The Content Marketing Institute, hosts of the annual event in Cleveland, Ohio, announced this week that Oscar winner Kevin Spacey would be giving the closing keynote speech at the September conference.
Content Marketing Institute founder Joe Pulizzi said: “We are beyond thrilled to have Kevin Spacey joins us for this year’s event. Mr Spacey is a dynamic actor, writer, producer and director. His critically-acclaimed Netflix original series, House of Cards, has broken content distribution barriers in television. We believe he has great insight that applies to content marketing and corporate storytelling that will resonate with our audience.”
All 13 episodes of the hit political thriller series were released in February 2013 to wide critical acclaim; season two comes out in February 2014. In a speech, Spacey explained the innovative distribution strategy: “Give them [the audience] what they want, when they want it, in the form they want it in…”
The success of the strategy feeds off the rising popularity of binge watching. The kind of original, top-quality programming from non-traditional sources, like Netflix and Amazon, is innovative content for the new high-tech screens. Viewers will be able to see the second season of House of Cards on 4K Ultra HD, which Netflix is introducing with the season opener.
Pulizzi thinks Spacey serves as a model for marketers in how to break the mould: “You don’t have to do things the same old way. You can innovate with your content distribution and creation. These marketers in attendance can really learn from his experience.” Pulizzi also said that the Content Marketing Institute was looking for keynote candidates who were well-known storytellers. Attendees can expect to be immersed at the conference in learning how to tell better stories about their brands.
Spacey has won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in The Usual Suspects and for best actor for his portrayal of Lester in American Beauty. Lester was a disenchanted marketing writer in the midst of a midlife crisis.
Last year, Content Marketing World attracted some 1,700 marketing and PR professionals from over 40 countries. Other speakers scheduled for this year’s event include marketing executives from major brands, including Facebook, Microsoft, Cisco Systems, and Kraft Foods.
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