In my last post for Brandingmag, I talked about the digital age and how more than ever the brand is about a relationship promise. Every touchpoint that a brand has with the consumer affects the perception of that brand. What we now use, as consumers, to build our opinions is based on information we receive from a whole mix of media with its associated content of which there is a lot!

Facebook: The average user creates 90 pieces of content each month. More than 30 billion pieces are shared monthly, an average of over 7 billion a week;

Twitter: There are now, on average, 200m tweets per day;

YouTube: 2.9 billion hours of video hours per month.

What this means for an organization is that the traditional model of brand management needs to be re-examined. We still discuss brand strategy, media planning, creative development, social media, and PR stories. But now, more than ever…

Content is at the center of it all

In order to compete, I would argue that there needs to be a branded content-strategy lead by a senior person within the organization, who is also accountable for content-driven programs.

As the newest tool in a marketer’s toolbox, social media, for example, can often be treated with some frivolity and overlooked by many senior members of the organization – big mistake. Let’s remind ourselves that every touchpoint with the brand affects its perception. The next consideration is, “does the chief marketing officer add this to their responsibility, or is there a separate role of chief content officer?”

The necessity to have a coherent content strategy is emphasized when we look at some of the key external and internal trends affecting content:

Smartphone usage: now, over half of the phones sold in Europe are smartphones. This means anyone can create and send out content all of the time. We have all become media creators, owners and we can do it 24/7;

Content presentation: Brands can no longer present content in a single ‘ad campaign’ way, like in the old world. The key challenge now is how to deliver the brand message in multiple and engaging ways, using the myriad of different tools available (video, audio, etc.);

Functions no longer clear: Is digital part of the marketing campaign or, for example, who owns the Facebook page: brand marketing, PR, corporate, or the digital team? Chances are that no one is owning it sufficiently and responsibility is being delegated to an agency;

Increased number of agencies: Overlay all of the above trends with the increased complexity of agency usage. According to a recent study by Avidan Strategies amongst CMOs, there was an average usage of 15 agencies and up to 25!

In the same study, it was reported that 38% of respondents were also unhappy with the way integration was being managed.

In this changed, content-rich world, coupled with the necessity to reduce costs, it is critical that organizations re-think the traditional roles and understand the importance of content to a brand.

Leadership roles must focus on content. There is most certainly a need for a Chief Content Officer. The only question remains: Should this also be the Chief Marketing Officer or a separate role that sits alongside?