Dissertation Presentation

IS CONTENT MARKETING

DEAD?

“Content marketing is like a first date. If all you do is talk about yourself, there won’t be a second date.”

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David Beebe, Content Marketing Advisor and Former VP of Global Creative and Content Marketing at Marriott International

Aims & Objectives To understand the significance of content marketing as a digital marketing tool and how it could be used to engage and influence the buying habits of millennial men on the high street. The aim is to

understand what kind of content is still relevant and if it is a vital tool for fashion brands in the 21st Century or not.

In order to successfully accomplish the research aim, the following objectives must be achieved:

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To examine the rise and significance of content marketing.

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To assess the ways men engage and consume content online.

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To critically analyse if relevant content can affect the consumer’s loyalty and engagement with a fashion brand.

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To evaluate the different elements that fashion brands need to focus on when creating a content strategy for their brands.

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To formulate recommendations on how fashion brands can adopt new content marketing techniques into their marketing strategy.

Who can benefit?

The beneficiaries of this report will include: -

Start-up online retail businesses

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Brands that want to organically grow their online presence.

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Inform online businesses, digital marketers and influencers of the best tools to use when it comes to content marketing and how to optimise them while targeting millennial men on the high street.

Research Methodology Secondary Research Methods Websites and Online Publications

Journals

Reports and Databases

Books

Unpublished Literature

Conference and Lectures

Primary Research Methods Interviews

Name

Position

Company

Rationale

Ines O Garmen

Editor In Chief

Debenhams

What is the role of content in Debenhams digital marketing strategy?

Melissa Knell

Digital Marketing Executive

Harrods

How is content leveraged in luxury fashion brands

Hardeep Matharoo

SEO Account Manager

Best Response Media

Research the role of SEO in Content Marketing

Leanne Warriner

Senior Creative Content Manager

Phase Eight

How is content useful for Phase Eight?

Eilish Katie Anderson

Marketing Executive

BoohooMan

What kind of content is relevant for millennial men?

Theresa Yee

Beauty Content & Vegan Editor WGSN

WGSN

How are trend forecasting and content are related?

Kieron Watts

CEO

MenStyled

How can start-ups harness content marketing in their digital marketing strategies?

Amy Claire Short

Digital Marketing Executive

LK Bennett

How has LK Bennett incorporated content into their digital marketing strategy?

Debby Clarke Owner

DebbyDoodah

How start-ups can harness the power of content?

Elizabeth KinightsWard

Senior Manager, Content & Social Media

HootSuite

How the online space is reacting to content?

Vimal Tailor

Senior e-commerce Content Editor

Next

How has Next incorporated content into their digital marketing strategy?

Luke McCarthy

Brand Content Manager

New Look Men

How is New Look using content to engage more millennial men?

Louise Squire

Sub Editor

WGSN

How content has evolved?

Survey A survey was distributed among

out of which

139 people,

92 were male and 47 were female aged

between 18-34 on Typeform.

Focus Group Two focus groups were conducted, one with five males aged 20-24, the second one with six males aged 23-28.

4.0 THE NEW ERA OF MARKETING: THE RISE OF CONTENT MARKETING 4.1 What is Content Marketing?

4.2 Contributing Factors 4.2.1 Content Revolution; The dawn of the Internet Age 4.2.2 Growth of Digital Marketing and Mobile 4.2.3 The Impact of Blogging & Social Media 4.2.4 Adoption of Ad Blocking Software 4.3 Content in Fashion

4.1 What is Content Marketing?

Consumers no longer buy into products and services; they buy into the approach of solving their problems (Ernst, 2014).

“Content marketing is like stating the obvious, doing something that brands should be doing internally.�

- Elizabeth Knights-Ward, 2018: Interview Brands can develop an always-on relationship with customers through relevant content that is non- promotional and can help provide value at every step of their purchase journey (NewsCred, 2017).

Content can be employed at any or at all stages of the buying process (Content Marketing Institute, 2017).

With top-of-the-funnel brand awareness campaigns to curated product edits that drive conversion, where brands can use this knowledge to help plan content types and formats effectively (Garmen, I: Interview, 2017), and as these consumers continue to engage with a brands content, it helps widen the funnel further down.

4.2 Contributing Factors 4.2.1 Content Revolution; The dawn of the Internet Age The Internet’s evolution over the years has been a vital contributor in the monumental shift in the way fashion information reached customers (Bedoni, 2017).

4.2.2 Growth of Digital Marketing and Mobile

93%

of respondents claimed that their digital marketing spend would see an increase in 2018 (Vermes, 2017).

In 2021, 53.9% of all retail ecommerce is expected to be generated via m-commerce (Statista, 2017).

4.2.3 The Impact of Blogging & Social Media “The average person consumes 11.4 pieces of content before making a purchasing decision.�

-Forrester, 2015: Online

The blogging phenomenon enabled a new way of communicating and sharing information through user generated content.

The convergence of media and technology has given consumers the opportunity to personalise and share their opinions with effectiveness (Maurya, 2011).

Social media allows brands to tailor make stories and connect with their customers on a deeper and intimate level. Analysis of the survey conducted states that 72% of respondents were prompted to visit a new brand online through social media.

Social media and paid social adverts are used to help generate awareness and buzz around new pieces of content (Short, A: Interview, 2018).

