Alternative Marketing Materials: Informative Articles
March 11, 2015
The rapid advancement of technology has also spawned a new breed of consumers: more empowered, more curious, more discerning. In this age of information, companies should adapt by developing alternative marketing materials – based on a strategy that is less aggressive, and more inclined to informing the customer.
For example, the internet has allowed customers to access more information than ever before about products and services. More importantly, they go beyond “official” sources, such as company websites, and look for product reviews on blogs, Facebook pages, or chatrooms. To address this trend, companies can instead present themselves not as a seller, but as an information source.
One way to do this is by sponsoring informative articles on the tri-media (television, radio, print) as well as social media pages. For instance, adspaces on these platforms can be bought not for posting actual marketing materials, but a well-researched feature on the importance, say, of using a cloud service to store company data. In this case, the article need not even directly promote the sponsoring brand.
Companies can also place informative content on websites that gather high traffic like WikiHow.com or Yahoo Answers. On WikiHow.com, Kraft can sponsor the placement of an article on how to prepare a Mac & Cheese using microwave. Starbucks, on the other hand, can create an official account for answering all user-generated questions related to coffee, e.g. “What is the strongest blend of coffee in the whole world?”
The key is to determine topics that are highly relevant to a consumer’s daily experience, based on a thorough research of the behavior of the target market. Moreover, the placement or tone of the article should be aligned with the company’s communication guidelines and overall marketing goals.
To further enhance this information campaign that doubles as a marketing effort, companies need to also conduct a meticulous research on the right media platform to place the sponsored content in. A good example would be an article on the proper care of luxury leather furniture, bylined by a famous lifestyle blogger. If the target market is stay-at-home moms, Martha Stewart’s blog will be a perfect space. On the other hand, it will be a waste of space, effort, and other resources to post this type of content on a Facebook group frequented by teens.
Companies should seek the advice of a firm that specializes in marketing communications in developing marketing materials based on an information campaign strategy.
For example, the internet has allowed customers to access more information than ever before about products and services. More importantly, they go beyond “official” sources, such as company websites, and look for product reviews on blogs, Facebook pages, or chatrooms. To address this trend, companies can instead present themselves not as a seller, but as an information source.
One way to do this is by sponsoring informative articles on the tri-media (television, radio, print) as well as social media pages. For instance, adspaces on these platforms can be bought not for posting actual marketing materials, but a well-researched feature on the importance, say, of using a cloud service to store company data. In this case, the article need not even directly promote the sponsoring brand.
Companies can also place informative content on websites that gather high traffic like WikiHow.com or Yahoo Answers. On WikiHow.com, Kraft can sponsor the placement of an article on how to prepare a Mac & Cheese using microwave. Starbucks, on the other hand, can create an official account for answering all user-generated questions related to coffee, e.g. “What is the strongest blend of coffee in the whole world?”
The key is to determine topics that are highly relevant to a consumer’s daily experience, based on a thorough research of the behavior of the target market. Moreover, the placement or tone of the article should be aligned with the company’s communication guidelines and overall marketing goals.
To further enhance this information campaign that doubles as a marketing effort, companies need to also conduct a meticulous research on the right media platform to place the sponsored content in. A good example would be an article on the proper care of luxury leather furniture, bylined by a famous lifestyle blogger. If the target market is stay-at-home moms, Martha Stewart’s blog will be a perfect space. On the other hand, it will be a waste of space, effort, and other resources to post this type of content on a Facebook group frequented by teens.
Companies should seek the advice of a firm that specializes in marketing communications in developing marketing materials based on an information campaign strategy.
Posted by Louie Drake. Posted In : Advertising and Marketing
