dis: state of the industry with mailonline: branded engagement: content marketing and beyond
DESCRIPTION
Marketers have long been embedding their brand into content experiences in some ingenious ways -- and with a wide range of results. Some brands are becoming adept publishers in their own right and tapping into the more trusted nature of valuable content vs. advertising copylines. But creating great content is not trivial, nor is building a loyal audience. MailOnline CMO Sean O’Neal presents the findings of the State of the Industry Survey and discusses how brands are thinking about content marketing in a way that achieves scale. He'll also explore best practices for measuring paid, owned and earned media value. Presenter: Sean O’Neal, global CMO, MailOnline @MailOnlineTRANSCRIPT
STATE OF THE INDUSTRY:BRANDED CONTENT MARKETING
In April 2013 MailOnline partnered with Digiday to develop a market research study.
The objective was to understand the trends around Branded Content Marketing.
TODAY’S AGENDA
• Defining Branded Content Marketing
• Best Practices
• Industry Survey Results
• Insights
• Predictions
SURVEYMETHODOLOGY
610 RESPONDENTS
17% BRANDS 47% AGENCIES 36% PUBLISHERS
15-25 QUESTIONS
3 WEEKS IN FIELD
QUALITATIVE + QUANTITATIVE
Production
Technology / Operations
Strategic Partnerships
Creative / Design
Revenue / Sales / Biz Dev
Marketing
Client Management
Media Buyer / Planner
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
1%
4%
6%
7%
9%
10%
13%
51%
Agencies
Strategic Partnerships
Technology / Operations
Creative / Design
Revenue / Sales / Biz Dev
Brand Management
Media Planning / Buying
Marketing
2%
4%
4%
6%
10%
14%
62%
Advertisers
Advertisers & Agencies: Job Descriptions
WHAT IS BRANDED CONTENT MARKETING?
A useful tool to create a brand image virally and with buzz. / Advertorial / Connecting Digital to retail / whitepapers / Content created by the brand for any purpose. / Content produced by the brand of produced by the editorial services of a publisher
that is funded and directed by the brand. / The intersection of advertising and entertainment. / Descriptive material that supports the image a company is trying to portray. / Digital advertorial, where the line between edit and paid content are more blurred than in print. /Engaging rich media that featured the brand in a compelling story, a complement to a good piece of narrative. / Generating your own content /
god's gift to advertisers / The intersection of entertainment and advertising reaching consumers
during engaged moments.
The difference betweenmarketing and content
NATIVE ADVERTISING
CONTENT HUBS
ADVERTORIAL
BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT
CUSTOM VIDEO
NATIVE ADVERTISING
CONTENT HUBS
ADVERTORIAL
BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT
CUSTOM VIDEO
NATIVE ADVERTISING
CONTENT HUBS
ADVERTORIAL
BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT
CUSTOM VIDEO
BESTPRACTICES
Great content marketingdelivers more consumer value
Great content marketinggoes viral
BeAppropriate
BeRelevant
BeInformativeEngagingEntertaining
Rule:Great content marketing should be able to stand on its own.
FansCustomersTarget audience
EARNEDOWNEDPAID
MAXIMIZE VALUE
HURDLES
Content
Distribution
Measurement
What is your preferred method of measuring the effectiveness of your content marketing programs?
#1 for Agencies: Brand Lift (30%)
#1 for Brands: Sales Lift (32%)
What is your preferred method of measuring the effectiveness of your content marketing programs?
Downloads of our App or Subscriptions to our Regular Content Feed
Share of Voice on our Media Partners' Websites
The Number of Times our Branded Content is Shared or Tweeted
Brand Lift
We're Just About the Thought Leadership So We Don't Measure It
The Number of Times it is Clicked On or Watched
Proven Reach of our Target Audience
Click-Throughs to Branded Website
Increased Sales
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
0%
3%
7%
10%
10%
13%
13%
13%
32%
2%
1%
14%
30%
5%
16%
9%
8%
20%
AgenciesBrands
What factors will drive continued adoption?
None of the Above; Branded Content is a Fad
Drive to Exhaust Every Means of Revenue Generation
Market Adoption
Banner Blindness
Client Adoption
Performance
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
3%
9%
23%
24%
30%
62%
10%
20%
30%
70%
AgenciesBrands
THE SOLUTIONS
All of the Above
Our Entertainment Division
Third Party Content Producer
The Client
Publishers From Whom We Buy the Media
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
13%
23%
37%
49%
58%
Agencies
Where do you acquire your branded content?
MEDIA PARTNERS• Content / editorial• Audience• Scale• Conversation• Social
What prevents you or your clients from investing more in branded content marketing?
24% of Brands 17% of Agencies
“Nothing, we are fully committed!”
BUYINGTRENDS
Have you employed Branded Content Marketing for advertising purposes in the last year?
70%
26%
4%
Brands
77%
19%4%
Agencies
YesNoI don't know
Agencies: What percentage of your agency's client base included branded content executions in the last 12 months?2%
8%
19%
15%
55%
81-100%61-80%41-60%21-40%1-20%
Brands: Have you…
All of the above
Sold advertising on your branded content as a publisher (e.g. created a content site upon which you are also able to sell advertising)
Created branded content for other partners outside your company
Partnered with content providers to create branded content for your company
Purchased placement for branded content as a form of advertising
Distributed branded content in digital media beyond your own website or emails
Created branded content for your website or e-mail marketing
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
8%
14%
28%
67%
67%
69%
83%
Brands: Rate the following tactics for their ability to achieve your branding objectives?
Display
Mobile
Search
Social
Branded Content
Video
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
9%
14%
17%
25%
25%
25%
26%
Most Important/CriticalMore important
Brands: Spending on Branded Content
o 15% of Digital Ad Budget goes to Paid Distribution of Branded Content
o 72% of brands said spending on branded content INCREASED in the past year
o 69% predict a budget increase in NEXT 12 mos
Agencies: Spending on Branded Content
o 71% say their clients spent MORE in the last 12 months on branded content marketing
o 73% say their clients’ spending will increase over the next 12 months on branded content marketing
WHY INCREASE?
“My client is always seeking unique branded custom content opportunities that will make them stand out in the marketplace.”
WHY INCREASE?
“We see results.”
WHY INCREASE?
“Constantly looking ways to be more integrated in the daily life.”
WHY INCREASE?
“It generally can be produced at lower costs and distributed widely for lower costs than traditional media.”
WHY INCREASE?
“It's easy to treat entertainment campaigns as content, and I believe the opportunities from partners to do that will increase and the spending will follow.”
WHY INCREASE?
“Consumers have more content consumption autonomy than ever before, and if you want to actually reach them you need to create value-added content that's also discoverable.”
WHY INCREASE?
“Necessary.”
Why will budgets increase?
“It works, they like it, it reaches more people on a different level.”
“viral opportunities have opened up what it means to advertise.”
“Everyone wants it, it's just a question of getting the budget for it. And those who hold the purse strings are finally coming around because the numbers are there.”
“This is an emerging and powerful trend. Measurement is still an issue... “
How important do you consider branded content to your marketing mix?
Not At All Important
Somewhat Unimportant
Neither more or less important than any other form of marketing
Very Important
Most Important
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
0%
8%
25%
58%
8%
1%
7%
28%
63%
2%
AgenciesBrands
57% of Brands who haven’t paid to distribute branded content will do so in the next year
84% of Agencies who haven’t paid to distribute branded content will do so in the next year
THE WINNERS ARE…
QUESTIONS?
THANK YOU!Sean O’Neal, Global CMO
www.mailonline.com/advertising/whitepaper