I’ve been thinking about creativity a lot lately.  Or, more accurately, I’ve been longing for it.  As serendipity would have it, today I stumbled upon an interesting podcast on creativity at Six Pixels of Separation.  Mitch Joel interviews Todd Henry, author of  “The Accidental Creative: How to Be Brilliant at a Moment’s Notice.”  It’s an interesting take on building practices and relationships to help us be more creative at the moments where our jobs may call for it.  I’ll let you listen to the podcast for the firsthand account of Henry’s perspective.

Recently I signed on to Twitter and read a tweet posted live from a marketing conference. It said, “Content is no longer king, contests are.” 

I asked for the thinking behind it. The reply was: “In short, Content isn’t moving needle on internet like it used to. Contests are the current craze for mass engage.”

Then seconds later he added, “Then again some may argue that contests ARE a form of compelling content.”

My response was, “Precisely.” 

My definition of content is broad. 

After so many years of working in the digital realm, I find that I often think of content differently than many people.

For many, it’s words. Articles and ad copy.  Or text to support SEO initiatives.

For me, it’s streaming audio, video, Flash, photo galleries, contests, micro copy, ad copy, HTML titles, metadata, error messages, e-mail, articles, calls to action.  

My definition also reaches beyond the digital space and connects across print, brick and mortar stores, television, radio, live events.

It’s more about what content does than what it is. 

Content informs, guides, directs, engages, and entertains. It helps build traffic and deepen consumer connection with the brand. As a “content person” my work over the years has intersected and connected with many disciplines. In my experiences over the years, I have:

• Worked closely with IT/UX to understand database schemas, site architecture, develop metadata, and user interfaces.
• Worked with marketing to guide SEO keyword phrases and integrated approaches to promotions.
• Worked with business owners to connect content with overall business strategies.
• Strongly influenced brand strategies through a natural evolution of content in response to audience.
• Negotiated with tough, numbers-driven leaders to make the business case for the allocation of budget for various content roles and related production tools, software, and services.

In the course of these interactions, their work has influenced mine, and my work has influenced theirs.

Content can be integral to the overall business strategy.

For many years, I directed the content for a Latin media website. We started out as internet radio and expanded rapidly into magazine publishing, internet video, live events, social networking and many places in between.  In my role, I was concerned with supporting and influencing overall business strategies from the content perspective. This included a wide variety of things, including:

• Developing sponsored brand communities for our sponsors.
• Making sure our song and video rotations were current, releases were up-to-date were relevant, and listener votes were  incorporated into the programming strategy.
• Informing our marketing department of top artists and trends to incorporate into their SEM strategies.
• Making sure our brand voice and tone was consistent across all mediums.
• Developing strategies to integrate content from our active social community into the experience.
• Working closely with sales to define concepts for branded sponsorships, becoming an expert at subtly weaving brand stories into engaging content features, including contests.

Let me focus on our content team’s role in contests.

We gave away iPods and MP3s and gift cards. We hosted contests where users submitted videos of commercials they created for the sponsoring brand. We featured our site visitors in webisodes that ranged from behind-the-scene footage at music events to makeovers by fashion industry sponsors.

In my experience, contests were vastly more successful (as supported by analytics) when they were presented as part of an encompassing minisite.  (By minisite in this context, I essentially mean a small branded community.) When contests were contextually relevant within a mix of music, video, articles photo galleries, etc. suited to the target audience, participation soared.

Our advertisers insisted on the subtle integration of their brand and marketing messages within the community.

We did this with an indirect approach which was met positively by our sponsors and our site visitors. For example, our client may want to ultimately sell salads to a female target audience through communicating the health benefits of making this choice. But we didn’t write messaging about the health benefits. And we didn’t pitch salads. Instead, we interviewed Latin music artists about their fitness routines and created a mini community around that.

This community included any mix of:

• Text articles, video interviews, custom radio stations, upbeat song lists for workouts that our visitors could download.
• Featured blog posts from our community, and contests. We kept the contests fun and focused on entertainment.
• Playlists of upbeat tracks recommend by our audience.
• Talent videos submitted by our audience featuring dance or music performances that met the same connection with the brand as the content our team created.

Building these mini brand communities allowed the content team to showcase some creative ideas for inspiration, and our visitors responded with enthusiasm and valuable contributions that constantly pushed our initiatives forward.

We gathered ideas from everyone.

Internally and externally, sometimes from people we passed in the hall. A good idea was a good idea and we acted on it.  

