Content Marketing
I like Russell Sparkman's definition of the much-discussed but still fuzzy concept of content marketing. In an interview with David Murray in Vital Speeches, Sparkman says:
"Stripped down to its essence, Content Marketing is the investment of both human and financial resources in the strategic creation, curation and distribution of relevant, educational and/or fun content as the basis of building awareness, generating leads, closing sales and providing customer support."
Then he peels back another layer: "Content Marketing requires the company or non-profit to “think like marketers, and act like publishers or broadcasters” in order to leverage content as the basis of engagement."
Could Patagonia be serious when it recently urged consumers not to buy one of its products, specifically a handsome blue jacket? The retailer’s “buy less, reflect more” campaign has to be some kind of scam, right? I don’t think so.
If you like your NASCAR mixed with a little religion, you’ll love this trackside invocation.
I’ve seen two things in the past three days that made me feel good about golf: Rory McIlroy winning the U.S. Open and David Feherty’s new unfiltered interview show (Feherty) on Golf Channel. While we’re on the subject of Feherty, here’s an excerpt from a candid (does he do any other kind?) interview in the… [Read more…]
I really like what speechwriter and lecturer Mike Long had to say about finding happiness and doing good at the 2011 Magis Lecture at Georgetown University.
A real man wouldn’t take grilling advice from a girl, would he? Maybe he (we) should. With 14 years on the job at the Weber hotline, 67-year-old Janet Olsen is answering questions and calming the nerves of desperate grillers this holiday weekend. But if you’re especially frantic, you just might hear her say: “You might… [Read more…]
As Chicago mayor Richard Daley prepares to leave office, rhetoricians are already bemoaning the loss. Speechwriting guru David Murray recalls one of Daley’s classic quotes from a press conference many years ago, when Daley told reporters: “Scrutiny? What else do you want? Do you want to take my shorts? Give me a break … Go… [Read more…]
After a couple of unpolished, rambling public speaking forays, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg succumbed to some professional coaching. He’s now much better, as his appearance on Saturday Night Live proved. Microsoft “technical evangelist” Robert Scoble says this about his transformation, “It’s like swimming in cold water. At first when you jump in you just aren’t able… [Read more…]
The Masters not only signals the start of the golf season for many of us, but also seems to get writers’ juices going too. A toast (beer in a generic green paper cup will do just fine) to Dave Shedloski and Chris Millard for stirring the memories with their excellent reporting of that bright spring… [Read more…]
As a former newspaper guy, I’m all for ideas to save a withering species. Here are a few ideas from Optimedia US CEO Antony Young, starting with “Give away 100 million iPads. I’m serious. Make tablets ubiquitous in schools, fast-food restaurants, bus stops, trains, planes, libraries — anywhere that people have downtime to spare. Get… [Read more…]
January 20, 2012
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