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8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 110
BRANDING AND
CONTENTFINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE
gt
PROPERTY OF STUDIO ONE 991251 METHODOLOGIES ARE PROPRIETRY AND CONFIDENTIAL TO STUDIO ON
A CONTENT MARKETING WHITE PAPER
WRITTEN BY TIM DUNCAN COMMISSIONED BY STUDIO ONE
Content Marketing is a powerful tool for marketers to engage
consumers who are increasingly overwhelmed by and cynical about
straightforward advertising
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 210
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Content Marketing is a powerful tool for marketers to engage consumers who are increasingly over-whelmed by and cynical about straightforward advertising It is a broad term which encompasses a
wide range of online and offline strategies ndash from social media to annual reports - and smart market-
ers are utilizing many of them simultaneously
Branded Content is one such strategy While this term also covers a very wide range of specific strat-
egies it always involves giving consumers compelling informationentertainment which is tied in
some way back to the brand
Vital to Branded Content is the balance between its two fundamental elements branding the iden-
tification of my brand up to and including a ldquocall to actionrdquo - and content - the presentation of infor-
mation and entertainment that provides the consumer with a positive experience Marketers must
determine this balance to effectively implement the strategy
There is no single answer to this question as it depends on many factors specific to the brandrsquos situa-
tion However it is a decision which is made explicitly or implicitly every time a marketer chooses to
employ some form of Branded Content
The purpose of this White Paper is to provide a brief overview of Content Marketing with a specific
focus on Branded Content It looks at some of the considerations which should go into this decision
in order to help marketers make the best use of this important tool in order to achieve their objectives
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 310
I WHAT IS CONTENT MARKETING
Content Marketing is a new term for a long-established technique for influencing a target market
While there are a number of definitons the basic premise involves providing some valuable informa-tion or entertainment ndash ldquocontentrdquo ndash that stops short of a direct sales pitch or call to action but which
seeks to positively influence a customer in some way
A venerable example is The Merck Index Chemistryrsquos Constant Companionreg an authoritative multi-
disciplinary reference handbook published by The Merck Corporation for over a century Now in its
fourteenth edition and published online as well as in print it provides ldquoquick and reliable answers to
questions arising in the course of the scientistrsquos workrdquo2
There are many Content Marketing techniques It can be employed in a wide range of offline and
online media including Facebook pages in-person events such as conferences newsletters ndash even a
companyrsquos annual report depending on how broadly the term is defined [See Appendix I for one listof B2C techniques]
Its use is also widespread by one estimate over 90 of Business-to-Business (B2B) and 86 of Busi-
ness-to-Consumer (B2C) marketers use one or more of them
Why has Content Marketing become so popular among marketers Itrsquos because they are finding it a
very effective way to engage and influence consumers at a time when their traditional ldquopaid-mediardquo
techniques are losing effectiveness
bull Among oine media print media (magazines and newspapers) are losing audiences to the
superior efficiency and timeliness of online ndash typified by the morphing of Newsweek into an online
magazine alongside its sister publication The Daily Beast
bull Television many marketerrsquos primary reach instrument is suering from increased audience
fragmentation caused by an explosion of available channels the increasing penetration of DVRs
and of course the nearly-universal use of the remote to mute or avoid commercials
bull As for online users are much less passive than TV viewers (who still sit through commercials) and
impatient with anything that interferes with their restless surfing for engaging content That is why
Display advertising (eg banners) though still a leading marketing tool has such a low effective-
ness as measured by click-through rates (CTR) According to one source a CTR of 003 - 005 is
considered ldquotypicalrdquo for display
In brief consumers are being overwhelmed by exposure to marketing messages Empowered by
access to a wide variety of media and culturally conditioned from a young age to be cynical about
commercial messages they have become increasingly resistant to standard forms of marketing such
as traditional sell-oriented advertising
1
3
4
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 410
Content Marketing is one way to overcome this resistance and enhance consumersrsquo perception of a
brand By providing them something of value ndash whether entertainment or information ndash marketers
can engage and persuade them to invest their time and attention in relevant content And by tying
the content to their brand in some way (see further discussion below) they create a positive associa-tion for it in consumersrsquo minds
Furthermore Content Marketing has another advantage over other forms of online marketing in that
it is a form of ldquoContextual Targetingrdquo -- branding messages are targeted only in the sense that they are
embedded in content that is relevant to a specific type of consumer ndash eg pet lovers Thus it is far
more acceptable to consumers than ads which are ldquoBehaviorally Targetedrdquo - that is delivered to con-
sumers whose behavior has been tracked identifying them has high-value targets Many consumers
find these ads ldquocreepyrdquo since they seem to be following them as they surf which is why there are a
number of ldquoDo-Not-Trackrdquo legislative initiatives currently pending
II BRANDED CONTENT
A Definition and Purpose
As noted the term ldquoContent Marketingrdquo is an extremely broad one since it can be used to encom-
pass so many types of communications (onlineoffline in-person events etc) ndash pretty much anything
short of a traditional advertisement ldquoBranded Contentrdquo is another broad term According to some
definitions it can be used as one of many synonyms for Content Marketing On the other hand ac-
cording to the Content Marketing Institute ldquoBranded Content Toolsrdquo are currently used by about 40
of B2C marketers
For purposes of this discussion the term ldquoBranded Contentrdquo will be defined as a subset of Content
Marketing specifically referring to
bull Informationalentertainment content that has intrinsic value
bull Digitally delivered
bull Associated in some way with a brand but
bull Without a specic call to actionsales pitch
A reasonable question if there is no direct selling message what is the point of investing resources
in this form of marketing
The purpose of Branded Content (as with Content Marketing generally) is to provide a specific tar-get audience with some useful or entertaining content that will attract and engage their attention
thereby evading their resistance to commercial messages The belief is that a positive experience with
the content will engender positive feelings toward the brand which provided it This can range from
simply increasing awarenessfamiliarity to in the ideal case a feeling that ldquothe brand lsquogets mersquo rdquo ndash ie
the brand understands the consumerrsquos needs and can satisfy them
5
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 510
Thus Branded Content can be used to enhance the brandrsquos ldquopersonardquo as a trusted authority in the
consumer rsquos need-space This will ideally make the consumer more receptive to further communica-
tions from the brand including more direct sales pitches leading ultimately to a sale In fact if the
consumerrsquos experience with the content is sufficiently positive there is some evidence that he or shemay be motivated to reciprocate with increased purchase intent ndash a ldquogratitude effectrdquo
B KEY ISSUE Balancing ldquoBrandingrdquo and ldquoContentrdquo
To use Branded Content effectively a marketer needs make a key decision for each communication
What is the right balance between branding ndash the identification of my brand up to and even includ-
ing a ldquocall to actionrdquo ndash and content ndash the presentation of information and entertainment that provides
the consumer with a positive experience
Inherent in this decision is an assumption that these two elements are to some extent in conflict
Since consumers are resistant to outright commercial messages a high degree of branding maycause them to reject or avoid the content ndash eg assuming that it is in some way biased or skewed or
perhaps (in the case of entertainment) merely ldquouncoolrdquo This may not be true in all situations to some
extent it may depend on the type of product and the kind of content being offered However since
consumer resistance to commercial messages is well documented the degree to which a branded-
content message approaches a hard-selling advertisement is likely to turn off many consumers
Conversely if the branding is overly subtle andor bears very little relationship to the content itself
(eg if the content is pure entertainment) then the desired association of the brand with a positive
experience in the consumerrsquos mind may be only weakly established if at all
Establishing the appropriate balance between branding and content depends first on the marketerrsquos
objective For example if it is to provide product information to consumers who are already familiarwith the brand ndash current customers -- then a high degree of branding is essential One example
would be a product catalog with individual brand specifications such as Ikearsquos Itrsquos highly informative
ndash but is likely to appeal to those who already know and like the brand
If on the other hand a marketer is trying to attract entirely new customers then he will seek to reach
a broad audience who may be unfamiliar with the brand (or even the product category) In that case
it may be appropriate to reduce the level of branding while creating content that is broadly appealing
to a wide audience An example of this is Campbellrsquos Soup which is publishing amusing pictures (eg
ldquo17 Animals who were totally prepared for Halloweenrdquo ) on social websites with minimal branding
This dynamic is summarized in the following diagram
6
7
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 610
In practice most marketers will probably want to have a level of branding somewhere between these
two extremes An example of high branding with moderate content would be a typical advertorial
which is defined as ldquoan advertisement in the form of an editorialrdquo ndash the online equivalent of a TV
infomercial An example would be Hydroxytonecomrsquos ldquoErase Wrinklesrdquo It is meant to appeal to con-
sumers who are clearly interested in the product category and are willing to receive an in-depth
brand pitch
Note that a full-fledged advertorial if it has a strong ldquocall to actionrdquo goes beyond the definition ofBranded Content Also with this format care must be taken to clearly identify the brand and avoid
the impression that the content is merely advertising disguised in any way
A broader approach is to attract consumers with a specific interest whether or not they are product
(or even category) users by providing content that directly speaks to their interests As discussed
the level of branding will need to be sensitive to their expected resistance level ndash and this is likely to
vary depending on the product category itself For example ldquoThe Dog Dailyrdquo provides a great deal of
content for dog lovers (whether owners or not) The sponsor (PampGrsquos IAMs) limits branding mainly to
banners and billboards
Receptivitiy to Communication
8
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 710
DECISION FACTORS
The appropriate balance between branding and content must therefore be determined by a number
of factors including the brandrsquos characteristics the nature of the chosen content the target audi-
ence and the planned distribution
1 Brand Factors
1 What is the brandrsquos situation
bull Is it established and well-known or relatively newunknown
2 What is the marketing objective
bull eg increase awareness improvechange perception or increase sales
3 What is the communication objective
bull eg reinforce brand image or communicate product benets
For example a familiar brand that is seeking to reinforce its brand image can get considerable benefitfrom minimal brand mention helping to maximize the consumerrsquos experience with the content A
brand that requires more exposition may need to discuss its product benefits more fully especially
within content that is product-relevant
2 Content Factors
1 Is the purpose of the content to inform or primarily to entertain
2 What format ndash text video audio
Branding should probably be on the low side in content that is primarily entertainment-oriented
(which is probably most appropriate for audiences that are hard to attract and retain) If the content
must be experienced in real time (ie audio or video) the brand may not want to take up too much
of the audiencersquos time with extensive brand mentions Printtext-based content allows for more ex-pansiveness without diminishing the user experience
3 Target Audience Factors
1 What are their characteristics ndash ie younger older
2 How familiar are they with the brand
3 Where will they experience it ndash at home business or mobile
Younger people may be more time-sensitive than older adults as well as more skeptical about com-
mercial messages If the audience is very familiar with the brand then a brief mention may suffice to
associate it with the content Mobile users ndash famously anti-advertising ndash will likely be impatient with
heavily branded content
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 810
4 Distribution Factors
1 Will the content be only on the company website
2 Is it designed to appear on multiple destinations bull If so will the publishers be paid or treated as partners
Well-crafted branded content has the ability to appear on multiple destinations with an affinity for
the brandcategory or target audience Consideration will need to be given to the degree of branding
that will make the content maximally acceptable to the targeted publishers It may even be possible
to vary the amount of branding within the content depending on publisher preferences
III OTHER CONSIDERATIONS IN USING BRANDED CONTENT
1 Content Curation or Creation
In deciding upon a Branded Content strategy marketers need to determine how they will source
their content ndash curate existing content or create original content
bull Curation is the process of ldquonding organizing and sharing contentrdquo according to one
definition It means searching for existing content that would be appropriate to associate
with the marketerrsquos brand and putting it into a format for republishingsharing
bull Original Content must be created by the marketer or a designated supplier