Generally, in this particular instance, the content team was so directly connected with consumers through feedback, social communities, and monitoring their votes for favorite music and videos, many of the most well-connected ideas were either generated by or shaped and refined by the content team.  The content team worked closely with clients to be sure concepts were aligned with our sponsors’ brand and marketing messages. We also worked with our internal marketing team to refine targeted keywords and package the content in ways that help support marketing initiatives. Legal guidelines, prize notifications and shipping were also handled by marketing.

Content is water.

For me, content flows in and out of just about any experience, connecting with many disciplines. It’s not an independent, stand alone kind of thing. My phrase of choice is: Content is Water. (See my blog post from December 4, 2010 for more details.) I think calling any discipline king can stir up negative responses, but it’s not an either-or proposition.  The important thing is to engage consumers and content is an important part of that.

What’s your definition of content?

“Today, new-media planners and content creators are now trying to balance church and state while media buyers and publishers swing the pendulum back and forth, in an exercise that will determine how big the branded content pie will become.”

http://bit.ly/hYJxDs

http://www.slideshare.net/MichelleMcCormack/twitter-facebook-and-productivity-6466981

Which style of copy works here?

During the course of one of my current projects, discussions about promoting the new features we’re working on come into play. Sometimes the conversation flows back and forth and in and out of modals, benefits, buttons, promotions, error messaging, usability, colors, database integration, and everything in between. It’s a conversation that seamlessly blends technology, ux, design, copy, marketing, and so on. An average day in the digital world.

 Amidst those conversations, ideas and opinions flow freely. In the mix, copy suggestions are made.  Sometimes they are spot on, and other times suggestions are made to insert promotional-style messaging where it doesn’t fit (with error messaging, for example) and at times there is an interest in crafty naming of a feature or set of features for marketing purposes, which can sometimes work, but more often than not,  it’s better to simply be very clear. 

I realized that the targeted use of certain styles of content isn’t second nature to everyone.  There are certain kinds of copy that just don’t belong in certain places on a web site, or at certain points of the user experience. At the same time, no matter how few words, the content must represent the brand and comply with the editorial style guide.  And content professionals should always be asking themselves why they are including content at certain points – is the text messaging attempting to make up for a design that isn’t quite working? Has crafty naming made it difficult for users to understand what a feature is about?

 I made a chart, pictured above, and ran it by the content team for a quick looking over. I printed a copy and laid it on my desk where it caught the eye of a team member. He picked it up and read it over. Soon I watched the visually-minded team members develop a new kind of interest in content. Thank you, Visio.  The chart is simple and easy to digest. It has provided a quick reference point for re-anchoring dialogues when needed.

I ran into a few tweets about “three words for the new year,” something Chris Brogan  does each year. I liked the idea. Words instead of resolutions. Brilliant. I can’t even remember what last year’s resolutions were. In fact, I don’t even remember if I made any. I don’t usually get too terribly creative with them anyway; mainly, I resolve to do things I should be doing anyway.  And as a lover of words, this idea captured my attention. I have big aspirations for 2011 and I enjoyed the exercise of whittling it all down to three words. I also took great satisfaction in the incredible freedom that comes from shaping my personal definition of those words. I recommend giving it a try.

Inventive.
With the arrival of 2011, I am wide open to potentially dramatic and disruptive change. Of the good sort.  And I plan to egg it on. I’ve always had a wild imagination, an insatiable curiosity about what makes people tick, and a utilitarian/fun factor interest in technology. My intention is to weave those interests together in new and imaginative ways. Whether I find a way to do that for an existing company, or take the long-awaited risk of starting my own company remains to be seen. But it will happen this year.     

Real.
With all of the hullabaloo about “personal brand” in the social media space, some days I get confused about who I’m supposed to be. Then I remember: I’m not a brand, I’m an individual. I will be who I am, with all of my idiosyncrasies intact, subject to contradict myself in the interest of change. And I will encourage others to do the same.  While I appreciate and respect the management of a professional image, we’re all unique.  In my professional journey, the best experience I’ve had to date is working for a business owner who believed in huge acceptance of individuality. He cultivated loyalty and respect like nobody I have seen before or since. There wasn’t a list of codified, acceptable ways of being. Trust and respect were fostered as much as by what you accomplished and delivered, as by your vulnerabilities. And I don’t mean that we blurted out the details of our personal lives or behaved like lunatics, but nobody had to pretend to be somebody they weren’t to fit an image. We were real, authentic, and genuine, and we allowed others to be, too (and yes, we got on each others’ nerves in a big way from time to time).

