'Content is king' - head of Dennis Digital on why publishers play an 'unrivalled role' in the content ecosystem
Few businesses outside of publishing have the expertise to provide the “creation and distribution of great content,” according to head of Dennis Digital and The Drum Content Awards judge, Paul Hood.
Speaking to The Drum, Hood explained that though the other cornerstones of Dennis’ business – monetisation, distribution and technology – were fundamental to the publisher’s success, “content is king”.
“We’re in the business of providing engaging content to readers when they want it, how they want to consume it and on whatever platform they want to read it on,” said Hood. “There will always be a place – and therefore a value – for content that is relevant, useful, informative, interesting, engaging and entertaining. Premium publishers play an unrivalled part in the fast-growing content marketing ecosystem.”
The latest research from the Chief Marketing Officer Council (CMO Council) revealed that more than a quarter (26 per cent) of all marketing spend in the US is now directed towards custom, branded content, a milestone that Hood points toward a “huge shift” for an area that “was so small it didn’t show up at all just a decade ago”.
“At Dennis, we’re consistently monitoring the changing ways that content is being consumed in order to be able to respond in the most appropriate ways to best serve our readers and to create the most effective solutions for advertisers,” explained Hood.
As brands struggle to get to grips with the world of content many have turned to vloggers and YouTube stars to help gain traction. A move which Hood believes can be “a very valid approach” citing Asda’s partnership with Jim Chapman as a prime example of this, bringing Chapman’s 1.5m subscribers to the supermarket’s Mum’s Eye View channel.
“For Dennis, our portfolio is made up of hundreds of experts in technology, automotive, lifestyle and fitness who provide authoritative and trusted voices about products and ultimately empower readers to make informed purchasing decisions,” he added, pointing to the recent Škoda Fabia interactive video player on Carbuyer.co.uk as evidence.
“The interactive video player lets users create their own video experience of the new Škoda Fabia based on what they really want to know…This type of tailored video content really engages with readers and allows them to be in charge of their own experience,” said Hood, warning of five things that make for bad branded content.
“Any piece of content that is pointless, boring, untrustworthy, confusing or offensive or any combination of these isn’t going to be much good at creating a positive outcome for the brand or a good experience for the reader.
“Net-a-Porter’s creation of Porter – a beautiful glossy print magazine – is a fantastic example of brand content done well. The quality of the product they’ve created is first-class, and it’s a very natural use of content to drive profitable customer action.”
As a judge at this year’s The Drum Content Awards Hood said he was looking forward to “great stories from agencies, brands, publishers and platforms about the challenge they set out to solve through content marketing.”
“I’ll be looking for creativity and innovation as well as evidence that the campaign reached and was well received by its target market,” he said.
The Drum Content Awards are open for entry until Friday 7 August. For more information on the awards, judges and how to enter visit The Drum Content Awards website. The awards will take place on Wednesday 18 November at The Emirates Stadium, London.