If You Ignore Owned Media, You Might End Up Serving Burgers
Instead of consistently throwing content barbecues that keep people coming back, a lot of brands seem eager to just pay for the right to hand out burgers to random people in the mall.
The Content Strategist
American Express
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‘Traditional Marketing Is Broken,’ Declares Richard Edelman
In Chicago today, the head of the world's largest PR firm declared that the marketing industry has its business backward. Speaking to an audience of academics and brand marketing executives at De Paul University, Richard Edelman, who runs the eponymous agency as President and CEO, stated that much of the marketing we've grown up with "is a short-term and broken model."
Content Marketing Catchup: The Sponsored Content Debate, the Storytelling Arms Race, and More Must-Read Stories
Here's what you missed while running down Broadway painted red, white and blue, celebrating a bizarrely successful 1-0 USMNT loss to Germany.
Write Stories, Not Press Releases: Microsoft and AmEx Reveal How to Win the Storytelling Arms Race
"The idea of writing a press release—for me—feels like the worst thing imaginable. I'd rather be able to tell an interesting story." Those are the words of Ben Tamblyn, Manager of Storytelling at Microsoft and the man behind Microsoft Stories, one of the most impressive long-form brand storytelling projects we've seen. At last week's Contently Summit, Tamblyn joined Carrie Parker, VP of Content Innovation at American Express, to discuss how to create truly engaging brand stories and measuring their impact.
Does Content Marketing Have a Ghostwriting Problem?
I was watching Argo this weekend, and sure enough, after all the diplomates were saved from Iran, Tony Mendez—the hero played by Ben Affleck—is notified he received an award from the President. Only he never actually gets the award, because, as his boss tells him in a parking lot, nobody can know about his mission.
5 Content Marketing Lessons From Key & Peele
The tenacious sketch comedy duo, Key & Peele, builds a relationship with their audience so their promos are memorable and appealing rather than eye-rolling. And maybe if we all take a page from their book, we won't have to keep inventing ways to avoid ads anymore.
Scaling: How to Grow Up From a Brand Blog to a Brand Publisher
Welcome to the latest post in our Contently Labs series, where we answer common questions we hear from current or prospective brand publishers. Today’s question: “How do you scale from being a brand blog to a true brand publisher?”
Brands Need to Start Taking Full Credit for Their Content. Here’s Why
As interest in content marketing swelled over the past few years, old-schoolers have struggled with the urge to turn out thinly disguised advertorials, or to spike helpful content with vinegary product placement. Transparency is something they have tried to avoid.
99 Years of Content Marketing: How American Express Became a Major American Publisher
If American Express started as an express courier service, how did it grow into the credit card company (and amazing content marketer) we know today?