 Also, on the subject of real; personally I want to consume more real foods.  Cut the processed foods, the artificial sweeteners, the low fat options.  Eat the good stuff, just eat less of it.  I would also like to upgrade to a surround sound stereo system that imitates real life as closely as possible. I love music and I want to experience sound so crisp and clear that I’ll half wonder if the band or orchestra is sitting in my living room.  

Water.
My first post for this very blog proposed a revision to the phrase Content is King. Instead, I am partial to: Content is Water. Good content flows in and around us. Sometimes it pushes with some force, other times its presence is subtle. And a good content creator knows under which circumstances to create and deliver at which level of force. I want my content to be like water. I want to be like water. I want to be fluid and flexible, supportive or influential. I want to gracefully adapt the level of vitality and expression to the situations and tasks at hand. And I want that to flow through me and my content. 

2. Stay Connected
Make sure your content keeps you connected with your brand fans. At the same time, make sure your content stays connected to business goals. Stay on top of what’s going on in the world in general and with respect to your brand. Be relevant. Listen to your consumers. Respond to them. Then watch your measures and metrics come through for the business.

3. Keep It Fresh
Make an editorial calendar. Make sure you give readers/viewers/listeners reasons to come back again and again and again. Be dependable. Create a plan that includes a consistent flow of new and repackaged content. Archive web content that no longer fits the main attraction, but still may hold interest. Remove it if its value has run its course.

4. Build Momentum
Are your brand fans anticipating your next move? They should be. Keeping your content fresh is one thing, but you also want to constantly strive to make it better. Create an experience that resonates with your audience long after they power down the computer or throw the magazine in the recycle bin. Give them something to Tweet about, something to share on Facebook. Keep up with trends, or become the trendsetters.

5. Be Subtle
Yes. Create content that is a force to be reckoned with, yet keep it subtle. Today’s consumers are savvy. There’s no need to clobber them over the head with your product or message. But don’t be sneaky about it either. Just “stay true.” If your content is valuable and interesting and gracefully weaves its way into the story of people’s lives, they will come back for more. If it preaches or pitches, you may see visits dry up.

6. Be Flexible
Revisit your branded content strategy periodically. Look at where you started
and where you are now. Is it where you thought you would land? Is it someplace better? Or did things not quite measure up? Stop and take a look at the bigger world around you – have market changes disrupted your plans? Is there a world issue on hand that has changed things for everyone? When you’re pushing forward to innovation, flexibility is essential. Sometimes you need to be quick and nimble and willing to let go of or revise a great idea. Just keep going.

1. Branded Content Everywhere
Everybody’s doing it, why shouldn’t you? Check out Converse Rubber Tracks. Check in on Dolce & Gabana’s Swipe.com, their branded content initiative to connect with luxury customers. Have you seen Honda’s Dream the Impossible campaign?  Brands are taking different approaches to branded content, some more successful than others. But they’re doing it and you should think about doing it, too.

I know. I can hear my Mother. “If everyone else jumped off of a bridge, would you?”  Right, just because everybody else is doing it, doesn’t mean you should do it, too.  But look at reasons why they’re doing it. I used to challenge my Mom and drive her nuts with my questions: “How high is the bridge? How much water? Are there strong currents? Are people getting sucked in and drowning? Or are they laughing and having a good time? Is there a swing? Because I love jumping off of those swings that soar out over the water. It’s fun.”

So take a look around and ask yourself, why are so many branded content communities popping up?  What are they doing well? What’s not working? What can content do for your brand? What can you do better than the other guys?

(Note: I’m polishing up a post on tips for creating unforgettable branded content. Stay tuned.)

2. Multi-Platform Friendly Content (And Debate)
Content needs to be seamless these days. Consumers are reading websites from personal computers, mobile devices with varied screen sizes, and television screens. They are still reading magazines and books, sometimes in print and sometimes on an electronic reader. They are listening to music and watching videos. TV is on television, it’s online, it’s in a cloud, it’s on a plane. It’s necessary to consider all of platforms on which your readers/viewers/listeners will digest your content. 

