Brands must double down on consumer-centric content to meet the wants and needs of a new actively engaged audience, according to industry expert Tom Doctoroff, who spoke at the latest talentQ Expo in Chicago last week.
The event was centred around the power of content and its ability to forge connections with clients and consumers across the world. Doctoroff, a senior partner at marketing consultancy firm Prophet, said brands must listen to consumers more than they ever have before in order to succeed with their content campaigns.
“Content needs to move from ‘we tell you’ to ‘you tell us,’” Doctoroff told attendees. “[It’s about] harnessing the voices of people in a way that doesn’t just create cacophony, but deepens the message of a brand.”
According to Doctoroff, the industry has changed significantly during the last twelve months as consumers now influence, subscribe and curate rather than being influenced and spectating from the sidelines.
Brands must, therefore, overhaul their content marketing strategies to tap into the more active role of the consumer and harness the desire to participate and get involved. This not only amplifies the power of content but develops meaningful and lasting relationships between businesses and their customers.
“Content has to compete with life,” Doctoroff concluded. “It can’t just [be] a matter of telling and selling. It needs to be a way of deepening a relationship over time.”
Other speakers at the event also touched on content trends such as the need to deliver “personalized and optimized” content to drive engagement, and to create localised articles and videos to cut through the noise and connect on a global scale.
