The three things brands want publishers to know are the specific topics that engage the brand's customers, adjacent cultural and lifestyle topics, and the priorities and causes of the brand.
New York, NY (PRWEB) May 22, 2014
As Managing Editor, Dell Global Communications, Stephanie Losee directs the editorial content strategy for the global computer brand. She says the three things brands want publishers to know are the specific topics that engage the brand's customers, adjacent cultural and lifestyle topics and the priorities and causes of the brand.
She explains at Min’s Content Marketing & Innovation Summit, held yesterday at The Yale Club, in New York, that even though companies are now establishing their own digital platforms and social media presence, “brands need traditional media to thrive.”
As a former writer and editor for Fortune, PC Magazine and other outlets, Losee experienced firsthand the major changes traditional media have faced in recent years. From these changes, Losee says she sees an opportunity for traditional outlets to reestablish relationships with Advertisers, in developing new, creative ways to engage audiences.
Whether it is called Native Advertising, Content Marketing or Advertorial, brands and publishers are working with each other to develop fresh, high-quality content that brings the brand into contact with the loyal audience of an established editorial team.
Locate the Topic, Then Look Broader
Losee tells AdNation News: “A publisher who wants a native advertising partnership with a brand should elicit information about topics that are interesting to the brand's audience, both the ones that are squarely in the brand's topic crosshairs, as well as adjacent topics."
Losee also reminds outlets that the Advertiser considers itself the authority on its customers.
“Brands always know,” Losee adds. “We know that people who are interested in Dell are also interested in productivity, for example, so content about productivity would resonate well with our audiences who are readers of your publication, increasing the chances that the engagement will be a success.”
Connecting with Top Priorities and Causes
Companies of all sizes make humanitarian causes a high priority in their brand identity and messaging. These efforts also lend themselves to content marketing copy, and publishers should know about these efforts. For instance, Dell helped develop an e-waste operation in East Africa, which helps Kenyans dispose of their computer-related waste in a responsible manner. This story was reported in earned media and on Dell's own digital hub.
“It is very important that the publisher knows about the brand’s priorities and causes,” Losee explains. “For instance, at Dell we are interested in women entrepreneurs--we work to level the playing field for them in a variety of ways.”
“We're also a listening company,” she says, “both for ourselves and for other organizations like the Red Cross. We donated a social media command center to the Red Cross that mirrors the one we use to hear and respond to customer feedback 24/7. Hurricane Sandy was the first major event in which the Red Cross could "hear" everyone in the disaster who asked for help. So it is very important that publishers are aware of the brand’s priorities to create engaging content and tell compelling stories on behalf of the company.”
-Chris Wood