Curation has the advantage of being relatively less expensive and time consuming than creation
However it is not easy finding content that is brand appropriate ndash 43 of B2B marketers who ldquocuraterdquo
content report that ldquofinding high-quality contentrdquo was one of their biggest challenges An additional
consideration is that the curated content will not be unique since it is taken from already-published
sources giving users less reason to engage with it
On the other hand the same report says that ldquocreating original contentrdquo is an even bigger challenge
(69 of respondents) The advantage in overcoming this challenge lies both in the freshness of origi-
nal content and the ability to custom-tailor it to the brandrsquos needs
2 Content Creation In-house vs Outsourced
Once a marketer decides to add Branded Content to the marketing mix he needs to decide whether
to produce the content in-house or outsource it This is only partly a resource allocation decision
bull In-house content creation has the advantage of flexibility since at the most minimal level
existing staff can be delegated to create it They will presumably have a high degree of
familiarity with the brand and its needs
9
10
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 910
However there is probably a strong correlation between resources allocated and the quality of the
output For example it may be desired to refresh the content frequently (one source cites an 18
higher click-through rate in content refreshed daily vs weekly) If the Branded Content strategy is tobe a significant part of the brandrsquos marketing effort the marketer may need to create a department
specifically devoted to updating the content regularly - or consider using an outside source
bull Outsourcing content to a content creator and distributor puts the content creation task in the
hands of individuals who are entirely dedicated to the process and who are experts in crafting
indirect branding messages a skill that takes time to master Among other time consuming
tasks they can vet the credentials of experts who can add 3rd-party credibility to the content
The outside source may also have expertise in multiplatform distribution which can
increase the potential reach of the content
Content creation and distribution expertise can be readily obtained on either basis It is up to the
marketer to determine the level of effort to give to the program and then decide whether he wantsthe control of in-house creation or prefers to seek the needed expertise elsewhere
3 Distribution Identifying Affinity Partners
As noted above one aspect of Branded Content is its ability to find placement on numerous plat-
forms and Internet destinations The marketer can choose to pay for placement or offer it for free to
other publishers Paid distribution is not only more costly but may result in undesirable page place-
ment On the other hand if the content is sufficiently compelling in and of itself it will have value to
publishers beyond the companyrsquos own website
In offering content to other publishers a marketer will want to ensure that they are desirable desti-
nations Rather than offering it to ldquoall comersrdquo it is important to have quality-control filters in placeto ensure that the content is in a high-quality environment which has the ability to attract potential
customers
4 Measurement
Branded Content like other digital marketing lends itself to some easily quantifiable measures in-
cluding audience (views) engagement (duration) sharing and clicking Careful attention to these
measures allows the content to be optimized by reinforcing those elements that seem to be most
attractive to customers
SUMMARY
Content Marketing is growing in importance because it provides marketers with a way to overcome
the increasing resistance to commercial messages of overwhelmed consumers Branded Content is
an important Content Marketing tool which can enhance a brandrsquos image by associating it with at-
tractive and engaging content To use it most effectively a marketer needs to pay careful attention
to the best balance between getting his message (branding) delivered and providing the consumer
with attractive engaging and relevant content
11
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 1010
SOURCES
1 See for example ldquoSix Useful Content Marketing Definitionsrdquo
httpcontentmarketinginstitutecom201206content-marketing-definition
2 Themerckindexcom
httpthemerckindexchemfindercomTheMerckIndexFormsPublicContentAreaAboutaspx
3 Content Marketing Institute 2013 B2C Content Marketing Research Benchmarks Budgets and
Trends
httpcontentmarketinginstitutecom2012112013-b2c-consumer-content-marketing
4 ClickZcom What Is a Good Click-Through Rate for PPC
httpwwwclickzcomclickzcolumn2186867click-rate-ppc
5For example from ldquoWhat is Content Marketingrdquo httpcontentmarketinginstitutecomwhat-is-
content-marketing
ldquoIt goes by many nameshellipletrsquos try to name them all Custom publishing custom media customer
media customer publishing member media private media branded content corporate media cor-
porate publishing corporate journalism and branded mediardquo
6 Harvey Gray and Despain Journal of Advertising Research 2006
7 Buzzfeedcom 17 Animals who were totally prepared for Haloweenrdquo
httpwwwbuzzfeedcomcampbellsgo17-animals-who-are-already-prepared-for-halloweenb=1
8 Wikipedia
httpenwikipediaorgwikiAdvertorial
9 Emarketercom ldquoOriginality is Marketersrsquo Biggest Challengerdquo Nov 20 2012
httpwwwemarketercomArticleaspxR=1009495
10 Emarketer Ibid
httpwwwemarketercomArticleaspxR=1009495
11 Curatacom ldquoContent Curation Continues to Gain Momentum Amongst Marketersrdquo May 52012
httpwwwcuratacompresspress-releasearticle=101
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 210
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Content Marketing is a powerful tool for marketers to engage consumers who are increasingly over-whelmed by and cynical about straightforward advertising It is a broad term which encompasses a
wide range of online and offline strategies ndash from social media to annual reports - and smart market-
ers are utilizing many of them simultaneously
Branded Content is one such strategy While this term also covers a very wide range of specific strat-
egies it always involves giving consumers compelling informationentertainment which is tied in
some way back to the brand
Vital to Branded Content is the balance between its two fundamental elements branding the iden-
tification of my brand up to and including a ldquocall to actionrdquo - and content - the presentation of infor-
mation and entertainment that provides the consumer with a positive experience Marketers must
determine this balance to effectively implement the strategy
There is no single answer to this question as it depends on many factors specific to the brandrsquos situa-
tion However it is a decision which is made explicitly or implicitly every time a marketer chooses to
employ some form of Branded Content
The purpose of this White Paper is to provide a brief overview of Content Marketing with a specific
focus on Branded Content It looks at some of the considerations which should go into this decision
in order to help marketers make the best use of this important tool in order to achieve their objectives
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 310
I WHAT IS CONTENT MARKETING
Content Marketing is a new term for a long-established technique for influencing a target market
While there are a number of definitons the basic premise involves providing some valuable informa-tion or entertainment ndash ldquocontentrdquo ndash that stops short of a direct sales pitch or call to action but which
seeks to positively influence a customer in some way
A venerable example is The Merck Index Chemistryrsquos Constant Companionreg an authoritative multi-
disciplinary reference handbook published by The Merck Corporation for over a century Now in its
fourteenth edition and published online as well as in print it provides ldquoquick and reliable answers to
questions arising in the course of the scientistrsquos workrdquo2
There are many Content Marketing techniques It can be employed in a wide range of offline and
online media including Facebook pages in-person events such as conferences newsletters ndash even a
companyrsquos annual report depending on how broadly the term is defined [See Appendix I for one listof B2C techniques]
Its use is also widespread by one estimate over 90 of Business-to-Business (B2B) and 86 of Busi-
ness-to-Consumer (B2C) marketers use one or more of them
Why has Content Marketing become so popular among marketers Itrsquos because they are finding it a
very effective way to engage and influence consumers at a time when their traditional ldquopaid-mediardquo
techniques are losing effectiveness
bull Among oine media print media (magazines and newspapers) are losing audiences to the
superior efficiency and timeliness of online ndash typified by the morphing of Newsweek into an online
magazine alongside its sister publication The Daily Beast
bull Television many marketerrsquos primary reach instrument is suering from increased audience
fragmentation caused by an explosion of available channels the increasing penetration of DVRs
and of course the nearly-universal use of the remote to mute or avoid commercials
bull As for online users are much less passive than TV viewers (who still sit through commercials) and
impatient with anything that interferes with their restless surfing for engaging content That is why
Display advertising (eg banners) though still a leading marketing tool has such a low effective-
ness as measured by click-through rates (CTR) According to one source a CTR of 003 - 005 is
considered ldquotypicalrdquo for display
In brief consumers are being overwhelmed by exposure to marketing messages Empowered by
access to a wide variety of media and culturally conditioned from a young age to be cynical about
commercial messages they have become increasingly resistant to standard forms of marketing such
as traditional sell-oriented advertising
1
3
4
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 410
Content Marketing is one way to overcome this resistance and enhance consumersrsquo perception of a
brand By providing them something of value ndash whether entertainment or information ndash marketers
can engage and persuade them to invest their time and attention in relevant content And by tying
the content to their brand in some way (see further discussion below) they create a positive associa-tion for it in consumersrsquo minds
Furthermore Content Marketing has another advantage over other forms of online marketing in that
it is a form of ldquoContextual Targetingrdquo -- branding messages are targeted only in the sense that they are
embedded in content that is relevant to a specific type of consumer ndash eg pet lovers Thus it is far
more acceptable to consumers than ads which are ldquoBehaviorally Targetedrdquo - that is delivered to con-
sumers whose behavior has been tracked identifying them has high-value targets Many consumers
find these ads ldquocreepyrdquo since they seem to be following them as they surf which is why there are a
number of ldquoDo-Not-Trackrdquo legislative initiatives currently pending
II BRANDED CONTENT
A Definition and Purpose
As noted the term ldquoContent Marketingrdquo is an extremely broad one since it can be used to encom-
pass so many types of communications (onlineoffline in-person events etc) ndash pretty much anything
short of a traditional advertisement ldquoBranded Contentrdquo is another broad term According to some
definitions it can be used as one of many synonyms for Content Marketing On the other hand ac-
cording to the Content Marketing Institute ldquoBranded Content Toolsrdquo are currently used by about 40
of B2C marketers
For purposes of this discussion the term ldquoBranded Contentrdquo will be defined as a subset of Content
Marketing specifically referring to
bull Informationalentertainment content that has intrinsic value
bull Digitally delivered
bull Associated in some way with a brand but
bull Without a specic call to actionsales pitch
A reasonable question if there is no direct selling message what is the point of investing resources
in this form of marketing
The purpose of Branded Content (as with Content Marketing generally) is to provide a specific tar-get audience with some useful or entertaining content that will attract and engage their attention
thereby evading their resistance to commercial messages The belief is that a positive experience with
the content will engender positive feelings toward the brand which provided it This can range from
simply increasing awarenessfamiliarity to in the ideal case a feeling that ldquothe brand lsquogets mersquo rdquo ndash ie
the brand understands the consumerrsquos needs and can satisfy them
5
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 510
Thus Branded Content can be used to enhance the brandrsquos ldquopersonardquo as a trusted authority in the
consumer rsquos need-space This will ideally make the consumer more receptive to further communica-
tions from the brand including more direct sales pitches leading ultimately to a sale In fact if the
consumerrsquos experience with the content is sufficiently positive there is some evidence that he or shemay be motivated to reciprocate with increased purchase intent ndash a ldquogratitude effectrdquo
B KEY ISSUE Balancing ldquoBrandingrdquo and ldquoContentrdquo
To use Branded Content effectively a marketer needs make a key decision for each communication
What is the right balance between branding ndash the identification of my brand up to and even includ-
ing a ldquocall to actionrdquo ndash and content ndash the presentation of information and entertainment that provides
the consumer with a positive experience
Inherent in this decision is an assumption that these two elements are to some extent in conflict
Since consumers are resistant to outright commercial messages a high degree of branding maycause them to reject or avoid the content ndash eg assuming that it is in some way biased or skewed or
perhaps (in the case of entertainment) merely ldquouncoolrdquo This may not be true in all situations to some
extent it may depend on the type of product and the kind of content being offered However since
consumer resistance to commercial messages is well documented the degree to which a branded-
content message approaches a hard-selling advertisement is likely to turn off many consumers
Conversely if the branding is overly subtle andor bears very little relationship to the content itself
(eg if the content is pure entertainment) then the desired association of the brand with a positive
experience in the consumerrsquos mind may be only weakly established if at all
Establishing the appropriate balance between branding and content depends first on the marketerrsquos
objective For example if it is to provide product information to consumers who are already familiarwith the brand ndash current customers -- then a high degree of branding is essential One example
would be a product catalog with individual brand specifications such as Ikearsquos Itrsquos highly informative
ndash but is likely to appeal to those who already know and like the brand
