The document provides an overview of a presentation on content marketing strategies. It discusses various umbrella terms related to content marketing and the need for a strategic approach. It outlines Du Plessis' framework containing six essential elements of content marketing and applies it to analyze Microsoft's stories blog as an example of best practice. The presentation describes the research questions, methodology, and conceptual map linking the six elements. It is concluded that the conceptual map represents knowledge in the under-researched area of content marketing and could be used as a heuristic for developing strategies, while requiring further interpretation and adaptation over time.

1. Marketing Planning Overview
Date
Academic Guidelines for Content Marketing
LCBR European Marketing Conference
30 June 2015, Lisbon, Portugal
Charmaine du Plessis
Research Based
Recommendations
for better Practice

2. Follow-up study: Framework for the Analysis,
Research Questions and Methodology
Conceptual map (based on findings) and
Conclusions
Importance of a Content Marketing Strategy
Today’s Presentation
Content Marketing – status, umbrella
terms
1
2
3
5
4
Framework applied to Microsoft’s stories
microsite – an example of best practice

3. Content Marketing
• Recent marketing paradigm - creating, sharing
and pulling brand content to the target audience
• Joe Pullizi coined the term “content marketing”
• Not new, but only more prominent because of
overcoming barriers
• Brands have become publishers
• Pull marketing strategies to engage the target
audience in compelling brand stories
• Many perspectives - umbrella terms
• Impeding consistent practice based on own
perspectives, backgrounds and epistemologies

4. Post Internet branding
Some Umbrella Terms
Brand journalism
Open Source Branding
Influencer Marketing

5. Co-creating brands
Some Umbrella Terms
Native advertising
Mostly resembles inbound marketing
Inbound marketing pulls customers to the company's
products and services by offering useful information
and resources

6. Digital business to business (B2B) content marketing
= inbound marketing technique to sustain brand
status by adopting a "publishing approach” (Holliman
& Rowley 2014)
Little Academic Input
Content marketing is perceived as a "subset" of
inbound marketing as content forms an essential part
of it (Chernov 2014)

7. Position for this Presentation
Methodical approach and not merely a new catchphrase
– Content Marketing Institute (2015)
"Content marketing is a strategic brand storytelling technique aimed at
changing consumers' inactive behaviour through unobtrusive, engaging brand
conversations in earned media".
Du Plessis (2015) formulated a definition of content
marketing based on an analysis of 55 definitions
triangulated with content marketing practitioners' views
= framework for the analysis of this study

8. Content Marketing
• Innovative pull branding technique to create brand
awareness, visibility and trustworthiness in
especially social media
• Can drive social media engagement, steer blog or
website traffic or encourage a call to action
• Brand content takes the form of brand stories
strategically linked to the company's brand
personality or brand persona
• Catches the interest of consumers based on
relevancy to their own lives

9. Importance of a Content Marketing Strategy
• Guides content
marketing
efforts for best
results
• Actions are
documented and
strategically
aligned with
company
objectives
Perspectives on its
components still
differ and depends
on the company's
objectives, brand
positioning and
brand concept
Drives strategic
brand content to the
company website or
blog to create brand
awareness, loyalty
or brand conversion
1 2 3
Different perceptions on its components
Often confused with content or social media strategies

10. • Brand positioning
main guiding principle
• Purposefully create content
as part of the company's
overall brand strategy
• Integrated manner to
enhance brand consistency
• Nature of the channel for the
brand content
• Determining the right
channels and volume
• Each channel + users unique
Strategic
Framework for the Analysis
MediumDu Plessis’
(2015) six
generic
essential
elements
that
encompass
the field of
content
marketing

11. Techniques
Appealing
Should be noticed
Natural, unobtrusive
Familiar brand voice
Part of daily lives
Brand's values + promise
Engaging, relevant brand stories
which are evergreen = interactive
Humanises the brand
Intrinsic
Framework for the Analysis
Formation
Communication
Du Plessis’
(2015) six
generic
essential
elements
that
encompass
the field of
content
marketing

12. Envisaged outcome
Depends on the company's
brand strategy and objectives
Framework for the Analysis
Corollary
Du Plessis’
(2015) six
generic
essential
elements
that
encompass
the field of
content
marketing
Could be adapted for both B2C
and B2B content marketing
practices

13. Research Questions
This study was guided by the following two research
questions:
• Research question 1: How are Du Plessis' (2015)
proposed generic six essential elements of
content marketing reflected in Microsoft's stories'
blog?
• Research question 2: How can these six elements
be mapped conceptually as a heuristic for a
generic content marketing strategy?

