Ethan Meikle's Blog: This Week in Content Marketing: Mercedes Launches Revenue-Based Content Model

PNR: This Old Marketing with Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose can be found on both iTunes and Stitcher. If you enjoy our show, we would love it if you would rate it or post a review on iTunes.

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In this week’s episode

This week, Robert ponders how we prepare for what’s next. We discuss the Brandwatch/BuzzSumo acquisition and Snapchat’s new location-based services. Mercedes launches its own “killing marketing” model for its integrated content brands, and one article format rises above them all. Our rants and raves include a new marketing model and transparency; then we close with an example of the week from Alcoa.

Download this week’s PNR: This Old Marketing podcast

Show details

(00:01): An advertising blast from the past: “Bubblicious has the ultimate flavor.”

(00:32): Robert muses on this week’s theme: How do we prepare for what’s next?

(05:35): Welcome to Episode 205: Recorded live on October 15, 2017 (Running time: 1:15:25)

(11:00): Special offer for Content Marketing World video on demand – You may have missed the show, but don’t miss out on all the insights. Videos of 100+ sessions from Content Marketing World 2017 will be available for a limited time through our video on demand portal. Register for access and use the coupon code CMIFRIENDS100 to save $100.

(11:35): Content Marketing Master Classes – Our multi-city tour is returning for another round of in-depth content marketing training. Starting on November 6, we’ll be making stops in Boston; New York; Washington, D.C.; Seattle; San Francisco; Chicago; Atlanta; and Austin, Texas. Robert and I would love to see you there, so register today.

Content love from our sponsor: Ahrefs (13:38)

Ahrefs is a powerful SEO tool set that has many amazing tools for content marketers who’re looking to grow their traffic from Google. With Ahrefs tools you can easily find out what people are searching for in Google, so you can create content around the most popular search queries. You can also discover content that got the most shares or earned the most backlinks, so you can piggyback from it and get the same results. And finally, you can easily research your competitors and find out which content brings them the most traffic from Google. Here’s an exclusive opportunity for PNR podcast listeners: Any listener who tweets using #ThisOldMarketing between the dates of September 30 through October 28 will be entered into a drawing to win an annual Ahrefs account plus a signed copy of Joe and Robert’s new book, Killing Marketing. One randomly selected participant will be drawn each week; four winners in total.

The quick hits – Notable news and trends

(16:00): Brandwatch acquires content marketing platform BuzzSumo. (Source: TechCrunch)

(22:40): Snapchat will now show you more info about the cool places your friends are visiting. (Sources: Recode, Forbes)

(30:30): New trends in social and digital news media. (Source: Pew Research Center)

The deep dive – Industry analysis

(38:37): Mercedes is marketing IQ Media’s looping content. (Source: W&V [German language site])

(46:30): The simple article format that draws bigger audiences. (Source: Content Marketing Institute)

Content love from our show sponsor: SnapApp (51:40)

Today’s buying committees are diverse; Millennials are already taking their seats among Generation X and Baby Boomers at the buying table, making navigating the already complicated buying environment even harder, thanks to their different preferences. Though this shift might seem minor, it greatly impacts how marketing teams operate, sales teams engage, and how purchase decisions are ultimately made.

SnapApp and Heinz Marketing recently conducted research to answer the question: How do different generations like to buy? Their report, “The Millennials Are Here! How Generational Differences Impact B2B Buying Committees Today” looks at the differences between the rising Millennial buyer, their Generation X and Baby Boomer counterparts, and how B2B marketing and sales strategies can address the gaps between them. Read the report.

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Rants and raves

(54:12): Robert’s rave: An article in Econsultancy features insights that could have come straight from a page in Killing Marketing. The author does a wonderful job of breaking down the details of the modern marketing model, and Robert wholly recommends it as a great read for all marketers.

(57:33): Joe’s rant-and-rave: The author of this article from The Ringer seems to think Silicon Valley’s tech industry has discovered a new marketing discipline – one that lies between traditional journalism and sponsored content. Though I find it annoying that the article stops short of calling the technique content marketing – and treats it as if it’s a brand-new invention – I really enjoyed reading the piece, for a few key reasons.

This Old Marketing example of the week

(1:09:25): Alcoa presents One Step Beyond: We’ve talked about the folks at Alcoa Aluminum in past PNR podcasts, and they even made a cameo appearance in our Content Marketing Workshop because they were the inventors of the term “Imagineering,” as well as the creators of the first aluminum beer can and the “pop-top.” But, as we are leading up to Halloween, Robert wanted to share the story of a TV show the company created and sponsored, called One Step Beyond. Debuting in 1959, the show presented “real” stories of the supernatural – such as people’s encounters with UFOs and legendary monsters like Bigfoot – with dramatizations of actual events. The show ran for two years and featured tons of guest stars, making it a fascinating This Old Marketing example of a company that created compelling sponsored content as a way to promote its brand.

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