Content Marketing 2.0

How an effective content marketing strategy, backed by data analytics and AI, can be a game-changer for brands

- Beryl Menezes & Samarpita Banerjee

In 1996, Microsoft founder Bill Gates wrote an essay titled ‘Content is King’. Fast forward 22 years, and it is still one of the most popularly used catchphrases, especially in today’s digitally-driven world, where it could not have been more apt.

In his essay, Gates wrote, ‘Content is where I expect much of the real money will be made on the Internet, just as it was in broadcasting.’ And while it is true that marketers understand the critical role that content can play, not just in terms of dollars, but also to build brand loyalty and customer engagement, the scope of content marketing has increased manifold, prompting the question of whether it is actually set to become an industry game-changer.

Indeed, today marketers understand the role of content in the overall media mix much better and are willing to take more risks to reach audiences in the right context with the right kind of content. There is also more trust in the ecosystem, as creators and brands have come to understand each other’s strengths better. Moreover, as the consumer’s focus and time spent shifts to consuming more and more varied content, marketers have to keep pace with increasingly innovative content marketing solutions, deployed to engage a largely advertising-averse millennial audience.

“Content marketing has gone from being the last quadrant on the last slide of a marketing presentation to being the ‘du jour’ tactic for brands today. With more creators, more avenues, and more proof of success, content marketing has evolved right from brief to solutions to execution,” remarks Vineet Kanabar, Marketing Director, The Viral Fever (TVF).

So what has changed in terms of the content marketing of yesteryears to what it is today? And just what are the factors which have sparked the transition?

TRANSFORMATION OF CONTENT MARKETING