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Your Prescription for Healthier Perceptions and Content Impact [The Weekly Wrap]

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And that’s a wrap of the week ending January 10, 2020

This week I’m trying to get perspective on perception. I share my take on the news that advertising as we know it is (mostly) dead. I talk with Ahava Liebtag about how to overcome the gap between perception and reality in what executives think audiences want vs. what audiences really want. And I point you to an article that gives a firsthand account of a patient’s health care content journey.

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The theme this week is challenging what you believe is true. Let’s wrap it up.

One deep thought: Imagine what you’ll know tomorrow (2:35)

What do you believe to be true that isn’t? We believe things that are demonstrably true. The world is round, not flat. Gravity exists. Many of us believe some things that can’t be proven by consensus – that there’s intelligent life on other planets, say, or that we have a destiny in life. And we believe things to be true that can be proven false. Napoleon wasn’t short. Bananas don’t grow on trees. Toads don’t give us warts.

It’s this third area of beliefs that gets us into trouble and where gaining perspective on our perceptions can change so much. How often do you hear these beliefs? “Our VP would never go for that.” “Our compliance team would never allow that.” I explore how to finally escape – or, rather, discard – perceptions that hold us back.

A fresh take on advertising’s demise (9:05)

Just before the new year, I read an article by Larry Light claiming Advertising As We Know It Is Dead. Larry points to the plunge in share price suffered by agencies Publicis, WPP, and M&C Saatchi as evidence, along with the changing nature of the game. “The existing advertising agency model that brought us iconic, memorable campaigns, is being upended. Google, Facebook, the large consulting firms, mobile phones, shrinking attention spans, digital dominance and ‘data-everywhere’ are changing the very nature of how brands communicate to customers.”

Even so, the lack of creativity in recent ad campaigns – and advertisers’ failure to focus on creating something more than disposable pieces of content – share some of the blame, Larry writes. And, as a result: “The focus on short-term, disposable viewership is an unfortunate byproduct of the digital age. Sustainable advertising campaigns designed to create and reinforce brand loyalty will be a thing of the past.”

Sustainable advertising campaigns designed to create & reinforce brand loyalty will be a thing of the past. @CEOLarryLight #WeeklyWrap Click To Tweet

I wouldn’t call advertising dead. But I’m certainly seeing focus shift from advertising and short-term content. I talk about what the brands that have a real impact do (and what they don’t do).

This week’s person making a difference in content: Ahava Liebtag (13:50)

My friend Ahava Liebtag is president and founder of the Aha Media Group, a content marketing and copywriting consultancy that specializes in health care. For more than 20 years she’s been working in, speaking about, and writing on content strategy and content marketing.

In December, Ahava and I talked about how to reshape executives’ perception of what consumers want, how to train subject matter experts in the art of plain language, and how being a great boss is a lot like being a great parent (and vice versa).

Here’s a snippet from our chat:

When you come into a job and you’re responsible for managing people, I think you’re making a commitment to saying, ‘I’m not just going to grow this business, I’m going to grow these people.’ If you grow your people, your business will absolutely follow.

If you grow your people, your business will absolutely follow, says @ahaval. #WeeklyWrap Click To Tweet

Listen in, then learn more about Ahava:

One content marketing idea you can use (31:43)

Health care companies often struggle with the gap between their perception of their audience’s challenges vs. the reality of the challenges people face. And they’re hardly the only ones. This first-person account of navigating content to find answers helps you see what a content consumer (our own Jodi Harris) goes through. Read Does Your Health Care Content Hold the Cure for Customers in Crisis?

My #healthcare #content journey focused on relevancy, reliability, & personalized info, says @joderama. #WeeklyWrap Click To Tweet

Love for this week’s sponsor: ContentTECH Summit

Join me this summer at ContentTECH Summit 2020, where we’re lining up in-depth workshops, keynote talks, and practical presentations to help you become a more effective, more strategic content marketer. You’ll get insights to help you provide a richer experience for your customers and build a more profitable, stronger business.

I hope to see you and your team August 10 to 12 in San Diego.

Check out the agenda today.

The wrap-up

Join me next week for another deep thought, my fresh take on the news, a conversation with someone making a difference in content marketing, and a pointer to a content marketing article that may change what you believe. And it’s all delivered in a little less time than it takes for your favorite to not win a Golden Globe.

If you like this weekly play on words, we’d sure love for you to review it, share it, and send us ideas about what you’d like to hear. Hashtag us up on Twitter: #WeeklyWrap.

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Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute