TBWA strategist Ben Barone-Nugent: Why customers remember experience, not content
By Ben Barone-Nugent
Justin Pearse recently wrote a nice article on the state of digital content. He argues that content needs to be thoughtful, meaningful and well executed for it to be effective–it should be less about the brand, and more about the audience. While his argument is absolutely correct, it pivots on the idea that engagement often begins and ends with a piece of content. The reality is that the failure of content marketing is in the belief that content exists in a vacuum.
If you create a piece of content and don’t support it, you’re probably going to be disappointed. In other words, if we define ‘experience’ as the beginning-to-end engagement with a brand, then content is simply part of the spectrum.
Pearse and I clearly agree that content can’t be a quick fix, and businesses need to be wary of such promises. But where we diverge is in our opinion of how content holds together with everything else. Digital content needs to be supported by great UX, solid digital strategy, attentive channel management and smart technology. To reiterate–it must be part of a system.
Imagine if Red Bull hadn’t utilised fledgling Smart TV technology, done extensive activation and dexterously used mobile devices. Simply put, its content would have been nowhere nearly as successful. This argument is by no means new, but it begs us to reconsider the role of the content strategist.
Most agencies look at content strategists as the guys who audit content, test its effectiveness and generally specialise in its strategic and editorial underpinnings.
This needs to change.
Content works best when you define it as anything that occupies your brand’s space. Content strategy therefore works best when it’s the conduit between user experience, strategy, creative and technology.Under this model, content strategists realise digital strategies and UX requirements as the things our users read, watch and play with. In other words, we are really architecting experiences.
I recently worked with a bank that wanted branded content to help bolster waning sales of a low-rate credit card. But when we looked closely at the entire experience, we realised that content would do little for card sales. The application process was complex, dated and unfriendly. My recommendation as a content strategist was “fix your website then look at content”. We built out a strategy, but it focused more on constructing an ‘ecosystem’ for content than content itself. Put differently, it laid out scaffolding for good, hard-working content.
When we move towards this definition of content strategy, we start to see some solutions to the problems with content marketing.
As Pearse reminds us, we mustn’t chase branded content with the same blind fervour with which we’ve chased past fads. But the idea that traditional content is the be all and end all of your digital presence is flawed–the harmony of everything you do online is what counts. Overall, Pearse and I agree, but we need to constantly remind ourselves that users remember fun, exciting or informative experiences that go well beyond any single piece of content.
Ben Barone-Nugent is a senior writer and content strategist at TBWA. Barone-Nugent has worked for some of Australia’s biggest agencies and developed content and content strategies for several global brands–including Honda, American Express, KFC and McCain. He is currently helping to redevelop the digital identity for ANZ.
5 Comments
You know what customers really remember?
When marketer’s use simple, plain English and not buzzwords and jargon.
Actually, that’s what everyone remembers, to be fair. That and a simple credit card application process WITHOUT any “content” attached to it. I don’t want a fucking experience when applying for my next credit card, I just want the fucking card.
Feel me?
Excellent post… Thank you!
Not really a comment about the article but more an observation about the nomenclature. A few years back we all called ourselves “Senior Copywriters” because that’s what we did. We wrote copy. When it became clear that the ADs were having much more fun under the watchful eye of protective ECDs and the copy was getting smaller as a result, we ditched the “writer” bit to become “Senior Creatives.” Then, when digital stole the thunder and the budgets, we realised that we would have to re-invent or be retrenched, “Copy” became “content” and suddenly we all became “Senior Writers.” Where it gets interesting is the short hop to “Content Strategist” which takes us away into UX, away from the grubby clutches of the ECD and head-to-head with the planners. Interesting times to be literate and articulate.
So many people competing for the right to redesign client experiences, so few with the skills and delivery capability to actually do so…
would be nice if you included some good and bad examples.