Scaling content that resonates with people

This content originally appeared August 6, 2020 as part of the Future of Marketing weekly email series. Subscribe here.

How are you currently using the voice of your fans, customers, and employees to remain relevant and generate trust? And how are you scaling this content?

Leading marketers from Coca-Cola, Zalora, Pomelo, and Circles.life discussed challenges for managing the volumes of content online – emphasizing the importance of sharing high-quality content. 

“Don't show us an ad. That's the one thing consumers don't want to see as they are grappling with their own problems,” shared Gaurav Gupta, head of omnichannel and martech at Circles.life. “We want to amplify [our content strategy] by adding more engagement points, more touchpoints within the website, and reduce the exit rates.”

The future will belong to companies that are always adapting, experimenting, and improving people's experiences – and doing it in a way that communicates purpose, minimizes effort, and maximizes impact.

Repurpose what exists

Nike released a noteworthy ad video, You Can't Stop Us – which was created in five days by sorting through 4,000 hours of archived sports footage, blending it with new content, and narrated by U.S. soccer star, Megan Rapinoe.

The result was a captivating montage seamlessly blending 36 pairings of athletes experiencing similar moments around the globe – with the mantra ‘nothing can stop what we can do together.'

“It is very cleverly produced and executed short that blends archival footage with footage created specifically for this campaign,” shares Matthew Allard who interviewed the campaign's Director of Photography. The 90-second video contrasts disabled and able-bodied athletes from different genders, teams, and sports, and demonstrates the quality you can achieve by repurposing content in a creative way.

Throughout the video, one athlete is seen on one-half of the screen mirroring a different athlete on the opposite side – moving as if they were one single image. 

The ad also references the pandemic by displaying split-screen footage of people in hazmat suits sterilizing stadium seats – making the ad feel relevant to current global sentiment. 

If you haven't noticed by now, repurposing footage is becoming a commonality among the advertising world. Brands are digging into their archives, recycling footage, and creating content with fans to communicate in a way that resonates with people (and keeps costs low).  

Now, with social media platforms shifting to short-form video, there is an opportunity for brands to engage fans, customers, and employees by inviting them to submit relevant content that can be repurposed across multiple brand touchpoints – from video advertising to social media feeds and website galleries. 

Learn from this virtual experience

Conversations surrounding a TikTok ban have been circulating recently, but TikTok says it isn't going anywhere. In fact, Microsoft is seeking to acquire it.

In the midst of all this, TikTok announced an upcoming Live concert with U.S. artist The Weeknd, promising an 'immersive virtual experience' that will be worth keeping an eye on. It seems few experiences have surpassed Fortnite's recent virtual concert with rapper Travis Scott – which brought in over 12 million players, so it will be interesting to see what TikTok has up their sleeve given the viral nature of its platform.

TikTok has been using the hashtag #TheWeekndEXP to “gather everyone from all walks of life to create legendary memories through a combination of featured hashtag challenges, creative effects, and a must-see experience.” So far, the hashtag has already generated over 100M TikTok views. 

Pay close attention to the tools and engagement that arise from this TikTok experience to understand how communication is shifting online – from brands and people to technology and design.

What we're reading...

• Coca-Cola, one of the world's largest advertisers, took a break from advertising to “completely rethink strategies” and is preparing for a “refreshed marketing approach.”
• Instagram Reels launched – amplifying competition with TikTok.
• The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) partnered with other organizations to launch the ‘Tourism of Tomorrow' Challenge – encouraging people to help generate ideas to bolster the hospitality industry's recovery. UNWTO is also engaging travelers with #TravelTomorrow – a beautiful collection of images from people around the world.
• Snapchat published a new study that analyzes evolving video consumption behaviors, particularly among younger audiences. Whether or not you're active on Snapchat, the study provides good recommendations for businesses to align their content efforts with these behavioral shifts.
• A study revealed Hyatt has the best customer policies during the pandemic. And Quirk Charlottesville – an 80-key boutique hotel that's a part of Hyatt's loyalty program – is repurposing user-generated content (UGC) on its website to engage travelers and communicate a safe return.

#BrandCrush: Chipotle

Each week in #brandcrush we highlight exceptional brands that are channeling their audience's voice to connect more authentically.

Fortune named Chipotle one of the World's Most Admiring Companies in 2020 – and with good reason. This week, we are analyzing Chipotle's careers page to understand why they have such a strong brand reputation. Hint: this starts with your people. 

Chipotle immediately captivates visitors with a video background featuring grinning kitchen workers (employee-generated content) and a thoughtful message – ‘our people make the real difference.'

As you continue scrolling down, the way their messaging reads feels intentional. It is relaxed, inspiring, real, and focuses on “cultivating a better world” – from their food quality and people to the environment. 

But it gets better.

Chipotle mentions the generous employee benefits they offer – free chipotle, career opportunities, debt-free education – and then, takes it a step further by repurposing employee tweets within that section. Thus, highlighting ‘employee testimonials' about its work culture in an efficient and real way. See the top left image in the screenshot below? 

The focus on employee stories continues with a TrueLoyal-powered gallery featuring a collection of user-generated content (UGC).

The best part? Chipotle is pulling content from hashtags like #PeopleofChipotle and #Chipotle – and is not only repurposing UGC throughout its website but created an entire Instagram page (@peopleofchipotle) to share this content, and help people discover what it's like to work there. 

Earlier this week, Chipotle took things to another level by announcing its new online collection of responsibly sourced apparel and goods (from upcycled avocado pits) – showing us why Chipotle was also named one of the world's most responsible companies. 

And now we can't wait to see what Chipotle does within the eCommerce space. 

Do you know a brand or campaign worth highlighting?
Let us know and subscribe to Future of Marketing.