Content Supply Chain Webinar Summary

Content Supply Chain

Getting your content to sing and dance!

© COPYRIGHT 2012, COMBLU, INC.

Content = Core Marketing StrategySmart before the cart: Seek content at every point of decision journeyReviews and referrals: Drive more sales than online adsRight content breaks through:

People today do not have 30 seconds to be marketed to,

but a lot of people have 30 seconds for a great story

Jon Thomas

“”

2© COPYRIGHT 2012, COMBLU, INC.

Today Implications

Content proliferation—marketers and brand managers generate escalating amounts of content

Every company is a publisher

Consumers connect with brands—and their content—in fundamentally new ways

Companies need to understand the role of content in customer engagement and brand management

Content production is inconsistent and uncoordinated; content creation input cycle lacks strategic direction

Inefficiencies in content creation and distribution; missed opportunities to break through content clutter

Content is not considered perishable Difficult for consumers to find content that is relevant and timely

Content is not treated as an asset Companies are missing opportunities to optimize the value of content

As more consumer touchpoints become digital, content plays a larger role in the purchase decision journey

Strategic management of the entire content supply chain can drive customer engagement, loyalty and revenue

Content purpose—and role in socialization—is unclear and ill-defined

Companies are not taking full advantage of their social media properties and channels

State of Content


Credible Resources Informed Options Experienced Influencers Informed Decisions Loyal Advocates

• Advocate Private Community

• Content amplification– Social media– All points of

decision journey

• Content– Websites– Deal sites– Campaigns

• Communities• Advocate stories• Forums• Content

amplification– Stories– Reviews– Impact

• Forums (Advocates)

• Communities• Content

amplification– Features/functions– Studies– Stories/experiences– Influencer content

• SEO• Communities• Content

amplification– Partners– Credible sites

Awareness Consideration Preference Purchase Post-Purchase

• Needs• Wants

• Options• Education

• Informed conversation

• Research

• Identified preference

• Experience

People want to be informed before they have conversations.

The Consumer Decision Journey Content, Conversation, Community

People want to understand their options and have informed conversations.

People want to tap the knowledge of experts or others like them.

People want a great introduction to the product.

People want to help others; spread the word; drive affinity.

Cons

umer

Trig

gers

Cons

umer

Re

spon

seSo

cial

St

rate

gyCo

nsum

er

Des

ireO

utco

me

• Searches• Talks• Researches

• Researches• Talks with family

and friends

• Product-set• Others like me• More conversations

• Coupons• Samples• Deals• Steals

• Experience• Mentor• Helps others


25%Of marketing budgets is spent on content creation and distribution—The Custom Content Association

According to McKinsey & Company, embedded costs alone for a content supply chain can range from

$50 million to $75 million for a consumer

products OEM to over $300 million for a global technology company

Few companies have created the roles and systems needed to manage their content supply chain and create a coherent customer experience —Harvard Business Review

YET!“”


Brands = PublishersCorporations face many of the same issues as commercial publishers:

Audience development

Content topic roadmap (story budget in publishing terms)

Content mix and volume

Resource allocation and organizational structure

Targeted content distribution across multiple genres and channels

Content development

Two crucial steps:1. Define content

value2. Adopt supply chain

approach

Enormous Value:• Drives revenue• Expands the social graph of content along

the decision journey• Optimizes staffing and maximizes

resources• Builds strong content partnerships• Amplifies content exponentially• Creates high value, high performing

content• Ensures relevance and timeliness• Tracks content performance against

business KPIs


“”Most marketers, failing to adopt the discipline of a multimedia publisher, don’t realize that deep within their operations, they are facing escalating production costs, unnecessary duplication, inconsistent quality of content and second-rate interactions with customers

—McKinsey Quarterly

Common content pain points: A lack of understanding of how to organize the content creation and distribution process and build the right mix of supporting resources

Develop content based on market demand and business strategy

Establish processes for creating the right mix and volume of content

Manage the publication process

Understand and leverage distribution channels

Measure content equity and ROI7© COPYRIGHT 2012, COMBLU, INC.

Content = Business Asset

• Well-run companies manage supply chain to produce products efficiently and create enterprise value

– Core competency with defined roles, processes, quality measures and performance goals

• Content needs to be sourced and managed like any other raw material

– It needs to be transformed into an asset with defined value


Steps in the Content Supply Chain

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Insights or Sourcing Applies comprehensive discipline to identifying the right topics and stories that reflect the companies’, brands’ or organizations’ legacy, points of distinction and vision.

CreationAligns with the manufacturing process, it applies a “news bureau” approach to the development of content assets in multiple formats.

Management

Encompasses all the controls and quality oversight needed to manage workflows, archive and curate content, manage versioning and integration across all phases of the content life cycle.

Socialization and Amplification or Logistics Delivers content across multiple distribution channels.

MeasurementQuantifies return on content assets, tracks the performance of specific content “SKUs” and provides the data points needed to control cost and quality and drive better performance.


Insights Creative Management Socialization and Amplification

Market Needs Content Creation Publication Process Distribution and Outreach Process

Consistent, replicable content creation process

Filters for relevance differentiations

Owned

Earned

Paid

Mass(Designated process by

distribution type)

Measure• Support decision journey• Drive lead gen• Generate revenue

• Listening• Conferences• Partners• Search terms• Trends• Competitive

scan• Community

actions

• Content consumption

• Product management

• Customer insights

• Customer support

• SMEs• Partners• Customers• Content creation

specialists

• Segment relevance• Message check• Voice genre• Sales support• Thought leadership

• Content library• Content roadmap• Expiration/sell-by• Refresh cycles• Campaign codes• Versioning• Touchpoint management• Curation tools• Consumption profile and

personas

Auth

ors

Filte

rs


Support Decision Journey

Uncover Sales-ready Leads

Generate Revenue

KPI 1:

KPI 2:

KPI 3:

KPI 4:

Drive SEO

Increase brand consideration

Increase brand preference

Drive support around government affairs or issue management

KPI 5: Generate leads

Monetize content assetsKPI 6:

Content Equity


Define content mission

Align with KPIs

Define metrics set for each KPI

Track, report, diagnose

Tweak strategy, insights and

channels

Displays Index per KPI like a stock ticker

Measurement

Tracks the return on content assets against specified KPIs

12

Enhance SEO


1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

INSIGHTS CREATION MANAGEMENT AMPLIFICATION MEASUREMENT

Define content mission against business objectives and define aligned KPIs.

Assign topic beats with editors, reporters and sources that will drive a dynamic insights process that cuts horizontally across functional silos.

Create content filters and scorecards to gauge content effectiveness.

Develop dynamic publishing cycles, not strict time-stamped models.

Drive management process with content strategists; facilitate content logistics with right mix of tools and technology.

Develop a tracking system by assigning each content asset a unique code.

Curate content to deliver the right type of content at specific points along the decision journey.

Include a mix of owned, earned, paid and mass social media in the amplification mix; evolve and grow the mix over time.

Develop a custom outreach approach for each channel type and venue.

Measure and index performance against each content KPI to track ROI and calibrate content strategy.

TOP 10


Contact Info

14

Steve Hershberger

ComBlu

[email protected]

312-649-1687

Kevin Lynch

ComBlu

[email protected]

312-649-1687

Link to Study

K:\Sales & Marketing\Thought leadership\Content Supply Chain\Marketing materials\Content Supply Chain webinar summary deck.pptx
