1. Content Marketing
Trend Assessment II
April 10th 2012
By: Deepti Dhiman
University of Memphis, Memphis TN

2. What is the Trend?
• Focus on creating exceptional and unique
content that people want to read and share
rather than creating things like brochureware
• Shift to “Real Content Marketing”
• Brands becoming “Publishers”

3. What is Content Marketing?
• Content Marketing is a marketing technique
of creating and distributing relevant and
valuable content to attract, acquire, and
engage a clearly defined and understood
target audience - with the objective of driving
profitable customer action.
Source: Content Marketing Institute

4. History of Content Marketing
• 1900 – Michelin Guide
• 1985 – Furrow Magazine

5. Why Content Marketing?
• 2011 CMI Study
– 9 out of 10 B2B
marketers are using
content marketing
• No Barrier to entry
– Content acceptance
– Talent
– Technology

6. Case 1 : Mint.com
• Pioneer in successful blog content marketing
– MintLifeBlog
– Editorial Standard content
• Fulltime editorial staff
• Freelance contributor
– Personal Network- Investment in social news sites
like Reddit and Digg by posting articles and
develop trust
– Combination of content type- news and tips posts,
link roundups, slideshows, videos and
inforgraphics

7. Case 2 : American Express
• OpenForum, an online
community
– Content cover running
small business
– Offer a community feel
– Two parts
• Idea Hub
• The Community

8. Other Applications
• Fashion Industry
• Men’s Health Industry

9. Future of the Trend
• Impact on Business Landscape
– All businesses are media company
– Focus on own media and less on paid media
• Specific Industries and consumer segments that
will be impacted
– Everyone
– New startups with content specific focus
• Bringing writes and publishers together - Contently,
Percolate
• Pinterest and Instagram

10. Future of the Trend
• How the trend will change
moving forward
– Marketing departments to look
like publishing departments
– Hiring of journalists, people with
varied skills and subject matter
experts
– 60% of B2B marketers are
planning to spend more on
content marketing in 2012 as
compare to 25% in 2011.

11. Future of the Trend
• To stay ahead of competitors –
– Understand informational needs of audience
– Create quality content and distribute through
multiple channels
– Create content marketing strategy