Article

Jenny Stanley
Jenny Stanley 26 June 2023

Are Brands Contributing to a Content Obesity Crisis?

In an always on marketing ecosystem can brands keep up without oversaturating. In our always on marketing ecosystem it stands to reason that brands should be always communicating. Or does it? Do consumers really want a relationship with their milk? Do they want inanimate objects to say hello to them? To add to the ever-increasing pile-up of unread emails in their inbox? Or is it time for a fresh approach; one that recognises that when it comes to content marketing quality is more important than quantity?

According to HubSpot 33% of marketers said that low open rates is one of the biggest problems they are facing. With email response rates dropping by 40% last year. Yamini Rangan, Chief Executive Officer at HubSpot, has warned that ‘channels are oversaturated with content and ads, and it's pushing new buyers away.

As a result, companies are seeing their organic traffic decline, their lead generation slows down and their conversion rates drop.

According to Hubspot, 83% of marketers believe it’s more effective to create higher-quality content less frequently. A data point which suggests that brands risk simply adding to a growing content obesity epidemic, rather than forging meaningful connections.

When you layer on the potential to create acres of low value content through Generative AI the danger is that brands will simply add to the noise. With this in mind, we asked industry experts if brands should reappraise their content marketing strategies to reach increasingly disconnected consumers.

Paul Maskell

Paul - Yolk.jpg

Founder, ​Yolk

Said simply, brands cannot, and more importantly should not, continue to run content marketing strategies knowing that disconnected consumers are increasing at an alarming rate. Ultimately, what we seem to miss – or rather hide from behind the continuous tirade of content – is the volume of global energy being used and the vast amounts of damage that is happening to our environment due to these campaigns.

Irrespective of creating higher quality content, and seeding less frequently, brands need to act way more responsibly, right now, when considering their marketing actions. Obvious marketing pulls and financial pressures drag brands towards the digital sphere (e.g. affordability, greater reach, smarter targeting and so on) – this is a given in today’s world. 

However, could it be said that today’s brands have also become somewhat lackadaisical towards the more traditional marketing activations that are still at their disposal, yet simply reach for the digital default button, and let it roll? 

Zigging when everyone else is zagging might just give brands the opportunity to re-engage with their ‘lapsed digital disconnectors’ within the real world. And, you never know, it may work out that it's even more friendly – for the consumers, brands and the planet.

Jenny Stanley

Jenny Stanley.jpg

Managing Director, Appetite Creative

To get closer to the consumer it’s essential to use meaningful and valuable content. We find that interaction and engagement through gamification and curated fun play, rather than automated ‘trash’ content has far greater value to both the brand and customer.

The focus should always be on quality rather than quantity – by creating customised experiences rather than reams of irrelevant information.

The brands we work with are seeing tangible benefits from interactive connected experiences, accessed through QR codes or NFC tags found on packaging, which deliver bespoke branded content, that can be adapted in real-time, data-collects to inform a personalised experiences and keep customers coming back for more.

Jon Williams

Jon Williams.jpg

CEO and Founder, ​Liberty Guild

We are all, without a shadow of a doubt, drowning in a sea of sh*te. A sea of our own making. But each channel has its own issues, rules and conventions. Email and let’s face it spam, which Hubspot contributes to, is all about the lost art of the subject line IMHO.

Write a beautiful hook and your open rate will soar. Spoiler - we use Hubspot. And I write the words. But the old school copywriter inside me can’t resist. If you don’t get an open… the content is invisible. So obviously I buy the higher content less frequently.

But we have a bigger problem. I heard some AI geek talking about how he wanted to create a bot to continue to tweet in his persona after he died. Imagine a whole platform of bots emulating dead people talking to each other about ‘whatever’ that no one really cared about? Or ever heard.

I’ve been in meetings that felt like that. Or how now, you can get AI to write a long email from a short prompt, which then the recipient can use another AI to extract a summary from. We have truly eaten ourselves. You may have noticed that if you want to speak to someone in a noisy, crowded room, the best thing to do is lean close and whisper.

Matthew Harrington

Matthew Harrington.jpg

Executive Director of Native Content & Social, ​House 337

We continually challenge and discuss the optimal amount of content to share weekly/monthly with our clients.

When you start breaking this down into performance, brand and product-led content, across multiple channels, formats and with added personalisation, you can very quickly get to a lot of noise.

This can have a negative effect on consumers or target audiences. If you get multiple emails from brands you don't feel engaged with, you question if you want to receive any more. Similarly, if brands' social content happens too often or is too 'samey, then it's tempting to go on a culling spree. After all, why should your feed be boring because of this content?

The key is focusing on quality and relevance. Of course, less is more isn't always exactly right in this space, as different content is there to serve multiple purposes, but quality over quantity is still not far off the mark.

