Russell Sparkman's slides for guest lecture at the University of Washington's Social Media Certificate Program

3. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark
@FusionSpark
Russell Sparkman
#ContentThatMatters
FusionSpark.com/content-matters-uwsmc
First, some housekeeping ...

4. Strategy Creation MarTech
Content Marketing

5. WARNING
This content may force
professional marketers to rethink
current employment and career paths.

6. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark
“What is our PURPOSE?”
#ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark

8. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark

9. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark
Inducted 2001
ComputerWorld’s
“Search for New Heroes”
For the use of information
technology to promote
positive social, economic
and educational change.

11. Content That
Doesn’t Matter

12. Life’s too short to
create content
that doesn’t matter.
The essence of Content that Matters is
to do well, while doing good.

13. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark
Information
Overload
Consumer
Expectations
of Business
Consumer
Aspirations
What Gets
Shared and Why
Mission,
Value and
Purpose
Purpose
and
Sales
Examples of
Purpose-focused
Content

14. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark
“WTF?”
“Meh.” “Yes!”

15. Whenever you find
yourself on the side of the
majority, it is time to
pause and reflect.
~ Mark Twain

16. 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
Pieces of content ... and counting.

17. There were 5 exabytes of
information created between
the dawn of civilization
through 2003, but that much
information is now created
every 2 days, and the pace is
increasing.
– Eric Schmidt, 2010

18. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark
Source:
Death to Bullshit Slideshare
Brad Frost, Atomic Design
1970’s - “Information Overload”
Where we’re headed.
Fast.

19. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark

20. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark
You Are Here.

22. “Oops ... I’m sorry about that ...
there’s a lot of noise out there.”
© Matt McGee/Flickr
- Bono

23. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark
I think I’ll produce and
distribute content to
reach my prospects.
This is you, and everyone else

26. 1876

27. OK, let’s take
a deep breath ...

28. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark
Customers, employees and
shareholders, are seeking
meaning and purpose from
whom they buy from, work for
or invest in.

29. Source: Millward Brown

30. “Organizations driven by
purpose and values
outperformed the general
market 15:1 and
outperformed comparison
companies 6:1.”

31. Be Meaningful
Have a Brand Purpose
Be Trustworthy
Keys to Building Brand Equity:

32. Sales teams driven by
making a difference
for their prospects or
clients outsell their
colleagues who are
driven by the numbers
in a sales quota.
Based upon 10,000 hours of
research with firms such as
Apple, Kimberly-Clark, Merck

33. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark
“Consumers are spending money, but
they're more inclined to spend it
only with businesses they feel
good about.”
Source: Gallup Business Journal, July 22, 2014

34. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark
“Consumers will support
businesses they feel emotionally
connected to, but will ignore
those they don’t.”
Source: Gallup Business Journal, July 22, 2014

35. Tech Savvy • Community-centric • Socially Conscious

36. Tech Savvy • Community-centric • Socially Aware

37. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark
Aspirational Consumers
Empowered Shoppers
Believe they “can change how a company behaves based on my purchase decisions”
Trust in Brands
They “trust global companies to act in the best interest of society”
Positive Influencers
They say “I encourage others to buy from socially and environmentally responsible companies”
Responsible Consumers
They are “willing to pay more for products produced in a socially and environmentally responsible way”
Source: Meet the Aspirationals, BBMG and Globescan

38. And then there’s this ...

39. • Social Currency
• Emotion
• Practical Value
• Stories
• Triggers
• Public

40. Which got the most Facebook Shares?

41. Approx. 20 Million Shares of 3,000 Pieces
Approx. 16 Million Shares of 200 Pieces
Sources: The Atlantic, 2013; NewsWhip.com, 2013

42. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark
BOOMERS
and millennials will
buy from a brand that is
socially or environmentally
active.
81%
of employees
consider a brand’s
CSR activities
when choosing
where to work.
80%of global
consumers think
brands should tell
them about their
good works
Top 3
Position of
“interesting
content” as a
reason people
follow a brand
The “Do
Good, Do
Well”
Content
Puzzle
People
like, follow,
share, buy
content that
matters.

43. Why “Purpose” focus?
And who is listening ... ?

45. Unilever’s Purpose-Focused Brands:
• Accounted for 50% of growth in 2014
• Grew 2x faster than other Unilever brands
Source: Reuters.com, 5/4/15
Paul Polman, CEO
Unilever

46. "We are on the cusp of a
sea change. When a major
brand such as Unilever
openly and publicly
supports B Corp values,
and pursues B Corp
certification, you can bet
all other major brands
aren't far behind."
Bryan Welch
CEO, B the Change Media

47. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark
B Corp Values include:
Creation of higher quality jobs
Improve quality of life in communities
Create value for society, not just shareholders
Be agents of change

48. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark
Let’s pause to reflect ...
• Information overload is real
• Consumers support businesses with shared values
• Businesses are responding to consumer desires
• People share content that matters
• Marketers need to create engaging content

49. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark

50. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark

51. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark
“What is our PURPOSE?”
#ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark

52. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark
8 Essentials of
Purpose-Focused Content Marketing
Mission and Goals are about your business;
Purpose is outward facing, focused on your customers

53. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark
8 Essentials of
Purpose-Focused Content Marketing
Purpose can, and should be, a shared value
with your employees & customers

54. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark
8 Essentials of
Purpose-Focused Content Marketing
Your purpose is uniquely yours, not easily
replicated, giving you competitive advantage

55. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark
8 Essentials of
Purpose-Focused Content Marketing
Purpose can be about values, or about
providing practical value

56. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark
8 Essentials of
Purpose-Focused Content Marketing
Your purpose becomes part of the
consumer conversation about your brand

57. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark
8 Essentials of
Purpose-Focused Content Marketing
Purpose is about showing that you care

58. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark
8 Essentials of
Purpose-Focused Content Marketing
It’s not enough for businesses to be trustworthy,
they have to be meaningful.

59. #ContentThatMatters@FusionSpark
8 Essentials of
Purpose-Focused Content Marketing
Purpose is about improving lives while
improving the bottom line

60. Purpose Statement
Encourage small actions everyday that make the world a
healthier, safer & sustainable place for children to live
Content Activities
ProjectSunlight.org hub of information, tools and action steps
Business Outcome
Launched Nov. 2013, has achieved 77 Million video views, 3 million
website visits, 300,000+ sign ups
Nonprofit Partners
World Food Programme (meals), Save the Children (drinking
water), UNICEF (hygiene)
Values Based Purpose: Unilever Project Sunlight

61. Purpose Statement
Encourage safety around rail systems in Australia and decrease
rail-related accidents in the country
Content Activities
Fun animation, catchy melody, website and mobile games
Business Outcome
$60 Million in Earned Media in 6 weeks, and 21% decrease in
accidents compared to previous year
Other
Australian Metro is a “small” marketer that achieved global reach
and recognition with purpose-focused campaign
Values Based Purpose: Dumb Ways To Die

63. Practical Value & Values- based Purpose: Kleenex
Purpose Statement
The purpose is to prepare people for the flu season
with preventive care information
Utility Purpose
Create a tool that predicts flu outbreaks
Business Outcome
Increased customer purchase intent to buy by 11%, and social
media buzz by 289%
Other
Repurposed again in 2014, at www.Achoo.com

64. Practical Value & Values-based Purpose: BeingGirl.com
Purpose Statement
The purpose is to provide pre-teen girls with a safe community to
learn about about puberty and feminine health care
Practical Value Purpose
Health care tips, information
Business Outcome
Ongoing for 8 years, costs $1 million per year to operate but is
generating 4 times the return than traditional media.
Other
Launched in 2007, BeingGirl.com proves the long term return on
investment of purpose focused content.

65. Values Based Purpose: GoRuck, Inc.
Purpose Statement
GoRuck’s Purpose is to Build Better Americans, with a focus on
physical fitness
Values Based Purpose Activities
Plan and produce events that provide fitness, as well as teamwork and
leadership training
Business Outcome
• Launched in 2010, first year revenues were $52,356
• revenues in 2014 were $10,828,000
Other
Built community through events, to which they sell gear; their
original GR1 Rucksack costs $295

66. Practical Value Purpose: American Express Open Forum
Purpose Statement
Help small businesses succeed with marketing, hiring & growth
Utility Purpose
Highly interactive, informative Expert editorial and User-generated
content focused upon small business success advice
Business Outcome
Started in 2007, now has 1,000,000+ visitors per month; Open
Forum is a natural digital extension of Amex’s content since the
1960s (i.e.Travel & Leisure, Food & Wine, etc.)

67. Practical Value Purpose: FloridaYards.org
Purpose Statement
The purpose is to give Florida gardeners the ability to create
environmentally friendly landscapes
Utility Purpose
Create Florida-landscaping 101 tutorials and a database for
making plant selections
Business Outcome
#1 in Google Search Rankings for 9 years, based on original
investment in evergreen content
Other
Recent discussions about upgrades

68. Values Based Purpose: Lane Bryant
Purpose Statement
Challenge the stereotypes of beauty and the notion that fashion is the
exclusive purview of the select skinny few normally shown in the media.
Values Based Purpose-focused Content
Ad campaign, profiles and user-generated content
Business Outcome
High degree of engagement and conversation. 16 Billion Social
Media and Media impressions, globally, in 4 weeks, for $6 Million
investment
Other
No Nonprofit connection, or beneficiary to the campaign;
example of a brand taking a stand on a social issue, directly

69. That’s the Path.
Through Purpose, Find Meaning.
From Meaning, Learn What Matters.
Knowing What Matters Creates Alignment.
Alignment Leads to Content That Matters.
That’s the Path.

70. Our purpose is to improve people's lives
while improving our client's bottom line.
russell@fusionspark.com