If on the other hand a marketer is trying to attract entirely new customers then he will seek to reach
a broad audience who may be unfamiliar with the brand (or even the product category) In that case
it may be appropriate to reduce the level of branding while creating content that is broadly appealing
to a wide audience An example of this is Campbellrsquos Soup which is publishing amusing pictures (eg
ldquo17 Animals who were totally prepared for Halloweenrdquo ) on social websites with minimal branding
This dynamic is summarized in the following diagram
6
7
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 610
In practice most marketers will probably want to have a level of branding somewhere between these
two extremes An example of high branding with moderate content would be a typical advertorial
which is defined as ldquoan advertisement in the form of an editorialrdquo ndash the online equivalent of a TV
infomercial An example would be Hydroxytonecomrsquos ldquoErase Wrinklesrdquo It is meant to appeal to con-
sumers who are clearly interested in the product category and are willing to receive an in-depth
brand pitch
Note that a full-fledged advertorial if it has a strong ldquocall to actionrdquo goes beyond the definition ofBranded Content Also with this format care must be taken to clearly identify the brand and avoid
the impression that the content is merely advertising disguised in any way
A broader approach is to attract consumers with a specific interest whether or not they are product
(or even category) users by providing content that directly speaks to their interests As discussed
the level of branding will need to be sensitive to their expected resistance level ndash and this is likely to
vary depending on the product category itself For example ldquoThe Dog Dailyrdquo provides a great deal of
content for dog lovers (whether owners or not) The sponsor (PampGrsquos IAMs) limits branding mainly to
banners and billboards
Receptivitiy to Communication
8
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 710
DECISION FACTORS
The appropriate balance between branding and content must therefore be determined by a number
of factors including the brandrsquos characteristics the nature of the chosen content the target audi-
ence and the planned distribution
1 Brand Factors
1 What is the brandrsquos situation
bull Is it established and well-known or relatively newunknown
2 What is the marketing objective
bull eg increase awareness improvechange perception or increase sales
3 What is the communication objective
bull eg reinforce brand image or communicate product benets
For example a familiar brand that is seeking to reinforce its brand image can get considerable benefitfrom minimal brand mention helping to maximize the consumerrsquos experience with the content A
brand that requires more exposition may need to discuss its product benefits more fully especially
within content that is product-relevant
2 Content Factors
1 Is the purpose of the content to inform or primarily to entertain
2 What format ndash text video audio
Branding should probably be on the low side in content that is primarily entertainment-oriented
(which is probably most appropriate for audiences that are hard to attract and retain) If the content
must be experienced in real time (ie audio or video) the brand may not want to take up too much
of the audiencersquos time with extensive brand mentions Printtext-based content allows for more ex-pansiveness without diminishing the user experience
3 Target Audience Factors
1 What are their characteristics ndash ie younger older
2 How familiar are they with the brand
3 Where will they experience it ndash at home business or mobile
Younger people may be more time-sensitive than older adults as well as more skeptical about com-
mercial messages If the audience is very familiar with the brand then a brief mention may suffice to
associate it with the content Mobile users ndash famously anti-advertising ndash will likely be impatient with
heavily branded content
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 810
4 Distribution Factors
1 Will the content be only on the company website
2 Is it designed to appear on multiple destinations bull If so will the publishers be paid or treated as partners
Well-crafted branded content has the ability to appear on multiple destinations with an affinity for
the brandcategory or target audience Consideration will need to be given to the degree of branding
that will make the content maximally acceptable to the targeted publishers It may even be possible
to vary the amount of branding within the content depending on publisher preferences
III OTHER CONSIDERATIONS IN USING BRANDED CONTENT
1 Content Curation or Creation
In deciding upon a Branded Content strategy marketers need to determine how they will source
their content ndash curate existing content or create original content
bull Curation is the process of ldquonding organizing and sharing contentrdquo according to one
definition It means searching for existing content that would be appropriate to associate
with the marketerrsquos brand and putting it into a format for republishingsharing
bull Original Content must be created by the marketer or a designated supplier
Curation has the advantage of being relatively less expensive and time consuming than creation
However it is not easy finding content that is brand appropriate ndash 43 of B2B marketers who ldquocuraterdquo
content report that ldquofinding high-quality contentrdquo was one of their biggest challenges An additional
consideration is that the curated content will not be unique since it is taken from already-published
sources giving users less reason to engage with it
On the other hand the same report says that ldquocreating original contentrdquo is an even bigger challenge
(69 of respondents) The advantage in overcoming this challenge lies both in the freshness of origi-
nal content and the ability to custom-tailor it to the brandrsquos needs
2 Content Creation In-house vs Outsourced
Once a marketer decides to add Branded Content to the marketing mix he needs to decide whether
to produce the content in-house or outsource it This is only partly a resource allocation decision
bull In-house content creation has the advantage of flexibility since at the most minimal level
existing staff can be delegated to create it They will presumably have a high degree of
familiarity with the brand and its needs
9
10
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 910
However there is probably a strong correlation between resources allocated and the quality of the
output For example it may be desired to refresh the content frequently (one source cites an 18
higher click-through rate in content refreshed daily vs weekly) If the Branded Content strategy is tobe a significant part of the brandrsquos marketing effort the marketer may need to create a department
specifically devoted to updating the content regularly - or consider using an outside source
bull Outsourcing content to a content creator and distributor puts the content creation task in the
hands of individuals who are entirely dedicated to the process and who are experts in crafting
indirect branding messages a skill that takes time to master Among other time consuming
tasks they can vet the credentials of experts who can add 3rd-party credibility to the content
The outside source may also have expertise in multiplatform distribution which can
increase the potential reach of the content
Content creation and distribution expertise can be readily obtained on either basis It is up to the
marketer to determine the level of effort to give to the program and then decide whether he wantsthe control of in-house creation or prefers to seek the needed expertise elsewhere
3 Distribution Identifying Affinity Partners
As noted above one aspect of Branded Content is its ability to find placement on numerous plat-
forms and Internet destinations The marketer can choose to pay for placement or offer it for free to
other publishers Paid distribution is not only more costly but may result in undesirable page place-
ment On the other hand if the content is sufficiently compelling in and of itself it will have value to
publishers beyond the companyrsquos own website
In offering content to other publishers a marketer will want to ensure that they are desirable desti-
nations Rather than offering it to ldquoall comersrdquo it is important to have quality-control filters in placeto ensure that the content is in a high-quality environment which has the ability to attract potential
customers
4 Measurement
Branded Content like other digital marketing lends itself to some easily quantifiable measures in-
cluding audience (views) engagement (duration) sharing and clicking Careful attention to these
measures allows the content to be optimized by reinforcing those elements that seem to be most
attractive to customers
SUMMARY
Content Marketing is growing in importance because it provides marketers with a way to overcome
the increasing resistance to commercial messages of overwhelmed consumers Branded Content is
an important Content Marketing tool which can enhance a brandrsquos image by associating it with at-
tractive and engaging content To use it most effectively a marketer needs to pay careful attention
to the best balance between getting his message (branding) delivered and providing the consumer
with attractive engaging and relevant content
11
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 1010
SOURCES
1 See for example ldquoSix Useful Content Marketing Definitionsrdquo
httpcontentmarketinginstitutecom201206content-marketing-definition
2 Themerckindexcom
httpthemerckindexchemfindercomTheMerckIndexFormsPublicContentAreaAboutaspx
3 Content Marketing Institute 2013 B2C Content Marketing Research Benchmarks Budgets and
Trends
httpcontentmarketinginstitutecom2012112013-b2c-consumer-content-marketing
4 ClickZcom What Is a Good Click-Through Rate for PPC
httpwwwclickzcomclickzcolumn2186867click-rate-ppc
5For example from ldquoWhat is Content Marketingrdquo httpcontentmarketinginstitutecomwhat-is-
content-marketing
ldquoIt goes by many nameshellipletrsquos try to name them all Custom publishing custom media customer
media customer publishing member media private media branded content corporate media cor-
porate publishing corporate journalism and branded mediardquo
6 Harvey Gray and Despain Journal of Advertising Research 2006
7 Buzzfeedcom 17 Animals who were totally prepared for Haloweenrdquo
httpwwwbuzzfeedcomcampbellsgo17-animals-who-are-already-prepared-for-halloweenb=1
8 Wikipedia
httpenwikipediaorgwikiAdvertorial
9 Emarketercom ldquoOriginality is Marketersrsquo Biggest Challengerdquo Nov 20 2012
httpwwwemarketercomArticleaspxR=1009495
10 Emarketer Ibid
httpwwwemarketercomArticleaspxR=1009495
11 Curatacom ldquoContent Curation Continues to Gain Momentum Amongst Marketersrdquo May 52012
httpwwwcuratacompresspress-releasearticle=101
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 310
I WHAT IS CONTENT MARKETING
Content Marketing is a new term for a long-established technique for influencing a target market
While there are a number of definitons the basic premise involves providing some valuable informa-tion or entertainment ndash ldquocontentrdquo ndash that stops short of a direct sales pitch or call to action but which
seeks to positively influence a customer in some way
A venerable example is The Merck Index Chemistryrsquos Constant Companionreg an authoritative multi-
disciplinary reference handbook published by The Merck Corporation for over a century Now in its
fourteenth edition and published online as well as in print it provides ldquoquick and reliable answers to
questions arising in the course of the scientistrsquos workrdquo2
There are many Content Marketing techniques It can be employed in a wide range of offline and
online media including Facebook pages in-person events such as conferences newsletters ndash even a
companyrsquos annual report depending on how broadly the term is defined [See Appendix I for one listof B2C techniques]
Its use is also widespread by one estimate over 90 of Business-to-Business (B2B) and 86 of Busi-
ness-to-Consumer (B2C) marketers use one or more of them
Why has Content Marketing become so popular among marketers Itrsquos because they are finding it a
very effective way to engage and influence consumers at a time when their traditional ldquopaid-mediardquo
techniques are losing effectiveness
bull Among oine media print media (magazines and newspapers) are losing audiences to the
superior efficiency and timeliness of online ndash typified by the morphing of Newsweek into an online
magazine alongside its sister publication The Daily Beast
bull Television many marketerrsquos primary reach instrument is suering from increased audience
fragmentation caused by an explosion of available channels the increasing penetration of DVRs
and of course the nearly-universal use of the remote to mute or avoid commercials
bull As for online users are much less passive than TV viewers (who still sit through commercials) and
impatient with anything that interferes with their restless surfing for engaging content That is why
Display advertising (eg banners) though still a leading marketing tool has such a low effective-
ness as measured by click-through rates (CTR) According to one source a CTR of 003 - 005 is
considered ldquotypicalrdquo for display
In brief consumers are being overwhelmed by exposure to marketing messages Empowered by
access to a wide variety of media and culturally conditioned from a young age to be cynical about
commercial messages they have become increasingly resistant to standard forms of marketing such
as traditional sell-oriented advertising
1
3
4
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 410
Content Marketing is one way to overcome this resistance and enhance consumersrsquo perception of a
brand By providing them something of value ndash whether entertainment or information ndash marketers
can engage and persuade them to invest their time and attention in relevant content And by tying
the content to their brand in some way (see further discussion below) they create a positive associa-tion for it in consumersrsquo minds
Furthermore Content Marketing has another advantage over other forms of online marketing in that
it is a form of ldquoContextual Targetingrdquo -- branding messages are targeted only in the sense that they are
embedded in content that is relevant to a specific type of consumer ndash eg pet lovers Thus it is far
more acceptable to consumers than ads which are ldquoBehaviorally Targetedrdquo - that is delivered to con-
sumers whose behavior has been tracked identifying them has high-value targets Many consumers
find these ads ldquocreepyrdquo since they seem to be following them as they surf which is why there are a
number of ldquoDo-Not-Trackrdquo legislative initiatives currently pending
II BRANDED CONTENT
A Definition and Purpose
As noted the term ldquoContent Marketingrdquo is an extremely broad one since it can be used to encom-
pass so many types of communications (onlineoffline in-person events etc) ndash pretty much anything
short of a traditional advertisement ldquoBranded Contentrdquo is another broad term According to some