14. Research Methodology
• Pragmatic worldview
as research paradigm
• Deeper understanding
of the stories on the
Microsoft stories
microsite
• Interesting alternative
to interpretive studies
• Body of knowledge of
content marketing
mainly consists =
practitioners'
contributions =socially
constructed, namely a
result of human
thought and
interaction
• Six generic essential
elements of content
marketing +
interrelations
examined within
context of example
of content marketing
by Microsoft
Corporation
• Founded in 1975
world leader in
selling computer
software, personal
computers, services
and electronics
• One of the world’s
leading brands
• Distinguished for its
successful content
marketing practices
• Illustration of best
practice
• Microsite as part of its
bigger website
• Features some of
the finest examples of
storytelling on the web
• Showcases its talent
through employee
profiles and it offers a
sneak peak into
interesting aspects of
the company culture
On-going study: theory building
for the content marketing
discipline

15. Research Methodology
• Website content
constantly changes
• Sample of content
only applicable to
April and May 2015
• Several techniques to
narrow analysis
• a) Content auditing
software program to
structure the website
in terms of its most
prevalent topics
• b) Issue Discovery, a
heuristic data
exploration tool, to
confirm + further
explore these issues
• After identifying
the main issues on
the Microsoft
stories microsite, a
1000 stories were
examined within
the context of the
six proposed
generic elements of
content marketing
• A conceptual map
was drawn by
focusing on the
study's research
questions =
context frame
• Cmap software for
analysis
• Connect concepts,
using linking words
and creating
propositions
considering the results
with regard to
Microsoft’s stories blog
+ six generic elements
• First preliminary map,
then revised
• Conceptual map will
never be completed
• Usually continuously
updated and revised as
new knowledge
becomes available
Went beyond epistemological and disciplinary boundaries in order to obtain results

16. Research Methodology On-going study: theory building
for the content marketing
discipline
Issues
on site -
example

17. Research Methodology On-going study: theory building
for the content marketing
discipline
Issues
on site -
example

18. Conceptual Map
Conceptual Map of Content Marketing: Example of Best Practice

19. Explaining the Conceptual Map in relation to
Microsoft’s stories blog
Companies that embark on content marketing should have a specific target audience and goal in
mind for creating content using a dedicated blog or website to share in most relevant social media
It is important to emotionally connect the consumer to these stories which can also be
done via co-creation opportunities and interactivity
The company should have a dedicated focal point for its owned content and adopt an integrated
approach to create compelling, long-formed brand stories with real characters sharing their
experiences while living the brand’s values
Content marketing is a strategic process informed by the company's brand positioning
and brand concept that reinforces its familiar voice in relevant social media
Several communication techniques with a specific appeal are used according to the objectives
of the company to make the content relevant + applicable to the target audience’s daily lives
The brand should not be the focus of the content, but rather inconspicuous, interactive, engaging,
relatable yet planned evergreen long form stories illustrated with visuals to make them more shareable.

20. Explaining the Conceptual Map
Important to deepen relations with consumers. The emotional connection with the
consumer humanises the brand
The emotional connection with the consumer humanises the brand through these experiences.
Anticipated outcomes of content marketing efforts depend on marketing objectives,
brand strategy and brand promise.

21. Conclusions
• Du Plessis’ (2015) six proposed generic elements of content marketing
are reflected in Microsoft’s stories blog and are interrelated.
• The conceptual map linking these six elements with Microsoft’s stories
could be used as a heuristic for companies wanting to devise a content
marketing strategy.
• The conceptual map represents structural knowledge indicating how
preceding knowledge of content marketing is interconnected.
• Provides an overview of a domain of knowledge which requires further
interpretation.
• Elements are generic which could be adapted for both B2C and B2B
content marketing practices.
• Under researched area, the conceptual map is by no means complete
and should be adapted as new discoveries are being made.
• Starting point in a continuous academic study to build theory with
regard to content marketing.

22. Thank You!