Identifying objectives, like added value and audience brand experience, when developing content plans is vital. Work out if the content will genuinely drive positive action. This way, you can cut back on the bloat and create content you know will be welcomed and effective.

James Kirkham

James Kirkham.jpg

CEO and Founder, ​ICONIC

Our philosophy in ICONIC is to give brands a queue jump to the front of popular culture. Therefore in order to do this they need to be part of the fabric to begin with, not interrupting all that is rich and compelling. 

If the brand work does not have real understanding of the culture with which it resides, the output will merely be adding to a state of constant clutter, and slowing audiences through even more ‘content obesity’.

There’s an array of criteria which ensures this is achievable, too. For example, all brands should resist resorting to wasteful interruptive display when it is not connected to other more engaging activations. These will always be throwaway, transient and not have a foothold in the wider vernacular.  

Likewise, those acting on a cultural trigger or event need to make sure they can move at the speed of a meme. This first mover advantage creates huge organic positivity from hungry audiences who seek and discover what’s truly fresh or new. Another key component is for brands and agencies to make moments that matter so that this then becomes ‘fan-fuel’. In effect, excitable consumers share it instead of ignoring it. 

These mean less disconnected consumers, an enriched output predicated more on the way we consume entertainment by discovering, sharing and advocating - not spending our well-earned time merely avoiding.

Richard Parsons

Richard Parsons .jpg

Founding Partner, ​True

In 1996, Bill Gates wrote, “content is king”. Ten years later, HubSpot declared advertising was ‘dead and that inbound marketing – in other words ‘content’ – was the answer. Fast forward to 2023, and effectiveness in marketing is at a crisis point.

I’m sure it’s all tied up with the rush to performance marketing and short-term sales objectives. Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science has a concept of in-market and out-of-market buyers. They say a whopping 95% of buyers are not actively looking for a solution. Even worse, they may not even know they have a problem to solve or need a solution.

Most content is created with a focus on those people that are ‘in-market’. They represent the other 5% of buyers. Content to this cohort, at the bottom of the funnel, is often rational, educational and uninspiring. Put that together with the sheer volume of boring content that’s created, and it’s not surprising that open and engagement rates are falling.

The answer, of course, is creativity and work that speak to the emotional part of the brain. The part that craves inspiration and entertainment. Only when marketers (and their agencies) understand that will we see effectiveness increase. 

Ashish Kumar
Ashish Kumar

Contact for Bespoke CRM at ......https://www.web-alliance.co.uk/contact-form
+44-0800 677 1786
[email protected]
Address:
Web Alliance Limited
32 Thruxton Drive
Northampton NN3 6ES, United Kingdom
Registered in England No. 08306747.

Luciano Calvo
Luciano Calvo

Finally, when it was said that content is king, it was taken for granted (in my opinion to justify my contribution) that whoever contributes such content has to be original and authentic.

And for some reason, despite augmented humans, who are sure to contribute fantastic things, that authentic is attributed to the "full-blooded" human.

Please login or register to add a comment.

Contribute Now!

Loving our articles? Do you have an insightful post that you want to shout about? Well, you've come to the right place! We are always looking for fresh Doughnuts to be a part of our community.

Popular Articles

See all
The Impact of New Technology on Marketing

The Impact of New Technology on Marketing

Technology has impacted every part of our lives. From household chores to business disciplines and etiquette, there's a gadget or app for it. Marketing has changed dramatically over the years, but what is the...

Alex Lysak
Alex Lysak 3 April 2024
Read more
Infographic: The State of B2B Lead Generation 2024

Infographic: The State of B2B Lead Generation 2024

A new report from London Research and Demand Exchange looks at the latest trends in B2B lead generation, with clear insights around how lead gen leaders are generating the quality and quantity of leads they require.

Linus Gregoriadis
Linus Gregoriadis 2 April 2024
Read more
How much has marketing really changed in the last 30 years?

How much has marketing really changed in the last 30 years?

Have the principles of marketing changed in the age of the Internet? Or have many of the key fundamentals of the discipline stayed the same?

Ben Hollom
Ben Hollom 15 April 2024
Read more
7 Reasons Why Social Media Marketing is Important For Your Business

7 Reasons Why Social Media Marketing is Important For Your Business

In the past two decades social media has become a crucial tool for marketers, enabling businesses to connect with potential customers. If your business has yet to embrace social media and you want to know why it is...

Sharron Nelson
Sharron Nelson 29 February 2024
Read more
How to Review a Website — A Guide for Beginners

How to Review a Website — A Guide for Beginners

A company website is crucial for any business's digital marketing strategy. To keep up with the changing trends and customer buying behaviors, it's important to review and make necessary changes regularly...

Digital Doughnut Contributor
Digital Doughnut Contributor 25 March 2024
Read more