definitions it can be used as one of many synonyms for Content Marketing On the other hand ac-
cording to the Content Marketing Institute ldquoBranded Content Toolsrdquo are currently used by about 40
of B2C marketers
For purposes of this discussion the term ldquoBranded Contentrdquo will be defined as a subset of Content
Marketing specifically referring to
bull Informationalentertainment content that has intrinsic value
bull Digitally delivered
bull Associated in some way with a brand but
bull Without a specic call to actionsales pitch
A reasonable question if there is no direct selling message what is the point of investing resources
in this form of marketing
The purpose of Branded Content (as with Content Marketing generally) is to provide a specific tar-get audience with some useful or entertaining content that will attract and engage their attention
thereby evading their resistance to commercial messages The belief is that a positive experience with
the content will engender positive feelings toward the brand which provided it This can range from
simply increasing awarenessfamiliarity to in the ideal case a feeling that ldquothe brand lsquogets mersquo rdquo ndash ie
the brand understands the consumerrsquos needs and can satisfy them
5
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 510
Thus Branded Content can be used to enhance the brandrsquos ldquopersonardquo as a trusted authority in the
consumer rsquos need-space This will ideally make the consumer more receptive to further communica-
tions from the brand including more direct sales pitches leading ultimately to a sale In fact if the
consumerrsquos experience with the content is sufficiently positive there is some evidence that he or shemay be motivated to reciprocate with increased purchase intent ndash a ldquogratitude effectrdquo
B KEY ISSUE Balancing ldquoBrandingrdquo and ldquoContentrdquo
To use Branded Content effectively a marketer needs make a key decision for each communication
What is the right balance between branding ndash the identification of my brand up to and even includ-
ing a ldquocall to actionrdquo ndash and content ndash the presentation of information and entertainment that provides
the consumer with a positive experience
Inherent in this decision is an assumption that these two elements are to some extent in conflict
Since consumers are resistant to outright commercial messages a high degree of branding maycause them to reject or avoid the content ndash eg assuming that it is in some way biased or skewed or
perhaps (in the case of entertainment) merely ldquouncoolrdquo This may not be true in all situations to some
extent it may depend on the type of product and the kind of content being offered However since
consumer resistance to commercial messages is well documented the degree to which a branded-
content message approaches a hard-selling advertisement is likely to turn off many consumers
Conversely if the branding is overly subtle andor bears very little relationship to the content itself
(eg if the content is pure entertainment) then the desired association of the brand with a positive
experience in the consumerrsquos mind may be only weakly established if at all
Establishing the appropriate balance between branding and content depends first on the marketerrsquos
objective For example if it is to provide product information to consumers who are already familiarwith the brand ndash current customers -- then a high degree of branding is essential One example
would be a product catalog with individual brand specifications such as Ikearsquos Itrsquos highly informative
ndash but is likely to appeal to those who already know and like the brand
If on the other hand a marketer is trying to attract entirely new customers then he will seek to reach
a broad audience who may be unfamiliar with the brand (or even the product category) In that case
it may be appropriate to reduce the level of branding while creating content that is broadly appealing
to a wide audience An example of this is Campbellrsquos Soup which is publishing amusing pictures (eg
ldquo17 Animals who were totally prepared for Halloweenrdquo ) on social websites with minimal branding
This dynamic is summarized in the following diagram
6
7
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 610
In practice most marketers will probably want to have a level of branding somewhere between these
two extremes An example of high branding with moderate content would be a typical advertorial
which is defined as ldquoan advertisement in the form of an editorialrdquo ndash the online equivalent of a TV
infomercial An example would be Hydroxytonecomrsquos ldquoErase Wrinklesrdquo It is meant to appeal to con-
sumers who are clearly interested in the product category and are willing to receive an in-depth
brand pitch
Note that a full-fledged advertorial if it has a strong ldquocall to actionrdquo goes beyond the definition ofBranded Content Also with this format care must be taken to clearly identify the brand and avoid
the impression that the content is merely advertising disguised in any way
A broader approach is to attract consumers with a specific interest whether or not they are product
(or even category) users by providing content that directly speaks to their interests As discussed
the level of branding will need to be sensitive to their expected resistance level ndash and this is likely to
vary depending on the product category itself For example ldquoThe Dog Dailyrdquo provides a great deal of
content for dog lovers (whether owners or not) The sponsor (PampGrsquos IAMs) limits branding mainly to
banners and billboards
Receptivitiy to Communication
8
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 710
DECISION FACTORS
The appropriate balance between branding and content must therefore be determined by a number
of factors including the brandrsquos characteristics the nature of the chosen content the target audi-
ence and the planned distribution
1 Brand Factors
1 What is the brandrsquos situation
bull Is it established and well-known or relatively newunknown
2 What is the marketing objective
bull eg increase awareness improvechange perception or increase sales
3 What is the communication objective
bull eg reinforce brand image or communicate product benets
For example a familiar brand that is seeking to reinforce its brand image can get considerable benefitfrom minimal brand mention helping to maximize the consumerrsquos experience with the content A
brand that requires more exposition may need to discuss its product benefits more fully especially
within content that is product-relevant
2 Content Factors
1 Is the purpose of the content to inform or primarily to entertain
2 What format ndash text video audio
Branding should probably be on the low side in content that is primarily entertainment-oriented
(which is probably most appropriate for audiences that are hard to attract and retain) If the content
must be experienced in real time (ie audio or video) the brand may not want to take up too much
of the audiencersquos time with extensive brand mentions Printtext-based content allows for more ex-pansiveness without diminishing the user experience
3 Target Audience Factors
1 What are their characteristics ndash ie younger older
2 How familiar are they with the brand
3 Where will they experience it ndash at home business or mobile
Younger people may be more time-sensitive than older adults as well as more skeptical about com-
mercial messages If the audience is very familiar with the brand then a brief mention may suffice to
associate it with the content Mobile users ndash famously anti-advertising ndash will likely be impatient with
heavily branded content
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 810
4 Distribution Factors
1 Will the content be only on the company website
2 Is it designed to appear on multiple destinations bull If so will the publishers be paid or treated as partners
Well-crafted branded content has the ability to appear on multiple destinations with an affinity for
the brandcategory or target audience Consideration will need to be given to the degree of branding
that will make the content maximally acceptable to the targeted publishers It may even be possible
to vary the amount of branding within the content depending on publisher preferences
III OTHER CONSIDERATIONS IN USING BRANDED CONTENT
1 Content Curation or Creation
In deciding upon a Branded Content strategy marketers need to determine how they will source
their content ndash curate existing content or create original content
bull Curation is the process of ldquonding organizing and sharing contentrdquo according to one
definition It means searching for existing content that would be appropriate to associate
with the marketerrsquos brand and putting it into a format for republishingsharing
bull Original Content must be created by the marketer or a designated supplier
Curation has the advantage of being relatively less expensive and time consuming than creation
However it is not easy finding content that is brand appropriate ndash 43 of B2B marketers who ldquocuraterdquo
content report that ldquofinding high-quality contentrdquo was one of their biggest challenges An additional
consideration is that the curated content will not be unique since it is taken from already-published
sources giving users less reason to engage with it
On the other hand the same report says that ldquocreating original contentrdquo is an even bigger challenge
(69 of respondents) The advantage in overcoming this challenge lies both in the freshness of origi-
nal content and the ability to custom-tailor it to the brandrsquos needs
2 Content Creation In-house vs Outsourced
Once a marketer decides to add Branded Content to the marketing mix he needs to decide whether
to produce the content in-house or outsource it This is only partly a resource allocation decision
bull In-house content creation has the advantage of flexibility since at the most minimal level
existing staff can be delegated to create it They will presumably have a high degree of
familiarity with the brand and its needs
9
10
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 910
However there is probably a strong correlation between resources allocated and the quality of the
output For example it may be desired to refresh the content frequently (one source cites an 18
higher click-through rate in content refreshed daily vs weekly) If the Branded Content strategy is tobe a significant part of the brandrsquos marketing effort the marketer may need to create a department
specifically devoted to updating the content regularly - or consider using an outside source
bull Outsourcing content to a content creator and distributor puts the content creation task in the
hands of individuals who are entirely dedicated to the process and who are experts in crafting
indirect branding messages a skill that takes time to master Among other time consuming
tasks they can vet the credentials of experts who can add 3rd-party credibility to the content
The outside source may also have expertise in multiplatform distribution which can
increase the potential reach of the content
Content creation and distribution expertise can be readily obtained on either basis It is up to the
marketer to determine the level of effort to give to the program and then decide whether he wantsthe control of in-house creation or prefers to seek the needed expertise elsewhere
3 Distribution Identifying Affinity Partners
As noted above one aspect of Branded Content is its ability to find placement on numerous plat-
forms and Internet destinations The marketer can choose to pay for placement or offer it for free to
other publishers Paid distribution is not only more costly but may result in undesirable page place-
ment On the other hand if the content is sufficiently compelling in and of itself it will have value to
publishers beyond the companyrsquos own website
In offering content to other publishers a marketer will want to ensure that they are desirable desti-
nations Rather than offering it to ldquoall comersrdquo it is important to have quality-control filters in placeto ensure that the content is in a high-quality environment which has the ability to attract potential
customers
4 Measurement
Branded Content like other digital marketing lends itself to some easily quantifiable measures in-
cluding audience (views) engagement (duration) sharing and clicking Careful attention to these
measures allows the content to be optimized by reinforcing those elements that seem to be most
attractive to customers
SUMMARY
Content Marketing is growing in importance because it provides marketers with a way to overcome
the increasing resistance to commercial messages of overwhelmed consumers Branded Content is
an important Content Marketing tool which can enhance a brandrsquos image by associating it with at-
tractive and engaging content To use it most effectively a marketer needs to pay careful attention
to the best balance between getting his message (branding) delivered and providing the consumer
with attractive engaging and relevant content
11
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 1010
SOURCES
1 See for example ldquoSix Useful Content Marketing Definitionsrdquo
httpcontentmarketinginstitutecom201206content-marketing-definition
2 Themerckindexcom
httpthemerckindexchemfindercomTheMerckIndexFormsPublicContentAreaAboutaspx
3 Content Marketing Institute 2013 B2C Content Marketing Research Benchmarks Budgets and
Trends
httpcontentmarketinginstitutecom2012112013-b2c-consumer-content-marketing
4 ClickZcom What Is a Good Click-Through Rate for PPC
httpwwwclickzcomclickzcolumn2186867click-rate-ppc
5For example from ldquoWhat is Content Marketingrdquo httpcontentmarketinginstitutecomwhat-is-
content-marketing
ldquoIt goes by many nameshellipletrsquos try to name them all Custom publishing custom media customer
media customer publishing member media private media branded content corporate media cor-
porate publishing corporate journalism and branded mediardquo
6 Harvey Gray and Despain Journal of Advertising Research 2006
7 Buzzfeedcom 17 Animals who were totally prepared for Haloweenrdquo
httpwwwbuzzfeedcomcampbellsgo17-animals-who-are-already-prepared-for-halloweenb=1
8 Wikipedia
httpenwikipediaorgwikiAdvertorial
9 Emarketercom ldquoOriginality is Marketersrsquo Biggest Challengerdquo Nov 20 2012
httpwwwemarketercomArticleaspxR=1009495
10 Emarketer Ibid
httpwwwemarketercomArticleaspxR=1009495
11 Curatacom ldquoContent Curation Continues to Gain Momentum Amongst Marketersrdquo May 52012
httpwwwcuratacompresspress-releasearticle=101
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 410
Content Marketing is one way to overcome this resistance and enhance consumersrsquo perception of a
brand By providing them something of value ndash whether entertainment or information ndash marketers
can engage and persuade them to invest their time and attention in relevant content And by tying
the content to their brand in some way (see further discussion below) they create a positive associa-tion for it in consumersrsquo minds
Furthermore Content Marketing has another advantage over other forms of online marketing in that
it is a form of ldquoContextual Targetingrdquo -- branding messages are targeted only in the sense that they are
