The rise of new interactive platforms, the diminishing returns of traditional advertising and a steady stream of supporting research have led many companies and brands to pour resources into content and increase its share of the marketing mix. "Content is king," as the saying goes. Yet even after two decades in which companies and brands have recognized its importance and produced content, only a few understand how to do it well: how to create content that sparks meaningful interaction and conversation in a space crowded with countless messages and colors.
Well into the 21st century, praising content can almost seem old-fashioned. Bill Gates's iconic 1996 essay "Content is King", in which the Microsoft co-founder predicted that "content is where I expect much of the real money will be made on the Internet", came true in a big way with the rise of Web 2.0. It allowed users and businesses alike to distribute content in unprecedented quantities and at unprecedented scale, reaching almost anyone, of any age and any interest, at any time.
How do you create real content? Funny, interesting and high-quality?
Even today, two decades later, when most companies and brands produce some content and invest considerable money in it, few truly understand its potential.
Commercial companies may understand that they need to write blogs and posts, tweet and run YouTube channels. But all too often the content they produce fails to be as relevant as "real" content: the kind users find interesting, funny and enjoyable. So what isn't working? "Every single organization on the planet knows what they do," explains businessman and author Simon Sinek, whose talk on "the Golden Circle" became one of the most-watched TED talks ever. "Some know how they do it, whether you call it your differentiating value proposition, your proprietary process or your USP. But very, very few organizations know why they do what they do: what's the purpose, the cause, the belief." According to Sinek, an organization's "why", communicated clearly to the outside world, is the way to create an inspiring message.
But what if my company doesn't have a "why"?
That's what we're here for. At MaxiMedia, we believe every brand has a "why": every brand has a story and a point of difference that highlights its strengths. That unspoken "why" is really the content world your brand lives in. Every product or service, without exception, even the most uninspiring and basic product imaginable, exists within a particular content world.
A company that makes screws and tools lives in the world of "do it yourself". It can create inspiring content about restoring old furniture, connect with the vintage and sustainability trends, or champion women in a series of stories about female upholsterers, amateur woodworkers and renovation specialists. A maker of printed paper products lives in a world of "back to basics", before the virtual online world. And focused content about back pain and poor sleep caused by stress can easily connect to a new orthopaedic mattress.
The Facebook posts and blog articles most brands still produce explain why they have the best mattress, the most advanced tools or the best-designed paper products. But that isn't really content; it's advertising thinking on new platforms. Content isn't about what the product can do, but about that "why": the essence. It tells a story about the world the product lives in. And that is the world we build together with you.
It is a craft: developing a brand language, anchoring key brand-relevant moments in the calendar, creating original content for the brand's own platforms and dedicated content for media outlets. From the brand's holiday greeting to a press profile of its founders, all of its communications together tell your company's story.
MaxiMedia: maximum creative thinking, backed by years of experience in marketing and public relations and a broad roster of local and international clients. Our team includes first-rate content and creative professionals who work closely with journalists and media people, while also creating content for our clients' own platforms: the brand's voice on social media, white-label content, catalogs and more. We also create a brand book for the organization's internal circle, so that everyone who represents it tells the brand's story in sync. With all of these tools, we tell your story together with you, in an inspiring way that is sure to get things moving.