Back links created

• Efficiency metrics - ongoing and one-time content- Time/cost to create content- Time/cost to deploy content- Time/cost to test content

• Satisfaction metrics- Ratio of WCM users to non-users- Ratio of static to dynamic content- WCM system NPS

• Performance metrics- Content accuracy - number of edits- Content reuse – number of pages used- Avg. number of channels per content asset

Stabilizing.#confabmn | #csat30kft| @hawkt

Photo: Associated Press.

The pilot usually gets the glory.

Photo:Chris Walter (Wire Images)

But most can’t make it happen alone.

Think like a copilot.

Monitor progress closely.

Communicate (but don’t overcommunicate).

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

o oo o o o oo o o o

o o o o

Always be ready to assume responsibility.

Landing.

Ever tried to land a plane on the head of a pin?

$0.15B

$143.3B

That’s kinda the situation airlines are in today.

$0.15B

$143.3B

Given the circumstances, they’re doing pretty well.

And they’re investing in good content, which helps.

You can help by doing what you do best.

Contentinventory

Contentaudit

Contentmodel

Contentmatrix

Gapanalysis

Editorialcalendar

Copydecks

Also by thinking about things from the airline’s POV.

Because you know what they say:

Photo: ZeroOne (flickr / CC)

“As goes the content, so goes the experience.”

Photo: ZeroOne (flickr / CC)

Thanks.

Content Strategy at 30,000 Feet

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