embedded in content that is relevant to a specific type of consumer ndash eg pet lovers Thus it is far
more acceptable to consumers than ads which are ldquoBehaviorally Targetedrdquo - that is delivered to con-
sumers whose behavior has been tracked identifying them has high-value targets Many consumers
find these ads ldquocreepyrdquo since they seem to be following them as they surf which is why there are a
number of ldquoDo-Not-Trackrdquo legislative initiatives currently pending
II BRANDED CONTENT
A Definition and Purpose
As noted the term ldquoContent Marketingrdquo is an extremely broad one since it can be used to encom-
pass so many types of communications (onlineoffline in-person events etc) ndash pretty much anything
short of a traditional advertisement ldquoBranded Contentrdquo is another broad term According to some
definitions it can be used as one of many synonyms for Content Marketing On the other hand ac-
cording to the Content Marketing Institute ldquoBranded Content Toolsrdquo are currently used by about 40
of B2C marketers
For purposes of this discussion the term ldquoBranded Contentrdquo will be defined as a subset of Content
Marketing specifically referring to
bull Informationalentertainment content that has intrinsic value
bull Digitally delivered
bull Associated in some way with a brand but
bull Without a specic call to actionsales pitch
A reasonable question if there is no direct selling message what is the point of investing resources
in this form of marketing
The purpose of Branded Content (as with Content Marketing generally) is to provide a specific tar-get audience with some useful or entertaining content that will attract and engage their attention
thereby evading their resistance to commercial messages The belief is that a positive experience with
the content will engender positive feelings toward the brand which provided it This can range from
simply increasing awarenessfamiliarity to in the ideal case a feeling that ldquothe brand lsquogets mersquo rdquo ndash ie
the brand understands the consumerrsquos needs and can satisfy them
5
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 510
Thus Branded Content can be used to enhance the brandrsquos ldquopersonardquo as a trusted authority in the
consumer rsquos need-space This will ideally make the consumer more receptive to further communica-
tions from the brand including more direct sales pitches leading ultimately to a sale In fact if the
consumerrsquos experience with the content is sufficiently positive there is some evidence that he or shemay be motivated to reciprocate with increased purchase intent ndash a ldquogratitude effectrdquo
B KEY ISSUE Balancing ldquoBrandingrdquo and ldquoContentrdquo
To use Branded Content effectively a marketer needs make a key decision for each communication
What is the right balance between branding ndash the identification of my brand up to and even includ-
ing a ldquocall to actionrdquo ndash and content ndash the presentation of information and entertainment that provides
the consumer with a positive experience
Inherent in this decision is an assumption that these two elements are to some extent in conflict
Since consumers are resistant to outright commercial messages a high degree of branding maycause them to reject or avoid the content ndash eg assuming that it is in some way biased or skewed or
perhaps (in the case of entertainment) merely ldquouncoolrdquo This may not be true in all situations to some
extent it may depend on the type of product and the kind of content being offered However since
consumer resistance to commercial messages is well documented the degree to which a branded-
content message approaches a hard-selling advertisement is likely to turn off many consumers
Conversely if the branding is overly subtle andor bears very little relationship to the content itself
(eg if the content is pure entertainment) then the desired association of the brand with a positive
experience in the consumerrsquos mind may be only weakly established if at all
Establishing the appropriate balance between branding and content depends first on the marketerrsquos
objective For example if it is to provide product information to consumers who are already familiarwith the brand ndash current customers -- then a high degree of branding is essential One example
would be a product catalog with individual brand specifications such as Ikearsquos Itrsquos highly informative
ndash but is likely to appeal to those who already know and like the brand
If on the other hand a marketer is trying to attract entirely new customers then he will seek to reach
a broad audience who may be unfamiliar with the brand (or even the product category) In that case
it may be appropriate to reduce the level of branding while creating content that is broadly appealing
to a wide audience An example of this is Campbellrsquos Soup which is publishing amusing pictures (eg
ldquo17 Animals who were totally prepared for Halloweenrdquo ) on social websites with minimal branding
This dynamic is summarized in the following diagram
6
7
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 610
In practice most marketers will probably want to have a level of branding somewhere between these
two extremes An example of high branding with moderate content would be a typical advertorial
which is defined as ldquoan advertisement in the form of an editorialrdquo ndash the online equivalent of a TV
infomercial An example would be Hydroxytonecomrsquos ldquoErase Wrinklesrdquo It is meant to appeal to con-
sumers who are clearly interested in the product category and are willing to receive an in-depth
brand pitch
Note that a full-fledged advertorial if it has a strong ldquocall to actionrdquo goes beyond the definition ofBranded Content Also with this format care must be taken to clearly identify the brand and avoid
the impression that the content is merely advertising disguised in any way
A broader approach is to attract consumers with a specific interest whether or not they are product
(or even category) users by providing content that directly speaks to their interests As discussed
the level of branding will need to be sensitive to their expected resistance level ndash and this is likely to
vary depending on the product category itself For example ldquoThe Dog Dailyrdquo provides a great deal of
content for dog lovers (whether owners or not) The sponsor (PampGrsquos IAMs) limits branding mainly to
banners and billboards
Receptivitiy to Communication
8
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 710
DECISION FACTORS
The appropriate balance between branding and content must therefore be determined by a number
of factors including the brandrsquos characteristics the nature of the chosen content the target audi-
ence and the planned distribution
1 Brand Factors
1 What is the brandrsquos situation
bull Is it established and well-known or relatively newunknown
2 What is the marketing objective
bull eg increase awareness improvechange perception or increase sales
3 What is the communication objective
bull eg reinforce brand image or communicate product benets
For example a familiar brand that is seeking to reinforce its brand image can get considerable benefitfrom minimal brand mention helping to maximize the consumerrsquos experience with the content A
brand that requires more exposition may need to discuss its product benefits more fully especially
within content that is product-relevant
2 Content Factors
1 Is the purpose of the content to inform or primarily to entertain
2 What format ndash text video audio
Branding should probably be on the low side in content that is primarily entertainment-oriented
(which is probably most appropriate for audiences that are hard to attract and retain) If the content
must be experienced in real time (ie audio or video) the brand may not want to take up too much
of the audiencersquos time with extensive brand mentions Printtext-based content allows for more ex-pansiveness without diminishing the user experience
3 Target Audience Factors
1 What are their characteristics ndash ie younger older
2 How familiar are they with the brand
3 Where will they experience it ndash at home business or mobile
Younger people may be more time-sensitive than older adults as well as more skeptical about com-
mercial messages If the audience is very familiar with the brand then a brief mention may suffice to
associate it with the content Mobile users ndash famously anti-advertising ndash will likely be impatient with
heavily branded content
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 810
4 Distribution Factors
1 Will the content be only on the company website
2 Is it designed to appear on multiple destinations bull If so will the publishers be paid or treated as partners
Well-crafted branded content has the ability to appear on multiple destinations with an affinity for
the brandcategory or target audience Consideration will need to be given to the degree of branding
that will make the content maximally acceptable to the targeted publishers It may even be possible
to vary the amount of branding within the content depending on publisher preferences
III OTHER CONSIDERATIONS IN USING BRANDED CONTENT
1 Content Curation or Creation
In deciding upon a Branded Content strategy marketers need to determine how they will source
their content ndash curate existing content or create original content
bull Curation is the process of ldquonding organizing and sharing contentrdquo according to one
definition It means searching for existing content that would be appropriate to associate
with the marketerrsquos brand and putting it into a format for republishingsharing
bull Original Content must be created by the marketer or a designated supplier
Curation has the advantage of being relatively less expensive and time consuming than creation
However it is not easy finding content that is brand appropriate ndash 43 of B2B marketers who ldquocuraterdquo
content report that ldquofinding high-quality contentrdquo was one of their biggest challenges An additional
consideration is that the curated content will not be unique since it is taken from already-published
sources giving users less reason to engage with it
On the other hand the same report says that ldquocreating original contentrdquo is an even bigger challenge
(69 of respondents) The advantage in overcoming this challenge lies both in the freshness of origi-
nal content and the ability to custom-tailor it to the brandrsquos needs
2 Content Creation In-house vs Outsourced
Once a marketer decides to add Branded Content to the marketing mix he needs to decide whether
to produce the content in-house or outsource it This is only partly a resource allocation decision
bull In-house content creation has the advantage of flexibility since at the most minimal level
existing staff can be delegated to create it They will presumably have a high degree of
familiarity with the brand and its needs
9
10
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 910
However there is probably a strong correlation between resources allocated and the quality of the
output For example it may be desired to refresh the content frequently (one source cites an 18
higher click-through rate in content refreshed daily vs weekly) If the Branded Content strategy is tobe a significant part of the brandrsquos marketing effort the marketer may need to create a department
specifically devoted to updating the content regularly - or consider using an outside source
bull Outsourcing content to a content creator and distributor puts the content creation task in the
hands of individuals who are entirely dedicated to the process and who are experts in crafting
indirect branding messages a skill that takes time to master Among other time consuming
tasks they can vet the credentials of experts who can add 3rd-party credibility to the content
The outside source may also have expertise in multiplatform distribution which can
increase the potential reach of the content
Content creation and distribution expertise can be readily obtained on either basis It is up to the
marketer to determine the level of effort to give to the program and then decide whether he wantsthe control of in-house creation or prefers to seek the needed expertise elsewhere
3 Distribution Identifying Affinity Partners
As noted above one aspect of Branded Content is its ability to find placement on numerous plat-
forms and Internet destinations The marketer can choose to pay for placement or offer it for free to
other publishers Paid distribution is not only more costly but may result in undesirable page place-
ment On the other hand if the content is sufficiently compelling in and of itself it will have value to
publishers beyond the companyrsquos own website
In offering content to other publishers a marketer will want to ensure that they are desirable desti-
nations Rather than offering it to ldquoall comersrdquo it is important to have quality-control filters in placeto ensure that the content is in a high-quality environment which has the ability to attract potential
customers
4 Measurement
Branded Content like other digital marketing lends itself to some easily quantifiable measures in-
cluding audience (views) engagement (duration) sharing and clicking Careful attention to these
measures allows the content to be optimized by reinforcing those elements that seem to be most
attractive to customers
SUMMARY
Content Marketing is growing in importance because it provides marketers with a way to overcome
the increasing resistance to commercial messages of overwhelmed consumers Branded Content is
an important Content Marketing tool which can enhance a brandrsquos image by associating it with at-
tractive and engaging content To use it most effectively a marketer needs to pay careful attention
to the best balance between getting his message (branding) delivered and providing the consumer
with attractive engaging and relevant content
11
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 1010
SOURCES
1 See for example ldquoSix Useful Content Marketing Definitionsrdquo
httpcontentmarketinginstitutecom201206content-marketing-definition
2 Themerckindexcom
httpthemerckindexchemfindercomTheMerckIndexFormsPublicContentAreaAboutaspx
3 Content Marketing Institute 2013 B2C Content Marketing Research Benchmarks Budgets and
Trends
httpcontentmarketinginstitutecom2012112013-b2c-consumer-content-marketing
4 ClickZcom What Is a Good Click-Through Rate for PPC
httpwwwclickzcomclickzcolumn2186867click-rate-ppc
5For example from ldquoWhat is Content Marketingrdquo httpcontentmarketinginstitutecomwhat-is-
content-marketing
ldquoIt goes by many nameshellipletrsquos try to name them all Custom publishing custom media customer
media customer publishing member media private media branded content corporate media cor-
porate publishing corporate journalism and branded mediardquo
6 Harvey Gray and Despain Journal of Advertising Research 2006
7 Buzzfeedcom 17 Animals who were totally prepared for Haloweenrdquo
httpwwwbuzzfeedcomcampbellsgo17-animals-who-are-already-prepared-for-halloweenb=1
8 Wikipedia
httpenwikipediaorgwikiAdvertorial
9 Emarketercom ldquoOriginality is Marketersrsquo Biggest Challengerdquo Nov 20 2012
httpwwwemarketercomArticleaspxR=1009495
10 Emarketer Ibid