However, this does not necessarily translate into a purchase as most ads consumers came across on social media seemed less trust-worthy (Focus Group 1, 2018; Focus Group 2, 2018).

4.3 Content in Fashion

Consumers no longer are looking for content that provides them with educational, emotional value but also are increasingly looking to get entertained before making a purchase (Lee,

2017).

5.0 Millennial Male and Content 5.1 Prevailing Millennial Male Characteristics 5.2 How Men Engage with Content 5.3 Millennial Male Vs Millennial Woman 5.4 The relationship between Influencer Marketing and the Millennial Male 5.5 Theory of Planned Behaviour

5.1 Prevailing Millennial Male Characteristics

5.2 How Men Engage with Content “To convince a man to buy, you must speak directly to his top priorities.�

- Pace, 2009: online

Useful

Inform

Entertain

2 hours 15 minutes

Millennial men spend significantly more time per week than other demographic watching videos online.

5.3 Millennial Male Vs Millennial Woman Research was conducted on how the online shopping behaviour of women and men differ to provide fashion brands a better insight into how they can use content as a tool to target millennial male effectively.

5.4 The relationship between Influencer Marketing and the Millennial Male

6.0 THE CONTENT JOURNEY 6.1 Begin with Content 6.2 Search Engine Optimisation 6.3 Content Distribution 6.3.1 Content Distribution Trifecta 6.4 Measuring Content Effectiveness

6.1 Begin with Content

The main objective of content marketing is to provide consumers with content that they are willing to engage with.

To get a better understanding of what kind of content consumers like to consume, brands should look into the 5 W’s of content creation.

6.2 Search Engine Optimisation

While content is marketer driven, search is customer driven (Wertime & Fenwick, 2008).

6.3 Content Distribution

6.4 Measuring Content Effectiveness Goals Measurement Metric

Benchmarks KPIs

7.0 THE FUTURE OF CONTENT 7.1 Content Trends for the Future 7.1.1 Video Is Still a Big Deal 7.1.2 Email 7.1.3 Hyperconnected mobile and local

7.2 Where is content headed? New Technology.

7.2.1 Voice search 7.2.2 AI and machine learning 7.2.3 Chatbots 7.2.4 Augmented Reality

7.1 Content Trends for the Future Video

Email Hyper connected mobile and local

7.2 Where is content headed? New Technology.

7.2.1 Voice search Voice activation is touted to be the number one way consumers look for content online (NewsCred, 2018).

Amazon Alexa x Perry Ellis

7.2.2 AI and machine learning Associations

Why AI-first?

Patterns

Trends

Actionable Insights

7.2.3 Chatbots KEY PLAYERS

A chatbot can be described as a software that automates the task of talking with people, especially over the internet.

7.2.4 Augmented Reality As fashion brands are increasingly trying to look into new ways of delivering a “try before you buy� experience for shoppers who do not want to necessarily visit a store physically, more uses of advanced technology will be bound (Google, 2018).

Recommendations

SEO

Distribution Channels

Effective measurement strategy

Effective Content Strategy

Further recommendations

So, is content marketing really dead?

References ■

Insights. (2017). Fashion Content Marketing 2017: Top Trends + Leading Brands. [online] Available at: https://insights.newscred.com/fashion-contentmarketing- 2017-top-trends-leading-brands/ [Accessed 5 Dec. 2017].

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Bendoni, W. (2017). Social media for fashion marketing. London: Bloomsbury Visual Arts.

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Vermes, K. (2018). Survey: 41% of Digital Marketing Budgets Will Increase Significantly in 2018 | KoMarketing. [online] KoMarketing: B2B Search, Social, & Content Marketing.

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Statista. (2018). UK mobile retail commerce share 2021 | Statistic. [online] Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/249863/us-mobile-retailcommerce-sales-as- percentage-of-e-commerce-sales/ [Accessed 8 Mar. 2018].

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Skinner, R., S. Paderni, L. and Madej, K. (2015). Brief: Marketing And Media Efficiency Outcomes Drive Content Marketing. [online] Forrester.com.

Available at:

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Maurya, M. (2011). Evolution of Blogs as a Credible Marketing Communication Tool. [online] Citeseerx.ist.psu.edu. Available at: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.469.1348&rep=rep1&ty pe=pdf [Accessed 8 Mar. 2018].

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Lee, K. (2018). Why Shoppable Ads Could Be the Next Big Thing in Influencer Marketing. [online] Adweek.com. Available at: http://www.adweek.com/digital/kamiu-lee-activate-by- bloglovin-guest-post-shoppable-ads-influencer-marketing/ [Accessed 8 Mar. 2018].

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Nielson. (2014). [online] Available at: http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2014/the-men-the-myths-the- legends-why-millennial-dudes-mightbe-more-receptive-to-marketing.html) [Accessed 5 Apr. 2018].

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Google. (2017). Micro-Moments: Your Guide to Winning the Shift to Mobile. [online] Available at: http://file://nasstudusers/9$/N0602192/Downloads/micromomentguide-to- winning-shift-to- mobile-download.pdf [Accessed 5 Dec. 2017].

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NewsCred. (2018). How to Use Psychology to Improve Content Marketing. [online] Available at: https://insights.newscred.com/how-to-use-psychology-toimprove-content- marketing/ [Accessed 16 Mar. 2018].