Euromoney Institutional Investor Survey: Content Management is the Future - but It Requires More Thought

"Everyone is trying to get this right," said one marketing executive of a European financial services firm. "It will become more and more difficult to stand out among these very saturated channels. The audience is one of the most important elements in content marketing and though leadership because if companies don't know who specifically they are trying to reach and what's uppermost on their mind, their campaign will struggle from the outset."

In fact, only 50 per cent of those surveyed thought their content was interesting enough to engage with their audience. And, 35 per cent of the respondents said "they really don't know what content their audience is interested in" while others said they were not really sure what the most effective channel for delivering their thought leadership content is.

Although content marketing and thought leadership is slated to be one of the largest growth areas in companies this year, only 18 per cent of those surveyed were certain that blogs and opinion articles, small round tables and seminars were the top three most effective channels for delivery of thoughtful content.

The survey included over 200 senior marketers from companies across industries around the world coming from North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa representing all industries.

The findings suggest that content marketing is clearly attracting the most investment, although 43 per cent surveyed said they didn't know if it had met its mark. The primary reason companies use content marketing is to increase brand awareness, while key challenges are getting more traction, more specific audiences and the right audience.

"It's the future," says a senior marketing executive of a European bank. "People are fed up of the hard sell and having products rammed down their throats. Stories and content build trust. They are becoming the gateway to articulating the brand. "

Many of those surveyed believe thought leadership will not be effective unless it delivers a fuller experience to an audience, and a clearer and more commercially valuable outcome to the company.

There are a number of important objectives for companies using content marketing and though leadership and among those surveyed 78 per cent use content marketing to increase awareness of the brand, 67 per cent use it to improve perception of the brand, while 43 per cent use content marketing to generate media coverage. 78 per cent of those surveyed said that they would increase spending on content marketing, 64 per cent said they would increase spending on online advertising while only 9 per cent said they would spend on print advertising.

There is no question, the survey notes, that the 'preferred method of collecting information has changed rapidly and it is difficult to deliver content effectively to the younger generations. But there are still a lot of companies that need to fine-tune what it is they are looking for. In fact, 44 per cent of those surveyed said that access to the right audience was one of their biggest challenges, while 43 per cent felt poor visibility and dissemination of completed content was a key drawback. A total of 35 per cent-said un-engaging content was common while 34 per cent said lack of new ideas are prevalent.

The report concludes that interest and investment in content marketing and thought leadership is booming and over the next few years and that is expected to continue. Indeed companies of all sizes, across industries, and geographies are using content marketing strategies to engage and connect with target markets, and in ever more sophisticated ways. Social media, blogs and opinion articles, together with small roundtables and seminars are favored methods for delivering content and engaging with audiences. What is certain, the survey notes, content marketing is the future.

What is less certain is how to the market will evolve and succeed.