httpwwwemarketercomArticleaspxR=1009495
11 Curatacom ldquoContent Curation Continues to Gain Momentum Amongst Marketersrdquo May 52012
httpwwwcuratacompresspress-releasearticle=101
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 510
Thus Branded Content can be used to enhance the brandrsquos ldquopersonardquo as a trusted authority in the
consumer rsquos need-space This will ideally make the consumer more receptive to further communica-
tions from the brand including more direct sales pitches leading ultimately to a sale In fact if the
consumerrsquos experience with the content is sufficiently positive there is some evidence that he or shemay be motivated to reciprocate with increased purchase intent ndash a ldquogratitude effectrdquo
B KEY ISSUE Balancing ldquoBrandingrdquo and ldquoContentrdquo
To use Branded Content effectively a marketer needs make a key decision for each communication
What is the right balance between branding ndash the identification of my brand up to and even includ-
ing a ldquocall to actionrdquo ndash and content ndash the presentation of information and entertainment that provides
the consumer with a positive experience
Inherent in this decision is an assumption that these two elements are to some extent in conflict
Since consumers are resistant to outright commercial messages a high degree of branding maycause them to reject or avoid the content ndash eg assuming that it is in some way biased or skewed or
perhaps (in the case of entertainment) merely ldquouncoolrdquo This may not be true in all situations to some
extent it may depend on the type of product and the kind of content being offered However since
consumer resistance to commercial messages is well documented the degree to which a branded-
content message approaches a hard-selling advertisement is likely to turn off many consumers
Conversely if the branding is overly subtle andor bears very little relationship to the content itself
(eg if the content is pure entertainment) then the desired association of the brand with a positive
experience in the consumerrsquos mind may be only weakly established if at all
Establishing the appropriate balance between branding and content depends first on the marketerrsquos
objective For example if it is to provide product information to consumers who are already familiarwith the brand ndash current customers -- then a high degree of branding is essential One example
would be a product catalog with individual brand specifications such as Ikearsquos Itrsquos highly informative
ndash but is likely to appeal to those who already know and like the brand
If on the other hand a marketer is trying to attract entirely new customers then he will seek to reach
a broad audience who may be unfamiliar with the brand (or even the product category) In that case
it may be appropriate to reduce the level of branding while creating content that is broadly appealing
to a wide audience An example of this is Campbellrsquos Soup which is publishing amusing pictures (eg
ldquo17 Animals who were totally prepared for Halloweenrdquo ) on social websites with minimal branding
This dynamic is summarized in the following diagram
6
7
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 610
In practice most marketers will probably want to have a level of branding somewhere between these
two extremes An example of high branding with moderate content would be a typical advertorial
which is defined as ldquoan advertisement in the form of an editorialrdquo ndash the online equivalent of a TV
infomercial An example would be Hydroxytonecomrsquos ldquoErase Wrinklesrdquo It is meant to appeal to con-
sumers who are clearly interested in the product category and are willing to receive an in-depth
brand pitch
Note that a full-fledged advertorial if it has a strong ldquocall to actionrdquo goes beyond the definition ofBranded Content Also with this format care must be taken to clearly identify the brand and avoid
the impression that the content is merely advertising disguised in any way
A broader approach is to attract consumers with a specific interest whether or not they are product
(or even category) users by providing content that directly speaks to their interests As discussed
the level of branding will need to be sensitive to their expected resistance level ndash and this is likely to
vary depending on the product category itself For example ldquoThe Dog Dailyrdquo provides a great deal of
content for dog lovers (whether owners or not) The sponsor (PampGrsquos IAMs) limits branding mainly to
banners and billboards
Receptivitiy to Communication
8
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 710
DECISION FACTORS
The appropriate balance between branding and content must therefore be determined by a number
of factors including the brandrsquos characteristics the nature of the chosen content the target audi-
ence and the planned distribution
1 Brand Factors
1 What is the brandrsquos situation
bull Is it established and well-known or relatively newunknown
2 What is the marketing objective
bull eg increase awareness improvechange perception or increase sales
3 What is the communication objective
bull eg reinforce brand image or communicate product benets
For example a familiar brand that is seeking to reinforce its brand image can get considerable benefitfrom minimal brand mention helping to maximize the consumerrsquos experience with the content A
brand that requires more exposition may need to discuss its product benefits more fully especially
within content that is product-relevant
2 Content Factors
1 Is the purpose of the content to inform or primarily to entertain
2 What format ndash text video audio
Branding should probably be on the low side in content that is primarily entertainment-oriented
(which is probably most appropriate for audiences that are hard to attract and retain) If the content
must be experienced in real time (ie audio or video) the brand may not want to take up too much
of the audiencersquos time with extensive brand mentions Printtext-based content allows for more ex-pansiveness without diminishing the user experience
3 Target Audience Factors
1 What are their characteristics ndash ie younger older
2 How familiar are they with the brand
3 Where will they experience it ndash at home business or mobile
Younger people may be more time-sensitive than older adults as well as more skeptical about com-
mercial messages If the audience is very familiar with the brand then a brief mention may suffice to
associate it with the content Mobile users ndash famously anti-advertising ndash will likely be impatient with
heavily branded content
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 810
4 Distribution Factors
1 Will the content be only on the company website
2 Is it designed to appear on multiple destinations bull If so will the publishers be paid or treated as partners
Well-crafted branded content has the ability to appear on multiple destinations with an affinity for
the brandcategory or target audience Consideration will need to be given to the degree of branding
that will make the content maximally acceptable to the targeted publishers It may even be possible
to vary the amount of branding within the content depending on publisher preferences
III OTHER CONSIDERATIONS IN USING BRANDED CONTENT
1 Content Curation or Creation
In deciding upon a Branded Content strategy marketers need to determine how they will source
their content ndash curate existing content or create original content
bull Curation is the process of ldquonding organizing and sharing contentrdquo according to one
definition It means searching for existing content that would be appropriate to associate
with the marketerrsquos brand and putting it into a format for republishingsharing
bull Original Content must be created by the marketer or a designated supplier
Curation has the advantage of being relatively less expensive and time consuming than creation
However it is not easy finding content that is brand appropriate ndash 43 of B2B marketers who ldquocuraterdquo
content report that ldquofinding high-quality contentrdquo was one of their biggest challenges An additional
consideration is that the curated content will not be unique since it is taken from already-published
sources giving users less reason to engage with it
On the other hand the same report says that ldquocreating original contentrdquo is an even bigger challenge
(69 of respondents) The advantage in overcoming this challenge lies both in the freshness of origi-
nal content and the ability to custom-tailor it to the brandrsquos needs
2 Content Creation In-house vs Outsourced
Once a marketer decides to add Branded Content to the marketing mix he needs to decide whether
to produce the content in-house or outsource it This is only partly a resource allocation decision
bull In-house content creation has the advantage of flexibility since at the most minimal level
existing staff can be delegated to create it They will presumably have a high degree of
familiarity with the brand and its needs
9
10
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 910
However there is probably a strong correlation between resources allocated and the quality of the
output For example it may be desired to refresh the content frequently (one source cites an 18
higher click-through rate in content refreshed daily vs weekly) If the Branded Content strategy is tobe a significant part of the brandrsquos marketing effort the marketer may need to create a department
specifically devoted to updating the content regularly - or consider using an outside source
bull Outsourcing content to a content creator and distributor puts the content creation task in the
hands of individuals who are entirely dedicated to the process and who are experts in crafting
indirect branding messages a skill that takes time to master Among other time consuming
tasks they can vet the credentials of experts who can add 3rd-party credibility to the content
The outside source may also have expertise in multiplatform distribution which can
increase the potential reach of the content
Content creation and distribution expertise can be readily obtained on either basis It is up to the
marketer to determine the level of effort to give to the program and then decide whether he wantsthe control of in-house creation or prefers to seek the needed expertise elsewhere
3 Distribution Identifying Affinity Partners
As noted above one aspect of Branded Content is its ability to find placement on numerous plat-
forms and Internet destinations The marketer can choose to pay for placement or offer it for free to
other publishers Paid distribution is not only more costly but may result in undesirable page place-
ment On the other hand if the content is sufficiently compelling in and of itself it will have value to
publishers beyond the companyrsquos own website
In offering content to other publishers a marketer will want to ensure that they are desirable desti-
nations Rather than offering it to ldquoall comersrdquo it is important to have quality-control filters in placeto ensure that the content is in a high-quality environment which has the ability to attract potential
customers
4 Measurement
Branded Content like other digital marketing lends itself to some easily quantifiable measures in-
cluding audience (views) engagement (duration) sharing and clicking Careful attention to these
measures allows the content to be optimized by reinforcing those elements that seem to be most
attractive to customers
SUMMARY
Content Marketing is growing in importance because it provides marketers with a way to overcome
the increasing resistance to commercial messages of overwhelmed consumers Branded Content is
an important Content Marketing tool which can enhance a brandrsquos image by associating it with at-
tractive and engaging content To use it most effectively a marketer needs to pay careful attention
to the best balance between getting his message (branding) delivered and providing the consumer
with attractive engaging and relevant content
11
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 1010
SOURCES
1 See for example ldquoSix Useful Content Marketing Definitionsrdquo
httpcontentmarketinginstitutecom201206content-marketing-definition
2 Themerckindexcom
httpthemerckindexchemfindercomTheMerckIndexFormsPublicContentAreaAboutaspx
3 Content Marketing Institute 2013 B2C Content Marketing Research Benchmarks Budgets and
Trends
httpcontentmarketinginstitutecom2012112013-b2c-consumer-content-marketing
4 ClickZcom What Is a Good Click-Through Rate for PPC
httpwwwclickzcomclickzcolumn2186867click-rate-ppc
5For example from ldquoWhat is Content Marketingrdquo httpcontentmarketinginstitutecomwhat-is-
content-marketing
ldquoIt goes by many nameshellipletrsquos try to name them all Custom publishing custom media customer
media customer publishing member media private media branded content corporate media cor-
porate publishing corporate journalism and branded mediardquo
6 Harvey Gray and Despain Journal of Advertising Research 2006
7 Buzzfeedcom 17 Animals who were totally prepared for Haloweenrdquo
httpwwwbuzzfeedcomcampbellsgo17-animals-who-are-already-prepared-for-halloweenb=1
8 Wikipedia
httpenwikipediaorgwikiAdvertorial
9 Emarketercom ldquoOriginality is Marketersrsquo Biggest Challengerdquo Nov 20 2012
httpwwwemarketercomArticleaspxR=1009495
10 Emarketer Ibid
httpwwwemarketercomArticleaspxR=1009495
11 Curatacom ldquoContent Curation Continues to Gain Momentum Amongst Marketersrdquo May 52012
httpwwwcuratacompresspress-releasearticle=101
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 610
In practice most marketers will probably want to have a level of branding somewhere between these
two extremes An example of high branding with moderate content would be a typical advertorial
which is defined as ldquoan advertisement in the form of an editorialrdquo ndash the online equivalent of a TV
infomercial An example would be Hydroxytonecomrsquos ldquoErase Wrinklesrdquo It is meant to appeal to con-
sumers who are clearly interested in the product category and are willing to receive an in-depth
brand pitch
Note that a full-fledged advertorial if it has a strong ldquocall to actionrdquo goes beyond the definition ofBranded Content Also with this format care must be taken to clearly identify the brand and avoid
the impression that the content is merely advertising disguised in any way
A broader approach is to attract consumers with a specific interest whether or not they are product
(or even category) users by providing content that directly speaks to their interests As discussed
the level of branding will need to be sensitive to their expected resistance level ndash and this is likely to
vary depending on the product category itself For example ldquoThe Dog Dailyrdquo provides a great deal of
content for dog lovers (whether owners or not) The sponsor (PampGrsquos IAMs) limits branding mainly to
banners and billboards
Receptivitiy to Communication
8
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 710
DECISION FACTORS
The appropriate balance between branding and content must therefore be determined by a number
of factors including the brandrsquos characteristics the nature of the chosen content the target audi-
ence and the planned distribution
1 Brand Factors
1 What is the brandrsquos situation
