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Tumblr takeover underlines importance of creating content, strategist warns

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By Steven Raeburn, N/A

May 27, 2013 | 2 min read

Richard Parker, head of strategy at content marketing agency Edge, has said that brands are overlooking the importance of creating valuable content in favour of acquiring clout from established social media.

Richard Parker of Edge

The acquisition of Tumblr by Yahoo is an example of advertisers relying on exploiting an existing audience, rather than developing their own, he says.

“There are promises not to ‘screw it up’ from Yahoo!’s top brass, and many an article from the marketing world beard-scratching about what it means and how advertisers can cash in on the enormous audience, as though that enormous audience has suddenly sprung into being overnight,” he wrote.

“There’s been a lot of hand-wringing about how to introduce monetisation while not ruining the experience for Tumblr users – including search ads, in-line ads and dashboard ads.

“I’m not concerned about how Tumblr makes money. I’m concerned with how brands can use it to connect with consumers. And you know what, advertising people? It’s not about paid media. It’s about creating content.”

He says that Tumblr, a social media application not universally embraced by brands, as a viable content distribution platform, rather than as an ad channel, and says that he has struggled to persuade any Australian marketers to take a gamble on it.

“Maybe now, with the well-known parent company and the headlines all over the marketing press, some of them will sit up and take some notice,” he said.

He adds that Yahoo is currently working to ensure its extant users are onside to facilitate content distribution.

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