It’s a hot week for youth and youthful topics. Shopify launched a workbook for kidpreneurs. Zillow published a new real estate book for children (and their parents). And Trek devoted its catalog to inspiring stories about heroes on bikes.Continue Reading

Just when you think you’ve got content marketing all figured out, you start to notice little shifts in the game. We’re bringing you three hot takes this week to get you up to speed: an episodic content tutorial, insights into a hashtag strategy at one of the biggest social media players around, and the emergence of ‘always-on’ content.Continue Reading

This week, take a musical road trip with Ram Truck. Stop for a glimpse of real people’s preference for authentic content. Then wrap up the trip with an ending that’s anything but a throwaway.

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This week, Salesforce makes a move to get its own “+.” A Facebook-commissioned study looks at the impact difference between video and static images. And a TikTok executive talks about brand success on the world’s most downloaded social media app.Continue Reading

This week, new research into video email gets synapses firing. A content collaboration taps into the drive to create. And a helping hand in the greeting card aisle turns into a savvy way to introduce a new service.Continue Reading

This week, we’re talking about an inspiring content partnership, an email that soared to new lengths, and a brand that calculates the curiosity factor into its interactive content.

Grey Goose offers a toast to good stories

The Olympics wind down this weekend, but you can keep watching inspiring stories about the world’s top athletes. Vodka brand Grey Goose teamed up with Uninterrupted, the athlete-empowerment brand started by NBA star LeBron James and his business partner Maverick Carter, to launch a new video series called In The Moment.

The series features one-on-one conversations with sports’ biggest names about the pivotal moments on their path to success. Broadcaster Cari Champion sits down with each guest alongside a Grey Goose-branded case hiding three items that represent those defining times. Viewers will watch them reveal each one and learn the story behind the object.

“Our hope is the personal stories shared throughout In The Moment will encourage audiences to foster a deeper connection with these icons and gain a deeper understanding of not just their game, but also their passions outside of sports,” Grey Goose’s vice president of North America Marketing said in the announcement.

The series debuted July 21 with U.S. soccer player Christen Press:

New videos will air through the end of August on Roku and on Uninterrupted’s and Grey Goose’s YouTube channels. Scheduled guests include NFL star DeAndre Hopkins and NBA legend Chris Bosh.

WHY IT MATTERS: Brand content marketers don’t have to do all the heavy lifting of content creation. A partnership with an existing media business, particularly one with a high profile, often makes more sense. Of course, you can’t slap your logo on and claim the content as yours. Successful integration into the original content or in complementary content is a better approach.

In this case, Grey Goose took advantage of product placement with a bar cart in each video and by having the guests sip cocktails. It got a little more creative with the case containing objects for the guest to discuss. But the real opportunity came in the form of complementary content. Grey Goose created and published recipes for all the vodka libations consumed during the shows.

But here’s where they missed a step. The press release announcing the series said viewers could find special content, additional cocktail recipes, and clips from the show on GreyGoose.com. A quick visit to the site turned up an image from the show and text about the premiere episode. However, the link goes straight to the YouTube channel. If there is related content on the Grey Goose site (like recipes from the episode), it’s not easy to find or to connect it with the show. That’s a missed opportunity.

At Delta, the word count keeps climbing

We imagine an airline’s social media team is prepared for almost anything. Frustrated travelers complain, they vent their anger, and they criticize everything from check-in to baggage claim.

But Delta’s team didn’t seem to know what to say in response to this tweet about the length of a recent customer email. “Dear @Delta,” tweeted  @HindaMitchell, “has the last year taught you nothing? People don’t want 11-paragraph marketing emails anymore. Short and sweet gets the job done. C’mon Ed.”

Dear @Delta, has the last year taught you nothing? People don’t want 11-paragraph marketing emails anymore. Short and sweet gets the job done. C’mon Ed. pic.twitter.com/LUfjWq0axc

— Hinda Mitchell (@hindamitchell) July 28, 2021

Hinda didn’t share all 11 paragraphs. But the ones she did share made this clear: Whoever wrote that letter on behalf of Delta CEO Ed Bastian felt that more words would show that Delta really, really, really, cares about its customers.

WHY IT MATTERS: “Thank you for your patience as we continue to do everything we can to improve and enhance your experience,” the email’s penultimate paragraph reads. But a Delta customer would need a lot of patience to make it to that point in the lengthy letter.

Simplicity and brevity work best in almost every email. The Delta email in question covers everything from its values, new processes, changes to their app, timelines, and features. Even someone who read every word would be confused about the purpose – and probably would have to reread it to pick out the info that applies to them.

Whether it’s an email, a blog post, or a video, don’t try to say everything. Pick a focus, explain the details, and give readers options to explore more if they choose or move on if they prefer.

Good-Loop does the math on digital advertising’s environmental impact

UK-based Good-Loop did the math for content publishers.

The digital ethical advertising distribution company created the Good-Loop: Carbon-Calculator to help publishers understand the carbon footprint of their digital advertising.

Content publishers can input the size of the asset, the country, and the total number of impressions to find out the number of tons of carbon dioxide required to execute that content.

The calculator is available only to UK content creators now, but Good-Loop indicates plans to expand access. The company also announced plans for a tool to automatically measure and offset the carbon footprint of each ad it places.

WHY IT MATTERS: Calculators and interactive tools offer a great opportunity to engage your audience. They also can be a great way to collect more data about your audience. Good-Loop does a good job of using the tool to tackle a topic important to many that isn’t discussed often in the industry.

Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute

This week, McDonald’s searches for besties on Twitter, Heinz wants to end a long-standing food feud, and new competitors are taking to the field of sports content marketing.

Let the games begin.Continue Reading

This week in content marketing: McCormick spices up the job market. Vidyard treats influencers to a movie-premiere experience. What does it all mean for content marketing? And Ben & Jerry’s ends its Twitter deep freeze.

Let’s dig in.Continue Reading