bull Is it established and well-known or relatively newunknown
2 What is the marketing objective
bull eg increase awareness improvechange perception or increase sales
3 What is the communication objective
bull eg reinforce brand image or communicate product benets
For example a familiar brand that is seeking to reinforce its brand image can get considerable benefitfrom minimal brand mention helping to maximize the consumerrsquos experience with the content A
brand that requires more exposition may need to discuss its product benefits more fully especially
within content that is product-relevant
2 Content Factors
1 Is the purpose of the content to inform or primarily to entertain
2 What format ndash text video audio
Branding should probably be on the low side in content that is primarily entertainment-oriented
(which is probably most appropriate for audiences that are hard to attract and retain) If the content
must be experienced in real time (ie audio or video) the brand may not want to take up too much
of the audiencersquos time with extensive brand mentions Printtext-based content allows for more ex-pansiveness without diminishing the user experience
3 Target Audience Factors
1 What are their characteristics ndash ie younger older
2 How familiar are they with the brand
3 Where will they experience it ndash at home business or mobile
Younger people may be more time-sensitive than older adults as well as more skeptical about com-
mercial messages If the audience is very familiar with the brand then a brief mention may suffice to
associate it with the content Mobile users ndash famously anti-advertising ndash will likely be impatient with
heavily branded content
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 810
4 Distribution Factors
1 Will the content be only on the company website
2 Is it designed to appear on multiple destinations bull If so will the publishers be paid or treated as partners
Well-crafted branded content has the ability to appear on multiple destinations with an affinity for
the brandcategory or target audience Consideration will need to be given to the degree of branding
that will make the content maximally acceptable to the targeted publishers It may even be possible
to vary the amount of branding within the content depending on publisher preferences
III OTHER CONSIDERATIONS IN USING BRANDED CONTENT
1 Content Curation or Creation
In deciding upon a Branded Content strategy marketers need to determine how they will source
their content ndash curate existing content or create original content
bull Curation is the process of ldquonding organizing and sharing contentrdquo according to one
definition It means searching for existing content that would be appropriate to associate
with the marketerrsquos brand and putting it into a format for republishingsharing
bull Original Content must be created by the marketer or a designated supplier
Curation has the advantage of being relatively less expensive and time consuming than creation
However it is not easy finding content that is brand appropriate ndash 43 of B2B marketers who ldquocuraterdquo
content report that ldquofinding high-quality contentrdquo was one of their biggest challenges An additional
consideration is that the curated content will not be unique since it is taken from already-published
sources giving users less reason to engage with it
On the other hand the same report says that ldquocreating original contentrdquo is an even bigger challenge
(69 of respondents) The advantage in overcoming this challenge lies both in the freshness of origi-
nal content and the ability to custom-tailor it to the brandrsquos needs
2 Content Creation In-house vs Outsourced
Once a marketer decides to add Branded Content to the marketing mix he needs to decide whether
to produce the content in-house or outsource it This is only partly a resource allocation decision
bull In-house content creation has the advantage of flexibility since at the most minimal level
existing staff can be delegated to create it They will presumably have a high degree of
familiarity with the brand and its needs
9
10
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 910
However there is probably a strong correlation between resources allocated and the quality of the
output For example it may be desired to refresh the content frequently (one source cites an 18
higher click-through rate in content refreshed daily vs weekly) If the Branded Content strategy is tobe a significant part of the brandrsquos marketing effort the marketer may need to create a department
specifically devoted to updating the content regularly - or consider using an outside source
bull Outsourcing content to a content creator and distributor puts the content creation task in the
hands of individuals who are entirely dedicated to the process and who are experts in crafting
indirect branding messages a skill that takes time to master Among other time consuming
tasks they can vet the credentials of experts who can add 3rd-party credibility to the content
The outside source may also have expertise in multiplatform distribution which can
increase the potential reach of the content
Content creation and distribution expertise can be readily obtained on either basis It is up to the
marketer to determine the level of effort to give to the program and then decide whether he wantsthe control of in-house creation or prefers to seek the needed expertise elsewhere
3 Distribution Identifying Affinity Partners
As noted above one aspect of Branded Content is its ability to find placement on numerous plat-
forms and Internet destinations The marketer can choose to pay for placement or offer it for free to
other publishers Paid distribution is not only more costly but may result in undesirable page place-
ment On the other hand if the content is sufficiently compelling in and of itself it will have value to
publishers beyond the companyrsquos own website
In offering content to other publishers a marketer will want to ensure that they are desirable desti-
nations Rather than offering it to ldquoall comersrdquo it is important to have quality-control filters in placeto ensure that the content is in a high-quality environment which has the ability to attract potential
customers
4 Measurement
Branded Content like other digital marketing lends itself to some easily quantifiable measures in-
cluding audience (views) engagement (duration) sharing and clicking Careful attention to these
measures allows the content to be optimized by reinforcing those elements that seem to be most
attractive to customers
SUMMARY
Content Marketing is growing in importance because it provides marketers with a way to overcome
the increasing resistance to commercial messages of overwhelmed consumers Branded Content is
an important Content Marketing tool which can enhance a brandrsquos image by associating it with at-
tractive and engaging content To use it most effectively a marketer needs to pay careful attention
to the best balance between getting his message (branding) delivered and providing the consumer
with attractive engaging and relevant content
11
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 1010
SOURCES
1 See for example ldquoSix Useful Content Marketing Definitionsrdquo
httpcontentmarketinginstitutecom201206content-marketing-definition
2 Themerckindexcom
httpthemerckindexchemfindercomTheMerckIndexFormsPublicContentAreaAboutaspx
3 Content Marketing Institute 2013 B2C Content Marketing Research Benchmarks Budgets and
Trends
httpcontentmarketinginstitutecom2012112013-b2c-consumer-content-marketing
4 ClickZcom What Is a Good Click-Through Rate for PPC
httpwwwclickzcomclickzcolumn2186867click-rate-ppc
5For example from ldquoWhat is Content Marketingrdquo httpcontentmarketinginstitutecomwhat-is-
content-marketing
ldquoIt goes by many nameshellipletrsquos try to name them all Custom publishing custom media customer
media customer publishing member media private media branded content corporate media cor-
porate publishing corporate journalism and branded mediardquo
6 Harvey Gray and Despain Journal of Advertising Research 2006
7 Buzzfeedcom 17 Animals who were totally prepared for Haloweenrdquo
httpwwwbuzzfeedcomcampbellsgo17-animals-who-are-already-prepared-for-halloweenb=1
8 Wikipedia
httpenwikipediaorgwikiAdvertorial
9 Emarketercom ldquoOriginality is Marketersrsquo Biggest Challengerdquo Nov 20 2012
httpwwwemarketercomArticleaspxR=1009495
10 Emarketer Ibid
httpwwwemarketercomArticleaspxR=1009495
11 Curatacom ldquoContent Curation Continues to Gain Momentum Amongst Marketersrdquo May 52012
httpwwwcuratacompresspress-releasearticle=101
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 710
DECISION FACTORS
The appropriate balance between branding and content must therefore be determined by a number
of factors including the brandrsquos characteristics the nature of the chosen content the target audi-
ence and the planned distribution
1 Brand Factors
1 What is the brandrsquos situation
bull Is it established and well-known or relatively newunknown
2 What is the marketing objective
bull eg increase awareness improvechange perception or increase sales
3 What is the communication objective
bull eg reinforce brand image or communicate product benets
For example a familiar brand that is seeking to reinforce its brand image can get considerable benefitfrom minimal brand mention helping to maximize the consumerrsquos experience with the content A
brand that requires more exposition may need to discuss its product benefits more fully especially
within content that is product-relevant
2 Content Factors
1 Is the purpose of the content to inform or primarily to entertain
2 What format ndash text video audio
Branding should probably be on the low side in content that is primarily entertainment-oriented
(which is probably most appropriate for audiences that are hard to attract and retain) If the content
must be experienced in real time (ie audio or video) the brand may not want to take up too much
of the audiencersquos time with extensive brand mentions Printtext-based content allows for more ex-pansiveness without diminishing the user experience
3 Target Audience Factors
1 What are their characteristics ndash ie younger older
2 How familiar are they with the brand
3 Where will they experience it ndash at home business or mobile
Younger people may be more time-sensitive than older adults as well as more skeptical about com-
mercial messages If the audience is very familiar with the brand then a brief mention may suffice to
associate it with the content Mobile users ndash famously anti-advertising ndash will likely be impatient with
heavily branded content
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 810
4 Distribution Factors
1 Will the content be only on the company website
2 Is it designed to appear on multiple destinations bull If so will the publishers be paid or treated as partners
Well-crafted branded content has the ability to appear on multiple destinations with an affinity for
the brandcategory or target audience Consideration will need to be given to the degree of branding
that will make the content maximally acceptable to the targeted publishers It may even be possible
to vary the amount of branding within the content depending on publisher preferences
III OTHER CONSIDERATIONS IN USING BRANDED CONTENT
1 Content Curation or Creation
In deciding upon a Branded Content strategy marketers need to determine how they will source
their content ndash curate existing content or create original content
bull Curation is the process of ldquonding organizing and sharing contentrdquo according to one
definition It means searching for existing content that would be appropriate to associate
with the marketerrsquos brand and putting it into a format for republishingsharing
bull Original Content must be created by the marketer or a designated supplier
Curation has the advantage of being relatively less expensive and time consuming than creation
However it is not easy finding content that is brand appropriate ndash 43 of B2B marketers who ldquocuraterdquo
content report that ldquofinding high-quality contentrdquo was one of their biggest challenges An additional
consideration is that the curated content will not be unique since it is taken from already-published
sources giving users less reason to engage with it
On the other hand the same report says that ldquocreating original contentrdquo is an even bigger challenge
(69 of respondents) The advantage in overcoming this challenge lies both in the freshness of origi-
nal content and the ability to custom-tailor it to the brandrsquos needs
2 Content Creation In-house vs Outsourced
Once a marketer decides to add Branded Content to the marketing mix he needs to decide whether
to produce the content in-house or outsource it This is only partly a resource allocation decision
bull In-house content creation has the advantage of flexibility since at the most minimal level
existing staff can be delegated to create it They will presumably have a high degree of
familiarity with the brand and its needs
9
10
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 910
However there is probably a strong correlation between resources allocated and the quality of the
output For example it may be desired to refresh the content frequently (one source cites an 18
higher click-through rate in content refreshed daily vs weekly) If the Branded Content strategy is tobe a significant part of the brandrsquos marketing effort the marketer may need to create a department
specifically devoted to updating the content regularly - or consider using an outside source
bull Outsourcing content to a content creator and distributor puts the content creation task in the
hands of individuals who are entirely dedicated to the process and who are experts in crafting
indirect branding messages a skill that takes time to master Among other time consuming
tasks they can vet the credentials of experts who can add 3rd-party credibility to the content
The outside source may also have expertise in multiplatform distribution which can
increase the potential reach of the content
Content creation and distribution expertise can be readily obtained on either basis It is up to the
marketer to determine the level of effort to give to the program and then decide whether he wantsthe control of in-house creation or prefers to seek the needed expertise elsewhere
3 Distribution Identifying Affinity Partners
As noted above one aspect of Branded Content is its ability to find placement on numerous plat-
forms and Internet destinations The marketer can choose to pay for placement or offer it for free to
other publishers Paid distribution is not only more costly but may result in undesirable page place-
ment On the other hand if the content is sufficiently compelling in and of itself it will have value to
publishers beyond the companyrsquos own website
In offering content to other publishers a marketer will want to ensure that they are desirable desti-
nations Rather than offering it to ldquoall comersrdquo it is important to have quality-control filters in placeto ensure that the content is in a high-quality environment which has the ability to attract potential
customers
4 Measurement
Branded Content like other digital marketing lends itself to some easily quantifiable measures in-
