Tools vs Content

Content is king. Except for when it's not.

In my endeavors sailing through the wonderful world of marketing (and especially digital marketing), management seem to be more obsessed (and impressed) with the choice of technologies and mediums rather than content. There seem to be more thought, meetings and studies dedicated to the choice of tools rather than the content these tools are meant to deliver.

Here are examples:

-    Client spends more money on buying newspaper space and hires freelance designers and junior staff to develop lack luster advertisements.

-    Client obsessing over QR codes, sharing tools, platforms, questionable new applications and expensive technologies rather than creating a good set of messages

-    Client worrying too much about meeting poorly defined KPIs rather than proper targeting their messages

-    Too much concern over what advertising platforms to buy over the message strategy

Although McLuhan famously quoted "The medium is the message", it is still no excuse for creating flippant material. Good copy, spending some time and effort building a good message that your market will want to associate with.

Creating good messages, good content and building a brand has inherent risks. You're now taking sides. Your brand and whatever you say now has an opinion. If you're not funny, you shouldn't be. If you don't have size, you shouldn't pretend. Wear a hat that's too big for you and you'll turn away customers. Acting like something you're not will make you look stupid.

All this does not imply that brands should avoid creating good content. Plain porridge, tap water and odorless air may be good to nurse an ill person, but using this strategy in your marketing will get you ignored promptly. As humans, we're bombareded by so many marketing messages, our heads are already programed to shutoff messages that do not get our attention - in short, you waste your money. In this case, no campaign is better than a bland campaign.

Here are some questions you might want to consider before your next campaign:

• Who do you want to target?
• What sort of goals do you want to achieve?
• What is the type of brand personality you're feeding?
• What is the story you're trying to tell?
• How can you use marketing tools to achieve the best effect for your story?