Welcome to Content24. Why is it different? Because it’s a digest of the stories that have made an impact over the past 24 hours, and not just a platform for recycled content marketing. Today we’re looking at Marriott and Forbes
Marriott’s content marketing hub
Marriott is one of the brands we have been writing about a lot in this blog. The hotel chain is one of a select few that has totally embraced the concept of content marketing and is putting out a lot of interesting work. This includes feature films of its own and even virtual reality.
This piece examines how Marriott puts it all together at its base in Maryland.
David Beebe, the company’s vice president for content, speaks about bringing in talent from the likes of Disney and CBS, and how the team produces its work.
In it Beebe says: “We hired a lot of media, took a lot of people who were previously storytellers, turned them into marketers. It’s all the same thing today.
You can’t argue with the fact that people aren’t engaging with traditional [advertising] and this is the way to do it. You have to try it.” Speaking about the growth of the division and possible licensing deals with Netflix and Amazon, Beebe adds: “We did not get this far by saying, ‘I want to build a media company’. First and foremost, [the goal] is to engage consumers.
Get them to associate with our brands, build lifetime value with them. Content’s a great way to do that.”
Forbes moving in on Europe
In recent months we’ve spoken about Contently and the New York Times looking to set up content marketing hubs in Europe. Now it appears that Forbes is trying to raise its game in Europe, too.
This piece looks at how the company is attempting to bring in new audiences, specifically millennials. Initiatives to help achieve this include a social networking mobile app that was co-developed with dating site Tinder. Forbes also gives companies access to the same content management system as journalists. At the moment, only four European clients are signed up, compared with well over 100 in the US.
Charles Yardley, managing director international, says Forbes is focused on growing its native ad business in Europe and EMEA. “It’s probably unfair to say it’s embryonic here, but it doesn’t feel like it’s much beyond that.”
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