cluding audience (views) engagement (duration) sharing and clicking Careful attention to these
measures allows the content to be optimized by reinforcing those elements that seem to be most
attractive to customers
SUMMARY
Content Marketing is growing in importance because it provides marketers with a way to overcome
the increasing resistance to commercial messages of overwhelmed consumers Branded Content is
an important Content Marketing tool which can enhance a brandrsquos image by associating it with at-
tractive and engaging content To use it most effectively a marketer needs to pay careful attention
to the best balance between getting his message (branding) delivered and providing the consumer
with attractive engaging and relevant content
11
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 1010
SOURCES
1 See for example ldquoSix Useful Content Marketing Definitionsrdquo
httpcontentmarketinginstitutecom201206content-marketing-definition
2 Themerckindexcom
httpthemerckindexchemfindercomTheMerckIndexFormsPublicContentAreaAboutaspx
3 Content Marketing Institute 2013 B2C Content Marketing Research Benchmarks Budgets and
Trends
httpcontentmarketinginstitutecom2012112013-b2c-consumer-content-marketing
4 ClickZcom What Is a Good Click-Through Rate for PPC
httpwwwclickzcomclickzcolumn2186867click-rate-ppc
5For example from ldquoWhat is Content Marketingrdquo httpcontentmarketinginstitutecomwhat-is-
content-marketing
ldquoIt goes by many nameshellipletrsquos try to name them all Custom publishing custom media customer
media customer publishing member media private media branded content corporate media cor-
porate publishing corporate journalism and branded mediardquo
6 Harvey Gray and Despain Journal of Advertising Research 2006
7 Buzzfeedcom 17 Animals who were totally prepared for Haloweenrdquo
httpwwwbuzzfeedcomcampbellsgo17-animals-who-are-already-prepared-for-halloweenb=1
8 Wikipedia
httpenwikipediaorgwikiAdvertorial
9 Emarketercom ldquoOriginality is Marketersrsquo Biggest Challengerdquo Nov 20 2012
httpwwwemarketercomArticleaspxR=1009495
10 Emarketer Ibid
httpwwwemarketercomArticleaspxR=1009495
11 Curatacom ldquoContent Curation Continues to Gain Momentum Amongst Marketersrdquo May 52012
httpwwwcuratacompresspress-releasearticle=101
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 810
4 Distribution Factors
1 Will the content be only on the company website
2 Is it designed to appear on multiple destinations bull If so will the publishers be paid or treated as partners
Well-crafted branded content has the ability to appear on multiple destinations with an affinity for
the brandcategory or target audience Consideration will need to be given to the degree of branding
that will make the content maximally acceptable to the targeted publishers It may even be possible
to vary the amount of branding within the content depending on publisher preferences
III OTHER CONSIDERATIONS IN USING BRANDED CONTENT
1 Content Curation or Creation
In deciding upon a Branded Content strategy marketers need to determine how they will source
their content ndash curate existing content or create original content
bull Curation is the process of ldquonding organizing and sharing contentrdquo according to one
definition It means searching for existing content that would be appropriate to associate
with the marketerrsquos brand and putting it into a format for republishingsharing
bull Original Content must be created by the marketer or a designated supplier
Curation has the advantage of being relatively less expensive and time consuming than creation
However it is not easy finding content that is brand appropriate ndash 43 of B2B marketers who ldquocuraterdquo
content report that ldquofinding high-quality contentrdquo was one of their biggest challenges An additional
consideration is that the curated content will not be unique since it is taken from already-published
sources giving users less reason to engage with it
On the other hand the same report says that ldquocreating original contentrdquo is an even bigger challenge
(69 of respondents) The advantage in overcoming this challenge lies both in the freshness of origi-
nal content and the ability to custom-tailor it to the brandrsquos needs
2 Content Creation In-house vs Outsourced
Once a marketer decides to add Branded Content to the marketing mix he needs to decide whether
to produce the content in-house or outsource it This is only partly a resource allocation decision
bull In-house content creation has the advantage of flexibility since at the most minimal level
existing staff can be delegated to create it They will presumably have a high degree of
familiarity with the brand and its needs
9
10
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 910
However there is probably a strong correlation between resources allocated and the quality of the
output For example it may be desired to refresh the content frequently (one source cites an 18
higher click-through rate in content refreshed daily vs weekly) If the Branded Content strategy is tobe a significant part of the brandrsquos marketing effort the marketer may need to create a department
specifically devoted to updating the content regularly - or consider using an outside source
bull Outsourcing content to a content creator and distributor puts the content creation task in the
hands of individuals who are entirely dedicated to the process and who are experts in crafting
indirect branding messages a skill that takes time to master Among other time consuming
tasks they can vet the credentials of experts who can add 3rd-party credibility to the content
The outside source may also have expertise in multiplatform distribution which can
increase the potential reach of the content
Content creation and distribution expertise can be readily obtained on either basis It is up to the
marketer to determine the level of effort to give to the program and then decide whether he wantsthe control of in-house creation or prefers to seek the needed expertise elsewhere
3 Distribution Identifying Affinity Partners
As noted above one aspect of Branded Content is its ability to find placement on numerous plat-
forms and Internet destinations The marketer can choose to pay for placement or offer it for free to
other publishers Paid distribution is not only more costly but may result in undesirable page place-
ment On the other hand if the content is sufficiently compelling in and of itself it will have value to
publishers beyond the companyrsquos own website
In offering content to other publishers a marketer will want to ensure that they are desirable desti-
nations Rather than offering it to ldquoall comersrdquo it is important to have quality-control filters in placeto ensure that the content is in a high-quality environment which has the ability to attract potential
customers
4 Measurement
Branded Content like other digital marketing lends itself to some easily quantifiable measures in-
cluding audience (views) engagement (duration) sharing and clicking Careful attention to these
measures allows the content to be optimized by reinforcing those elements that seem to be most
attractive to customers
SUMMARY
Content Marketing is growing in importance because it provides marketers with a way to overcome
the increasing resistance to commercial messages of overwhelmed consumers Branded Content is
an important Content Marketing tool which can enhance a brandrsquos image by associating it with at-
tractive and engaging content To use it most effectively a marketer needs to pay careful attention
to the best balance between getting his message (branding) delivered and providing the consumer
with attractive engaging and relevant content
11
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 1010
SOURCES
1 See for example ldquoSix Useful Content Marketing Definitionsrdquo
httpcontentmarketinginstitutecom201206content-marketing-definition
2 Themerckindexcom
httpthemerckindexchemfindercomTheMerckIndexFormsPublicContentAreaAboutaspx
3 Content Marketing Institute 2013 B2C Content Marketing Research Benchmarks Budgets and
Trends
httpcontentmarketinginstitutecom2012112013-b2c-consumer-content-marketing
4 ClickZcom What Is a Good Click-Through Rate for PPC
httpwwwclickzcomclickzcolumn2186867click-rate-ppc
5For example from ldquoWhat is Content Marketingrdquo httpcontentmarketinginstitutecomwhat-is-
content-marketing
ldquoIt goes by many nameshellipletrsquos try to name them all Custom publishing custom media customer
media customer publishing member media private media branded content corporate media cor-
porate publishing corporate journalism and branded mediardquo
6 Harvey Gray and Despain Journal of Advertising Research 2006
7 Buzzfeedcom 17 Animals who were totally prepared for Haloweenrdquo
httpwwwbuzzfeedcomcampbellsgo17-animals-who-are-already-prepared-for-halloweenb=1
8 Wikipedia
httpenwikipediaorgwikiAdvertorial
9 Emarketercom ldquoOriginality is Marketersrsquo Biggest Challengerdquo Nov 20 2012
httpwwwemarketercomArticleaspxR=1009495
10 Emarketer Ibid
httpwwwemarketercomArticleaspxR=1009495
11 Curatacom ldquoContent Curation Continues to Gain Momentum Amongst Marketersrdquo May 52012
httpwwwcuratacompresspress-releasearticle=101
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 910
However there is probably a strong correlation between resources allocated and the quality of the
output For example it may be desired to refresh the content frequently (one source cites an 18
higher click-through rate in content refreshed daily vs weekly) If the Branded Content strategy is tobe a significant part of the brandrsquos marketing effort the marketer may need to create a department
specifically devoted to updating the content regularly - or consider using an outside source
bull Outsourcing content to a content creator and distributor puts the content creation task in the
hands of individuals who are entirely dedicated to the process and who are experts in crafting
indirect branding messages a skill that takes time to master Among other time consuming
tasks they can vet the credentials of experts who can add 3rd-party credibility to the content
The outside source may also have expertise in multiplatform distribution which can
increase the potential reach of the content
Content creation and distribution expertise can be readily obtained on either basis It is up to the
marketer to determine the level of effort to give to the program and then decide whether he wantsthe control of in-house creation or prefers to seek the needed expertise elsewhere
3 Distribution Identifying Affinity Partners
As noted above one aspect of Branded Content is its ability to find placement on numerous plat-
forms and Internet destinations The marketer can choose to pay for placement or offer it for free to
other publishers Paid distribution is not only more costly but may result in undesirable page place-
ment On the other hand if the content is sufficiently compelling in and of itself it will have value to
publishers beyond the companyrsquos own website
In offering content to other publishers a marketer will want to ensure that they are desirable desti-
nations Rather than offering it to ldquoall comersrdquo it is important to have quality-control filters in placeto ensure that the content is in a high-quality environment which has the ability to attract potential
customers
4 Measurement
Branded Content like other digital marketing lends itself to some easily quantifiable measures in-
cluding audience (views) engagement (duration) sharing and clicking Careful attention to these
measures allows the content to be optimized by reinforcing those elements that seem to be most
attractive to customers
SUMMARY
Content Marketing is growing in importance because it provides marketers with a way to overcome
the increasing resistance to commercial messages of overwhelmed consumers Branded Content is
an important Content Marketing tool which can enhance a brandrsquos image by associating it with at-
tractive and engaging content To use it most effectively a marketer needs to pay careful attention
to the best balance between getting his message (branding) delivered and providing the consumer
with attractive engaging and relevant content
11
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 1010
SOURCES
1 See for example ldquoSix Useful Content Marketing Definitionsrdquo
httpcontentmarketinginstitutecom201206content-marketing-definition
2 Themerckindexcom
httpthemerckindexchemfindercomTheMerckIndexFormsPublicContentAreaAboutaspx
3 Content Marketing Institute 2013 B2C Content Marketing Research Benchmarks Budgets and
Trends
httpcontentmarketinginstitutecom2012112013-b2c-consumer-content-marketing
4 ClickZcom What Is a Good Click-Through Rate for PPC
httpwwwclickzcomclickzcolumn2186867click-rate-ppc
5For example from ldquoWhat is Content Marketingrdquo httpcontentmarketinginstitutecomwhat-is-
content-marketing
ldquoIt goes by many nameshellipletrsquos try to name them all Custom publishing custom media customer
media customer publishing member media private media branded content corporate media cor-
porate publishing corporate journalism and branded mediardquo
6 Harvey Gray and Despain Journal of Advertising Research 2006
7 Buzzfeedcom 17 Animals who were totally prepared for Haloweenrdquo
httpwwwbuzzfeedcomcampbellsgo17-animals-who-are-already-prepared-for-halloweenb=1
8 Wikipedia
httpenwikipediaorgwikiAdvertorial
9 Emarketercom ldquoOriginality is Marketersrsquo Biggest Challengerdquo Nov 20 2012
httpwwwemarketercomArticleaspxR=1009495
10 Emarketer Ibid
httpwwwemarketercomArticleaspxR=1009495
11 Curatacom ldquoContent Curation Continues to Gain Momentum Amongst Marketersrdquo May 52012
httpwwwcuratacompresspress-releasearticle=101
8112019 Branding and Content Marketing
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullbranding-and-content-marketing 1010
SOURCES
1 See for example ldquoSix Useful Content Marketing Definitionsrdquo
httpcontentmarketinginstitutecom201206content-marketing-definition
2 Themerckindexcom
httpthemerckindexchemfindercomTheMerckIndexFormsPublicContentAreaAboutaspx
3 Content Marketing Institute 2013 B2C Content Marketing Research Benchmarks Budgets and
Trends
httpcontentmarketinginstitutecom2012112013-b2c-consumer-content-marketing
4 ClickZcom What Is a Good Click-Through Rate for PPC
httpwwwclickzcomclickzcolumn2186867click-rate-ppc
5For example from ldquoWhat is Content Marketingrdquo httpcontentmarketinginstitutecomwhat-is-
content-marketing
ldquoIt goes by many nameshellipletrsquos try to name them all Custom publishing custom media customer
media customer publishing member media private media branded content corporate media cor-
porate publishing corporate journalism and branded mediardquo
6 Harvey Gray and Despain Journal of Advertising Research 2006
7 Buzzfeedcom 17 Animals who were totally prepared for Haloweenrdquo
httpwwwbuzzfeedcomcampbellsgo17-animals-who-are-already-prepared-for-halloweenb=1
8 Wikipedia
httpenwikipediaorgwikiAdvertorial
9 Emarketercom ldquoOriginality is Marketersrsquo Biggest Challengerdquo Nov 20 2012
httpwwwemarketercomArticleaspxR=1009495
10 Emarketer Ibid
httpwwwemarketercomArticleaspxR=1009495
11 Curatacom ldquoContent Curation Continues to Gain Momentum Amongst Marketersrdquo May 52012
httpwwwcuratacompresspress-releasearticle=101