So, you’re watching TV and it comes to a commercial break, how often do you grab your phone and start scrolling Instagram rather than actively watching the advertisement? Customers so often switch off from traditional marketing advertisements which is why 9 out of 10 brands are now marketing through content. It’s even been found that 70% of consumers prefer to learn about a brand via an article than via traditional advertising!
So what is Content Marketing?
Content marketing is an approach to marketing which creates a focus on creating and distributing content which is valuable and relevant for the defined target audience. The ultimate goal of content marketing is to increase sales in the long term. For a more in-depth discussion and definition, read here. But ultimately, content marketing involves some sort of content or communication with your customers without directly selling to them.
Take Coles’ monthly recipe book as an example:
Coles distributes this recipe magazine each month which provides a number of recipes for their customers and is available for free, only at Coles stores or on their website. Coles are providing valuable and relevant information; recipes, for their target audience and creating a long term relationship with their customers who eagerly visit a store to get the next magazine, but they aren’t directly selling groceries to them.
This article explores content marketing and explains that content marketing is a method to achieving true customer engagement. By consistently delivering valuable information, customers will form a positive attitude towards the brand, as well as trust and following.
Further benefits associated with content marketing according to this report are:
- increase brand awareness
- educate audiences
- increase loyalty of existing customers
- generate demand
Here’s another example
Blendtec’s will it blend?!
Blendtec labels themselves as the world’s most advanced blender and they have created a number of ‘Will it blend?’ videos on Youtube, almost purely for entertainment purposes without attempting to directly sell their blender. With over 18 million views on some of their videos on Youtube, Blendtec is creating an awareness for their brand in a non traditional way which is aligning with their label as an advanced blender.
What do you think of Blendtec’s take on content marketing? Do you think it’s suitable for their brand?
Talking Tech with Bec 
Great post! Blendtec’s strategy sure is different! I don’t know if consumers are necessarily looking for a blender so powerful it can turn your electronic goods into dust, but these videos are definitely going to grab the consumer’s attention and raise awareness for the brand. I think doing something unique and thinking outside of the box, like Blendtec, helps brands to stand out in the mind of the consumer.
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I think Jess has hit the nail on the head here – it’s about the content being unique so it stands out in the mind of the consumer.
Content marketing is hitting a point where I feel like every company is doing it and there’s just an overwhelming amount of content to consume, but if companies such as Blendtec can create a point of difference in their content it will rise above the rest.
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Thanks for reading Jess and Ruben! I agree, when the content is so out of the ordinary, viewers are more likely to remember it! I probably never would have known of the brand if it didn’t create those videos so it definitely worked on me!
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Nice post! A very different form of content marketing by Blendtec and in a light-hearted approach too. It provides an engaging way to show the power of the blender (almost seems too powerful!) but most importantly it generates awareness for the brand. 18 million views is huge and so the high view count would be effective in building brand awareness.
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Thanks Cody! Exactly, 18 millions views is quite an achievement on Blendtec’s video and has created massive awareness of the brand!
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Oh my God, I can literally hear my heart breaking when the blender turns the iPad into ashes! It’s a really great content marketing though, giving interesting yet related content to what they’re selling. I know a lot of people will talk about this ads since iPad isn’t exactly something they’d blend (not to mention how expensive it is), which is great for Blendtec to gain awareness. It shows how powerful Blendtec is that it can turn iPad into literally ashes, not all blenders can do that!
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Hi Monica! You’re definitely not alone on that one, seems like such a waste of a product! Very true, Blendtec does also show how powerful their blenders are in these ‘Will it Blend?” videos while generating awareness. It’s content marketing at its best in my opinion! Do you have any favourite content marketing examples?
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I think Blendtec’s campaign is genius. I agree with Monica in that it is heartbreaking to watch, but maybe that emotional and shocking appeal is what made me watch the whole video.
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Oh I agree, the first time I watched the video I almost was in too much shock to stop watching! But yes, a great example of content marketing – great job Blendtec!
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Well it certainly got us talking – which is really the essence of content marketing, building brand awareness! Getting something to go viral is an absolute goal of digital marketers using a content marketing strategy.
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Exactly right Casey! Creating a video that goes viral is one of the hardest things to do as digital marketers and Blendtec has done that with this video where they blend an iPad!
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