Now for the debate. There is a lot of rumbling about Create Once, Publish Everywhere. It’s great in theory, but as any solid content creator knows, it can be a challenge.  From the ‘90s right on up into today, many writers spend time editing print content for the web. It’s a different style. Chunked and scannable.  Brief. And now, the same conversation is happening around mobile. Make it shorter, but don’t kill the message.  The same goes for video.  At which touch points will viewers watch a 5 minute video, and when do they want just the basics in :30 seconds or less.

These aren’t exactly new questions, but as more platforms and content types become accessible by the masses, it gets more complex to make sure quality content suits the medium.  Discussions on ways to make the happen effectively and efficiently are underway.

3.  Content Strategy Alignment Across Enterprise
So the web has for years been revealing inconsistencies of content created over time and often by different departments within organizations. As Content Strategy for the web gains momentum, industries are making note of the need to align and integrate beyond the web space. They are borrowing from web content strategy to re-evaluate the way departments work with respect to content. This includes PR, marketing, legal, print, web, tv – anywhere content makes an appearance. 

4. Content for the Semantic Web
People want content when they want it. They want it to be contextually relevant and bubbled up at the moment when they need it most. They wish computers understood them better.  Content Strategist will continue to help bridge the gap between meaning and literal interpretations by technology. They will be writing semantic content. Where metadata is words about words, semantic metadata is meaning about meaning. This data will work to capture the meaning of content, not just categorize it or generally associate it.  It also helps create meaningful relationships between data.  Here is a nice primer: The Semantic Web Explained.  

 5. Expertise Along the Content Strategy Spectrum
There is a spectrum of talent and skills represented in content strategy.  Often times content strategists will fall to the left, or to the right. Of the brain hemisphere, that is. Left brain represents the more technical aspects of content strategy – metadata, architecture, structure. They often work closely with business analysts, information architects, and IT.  And to the right, we have more of a focus on editorial strategy. Things like voice and tone, brand, messaging.  These strategists work more closely with brand, marketing, and social media. Generally, people will be stronger in one focus versus the other, but most will have solid conceptual knowledge across the entire spectrum.  Some “middle brainers” will seamlessly weave back and forth between the two. Companies will need to determine their primary needs in order to correctly match people to the roles. Smaller companies and departments may do well to look for the “middle brainers”, and set aside training or outsourcing budget to fill any gaps in skills or talent to be sure the content strategy stays on track.

Converse started a community-based recording studio called Rubber Tracks where emerging musicians can lay down tracks for free. Converse also offers musicians the opportunity to promote their music through Converse.com and Converse social media channels. In turn, Converse advances their brand through support and association with these musicians.

Now, many purists will kick and scream at the thought of corporate involvement in art. But seriously, what are record labels? They’ve been shaping and molding what consumers listen to for years. Who gets signed? Who doesn’t? Who decides? Executives at the label. It’s not a new struggle for artists. Independent labels offered an outlet for many and then, the internet came along and many musicians became their own promoters. But it’s a lot for a solo artist or band to take on in addition to creating the music. So why not take the support and exposure when you find it?

Believe me, I’m all for an artist’s right to stay true to who they are. I support it with a fervor.  As a writer myself, I have style and philosophies that are uniquely my own, but I also value support, critiques, and guidance where I find it.  And I hugely value a mentor’s ability to tune into my style and help it develop into something more powerful.  Converse provides that type of mentorship throughout the recording process by connecting these musicians with industry vets and professionals from start to finish.

A band should consider their true essence when teaming up with a brand.  How does what they represent mesh with the brand? What are the company’s brand attributes? What is the corporate culture? You will find integrity, authenticity, originality on the brand attribute list for many corporations.  Just as a record label can could choose to sign a band or not, a business can choose to support a group or not. And just as a band can decide against a certain record label, they can choose to not be associated with a brand.

Sure, any contract negotiations should be very carefully considered. And it can be disadvantageous to be too intimately connected with a product or brand, in the same way it can be stagnating for an actor to by typecast. And bands and brands should be conscious of this. Really strong branded content makes connections through sentiment and value more than by direct association with products. And if you stop to think about your Converse-loving friends, odds are they represent a certain mindset, a certain style, a certain philosophy of living. This kind of  brand association is part of our American culture and it has been for a long time. If an artist can get their voice heard and maintain their integrity in the process, I say go for it. 

I know many people will want to throw rotten tomatoes at me. But let’s keep an eye on how things progress and keep a healthy tension going, continuing to challenge when things seem to be going too far off track.

For further perspective, read this article in the New York Times:
Looking to a Sneaker for a Band’s Big Break