{"id":852,"date":"2013-08-27T18:11:59","date_gmt":"2013-08-27T18:11:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.markerly.com\/?p=852"},"modified":"2013-08-27T18:11:59","modified_gmt":"2013-08-27T18:11:59","slug":"turning-readers-into-buyers-how-oreo-and-intel-mastered-content-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.markerly.com\/pulse\/turning-readers-into-buyers-how-oreo-and-intel-mastered-content-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"Turning Readers into Buyers: How Oreo and Intel Mastered Content Marketing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reading Time: <\/span> 4<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Screen<\/a><\/h3>\n

What do cookies and computers have in common?<\/h2>\n

This isn\u2019t the start of a riddle. I\u2019m talking about Oreo and Intel.<\/p>\n

On the surface, they\u2019re not all that similar. One is a snack food; the other builds high-tech computer processors. And while one has remained the same since its inception, the other is continually adapting to consumer needs and setting new standards for the industry.<\/p>\n

Both, however, have had a recent resurgence in popularity that can\u2019t be attributed to economic conditions, changing consumer preferences, or even luck. So what is the cause?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the new buzzword on everyone\u2019s lips\u2013\u2013content. Some say it\u2019s just a fad, part of a cycle of marketing models that fade in and out of favor. Some say it\u2019s just another method for doing what brands were already doing.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s proof not only that content works, but that it works extremely well. Across industries, more and more companies are turning to ad solutions that incorporate brand messages seamlessly with content; and across the board, they\u2019re seeing results.<\/p>\n

Oreo and Intel are just two examples of companies that have managed to create wildly successful content marketing campaigns that have caused brand awareness\u2013\u2013and, as a result, sales\u2013\u2013to soar.<\/p>\n

So, how do they do it? What are both Oreo and Intel doing to attract so much attention?<\/p>\n

First, let\u2019s take Oreo. The black and white cookie has been around\u2013\u2013and remained relatively unchanged\u2013\u2013for over 100 years; therein lies the challenge. How do you make something old new again?<\/p>\n

To celebrate a century of snack time, they launched a campaign called The Daily Twist; every day, for one hundred days, the company posted an image to commemorate an event from that day in history\u2013\u2013from man\u2019s first walk on the moon to the birth of a baby panda\u2013\u2013Oreo style. (View the entire campaign here: http:\/\/pinterest.com\/oreo\/daily-twist\/<\/a>)<\/p>\n

The images were published in print and shared via social media. Online, they earned the company a 280% increase in Facebook likes and a 510% increase in retweets; but the brand\u2019s major coup came from a well-timed tweet during a power outage at the Superbowl that read \u201cYou can still dunk in the dark\u201d and earned a whopping 10,000 retweets, 18,000 Facebook likes, and 5,000 shares\u2013\u2013just in the first hour.<\/p>\n

Now let\u2019s look at Intel. The core challenge is getting people to see the unseen; while Intel technology is embedded in hundreds of consumer products, most users aren\u2019t aware of what goes into making this technology\u2013\u2013and what we\u2019re able to do with it\u2013\u2013possible.<\/p>\n

Enter the Creators Project. The brainchild of Intel and media company VICE, the Creators Project showcases the many ways that technology has inspired creativity. It promotes the work of established artists, musicians, and visionaries and commissions original pieces while inspiring up-and-comers to explore technology\u2019s potential in their own work. The blog covers projects as diverse as e-skin and wearable tech, the making of a giant LED cube art installation, a self-assembling 3D printed car, and a documentary of the final days of the band LCD Soundsystem. Intel also sponsors a series of live events that give readers the opportunity to experience the project firsthand. (To learn more, visit the blog here: http:\/\/thecreatorsproject.vice.com\/<\/a>) The Creators Project caused a major shift in Intel\u2019s public image; it transformed them from just another tech company to an invaluable supporter of the arts.<\/p>\n

So, now that the what has been established, why does it work? How does content create readers, and later convert those readers into buyers?<\/p>\n

A good content campaign has to be relevant, both to the reader (i.e. it must offer something of value) and to the brand (it must \u2018sell the product\u2019 by embodying the same values as the product itself).<\/p>\n

Oreo\u2019s Daily Twist campaign nails both criteria. By inviting readers to remember a moment from the past, the campaign implicitly invites you to remember Oreo next time nostalgia hits\u2013\u2013or the next time you\u2019re browsing the snack aisle at the grocery store.<\/p>\n

In providing inspiration (for aspiring artists) and exposure (for those who are already exercising their creativity), the Creators Project strives to build a following of people who will think of Intel the next time they\u2019re in the market for technology. By documenting the work of high-profile creators, they demystify innovation and make the creative process more accessible, inviting people to dream up things that they previously thought impossible. And the work that they commission from rising artists not only establishes Intel as a friend to the arts, but builds a loyal following of artists who are used to, and enjoy using, their technology.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not a coincidence that in both cases, the content itself is completely free. Another essential characteristic of good content is that its immediate goal is not sales (that comes later) but impressions; in order to make a purchase, a buyer must first be aware of the product.<\/p>\n

But one impression isn\u2019t enough. Research shows that, typically, it takes multiple encounters with a product for awareness to build into interest, and eventually, desire. So, a successful content campaign also needs to produce content regularly. If a brand can produce relevant content on a consistent basis (as with Oreo\u2019s Daily Twist, or the Creators Project\u2019s frequent blog posts) it can become an integral part of consumers\u2019 everyday routine.<\/p>\n

If I already love the taste of Oreos, a well-timed tweet could spark a craving, and if I\u2019m in the market for new tech tools to build my next art installation, I\u2019ll immediately recognize the Creators Project blog as a great resource.<\/p>\n

But what if I\u2019ve never eaten an Oreo, unlikely as that scenario is? Or if I\u2019ve never thought of myself as someone who could build something cool with technology? This is where traditional marketing hits a wall.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also where, remarkably, original content shines.<\/p>\n

Content\u2019s true power lies in its ability to bridge the gap between brands and potential first-time buyers. As a surrogate for the product itself, content steps in to begin building a bond between the consumer and the product long before the opportunity to purchase arises\u2013\u2013so when it comes time to buy, whether it\u2019s cookie or a computer, there\u2019s no real selling left to do.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reading Time: <\/span> 4<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span> What do cookies and computers have in common? This isn\u2019t the start of a riddle. I\u2019m talking about Oreo and Intel. On the surface, they\u2019re not all that similar. One is a snack food; the other builds high-tech computer processors. And while one has remained the same since its inception, the other is continually adapting…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1348,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[6,10,19,34,124,141],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.markerly.com\/pulse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/852"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.markerly.com\/pulse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.markerly.com\/pulse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.markerly.com\/pulse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.markerly.com\/pulse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=852"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/staging.markerly.com\/pulse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/852\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.markerly.com\/pulse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1348"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.markerly.com\/pulse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.markerly.com\/pulse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.markerly.com\/pulse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}