4 branded content resolutions for 2019
By: Eric Brandner
Tags: Creativity, Branding, Marketing, Content Marketing, Branded Content

4 branded content resolutions for 2019

Go long. Anticipate more. But first, find something your audience really believes in.

A November 2018 Creative Lab shoot in Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo by Ryan Timms/Creative Lab

Two-thirds of the new people who showed up at your gym last week are about to stop using their memberships. And by the time summer vacation season arrives, many of the 38 percent of Americans who say they want to save more money in 2019 (a 22 percent uptick from 2018 according to an Offers.com survey, which isn’t exactly a vote of confidence for the economy) will still splurge on that big trip at the expense of boosting their bank account.

And who can blame them for wanting to maximize their couch and beach time? The problem with resolutions like losing weight or being more fiscally conservative often isn’t that they require too much work, but instead that reaching those goals requires people to sacrifice other things they desire. Want ripped abs? Put down that beer. Want to save more money without upgrading your job? Stop spending on luxuries and go out less with your friends.

With the idea of trade-off-free upgrades in mind, our Creative Lab team is proposing four branded content resolutions creators and marketers can achieve in 2019. They won’t require a significant quality, financial or time sacrifice — yes, we know you’re all on deadline right now — but instead can be met by thinking a little bit differently about your approach.

Do it for the cause: Branded content doesn’t need to be self-serving. From Burger King’s take on net neutrality to Perricone MD’s look at the science behind empowerment, talking about important issues that matter to your brand gives you an opportunity to connect with customers in more meaningful way than a not-so-veiled sales pitch. Strong relationships with charities — where you’ll mine far better stories than anything associated with a transaction — should be celebrated, not hidden in the ninth paragraph of a brand’s About Us page. Go long: What’s the last article you read that you really enjoyed? Not a quick news story you retweeted, but a piece that ignited your passion for an issue, prompting you to tell a co-worker about it at lunch or draft a borderline oversharing Facebook post. We’re assuming that article was longer than 1,000 words. Quality long-form content attracts passionate people, which in turn allows your brand’s most dedicated audience to self identify. There are plenty of stats to back this up. We’re not saying to start pitching branded content novellas (though please let us know if you do), but deep dives that make a lasting impact can pay long-term dividends. Listen to your clients (or internal stakeholders): “Of course! I always do that!” you say, as you skim past this to №4. But do you pick up the small details in the margins of those conversations that could lead to new ideas they really want to create or throwaway lines that could grow to be your next great campaign? Oh, of course you do. What were we thinking? Now, try focusing on that even more this year and see if you can’t green light a few extra projects. Sometimes, resolutions are less about buying that shiny new piece of workout gear and more about eating your vegetables. Moving on … Anticipate. Anticipate. Anticipate: Some people would just call this planning, but we see it as more nuanced. Planning is organizing your calendar or scheduling a shoot. Anticipation is creating a pitch deck for homebuilders when a Fortune 500 company announces it’s moving its headquarters to your city, or setting aside an hour to mindmap content solutions for a big-picture initiative your in-house team will almost certainly be asked to support in the next year. Anticipation is hard. Most people don’t even try to do it. But identifying those near certainties and how your brand will react to them — even if you carve out as little as an hour a week to do so — is the only way you’ll be ready when they inevitably happen.

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