Writing Boots

On communication, professional and otherwise.

Coke’s “linked liquid content” video: communication genius, or the ravings of a British opium fiend?

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When they saw Coke's video claiming that branded content was now the center of its marketing strategy, professional content providers became understandably giddy.

But my friend, longtime Ragan writer Bill Sweetland, was less impressed: "Some ‘hyper-creative’ type on Coke’s Social Media Strategy Team thought of the phrase ‘linked liquid content’ and then promptly lost his mind."

After giggling at Bill's irreverence (for about two months), I think I created a constructive critique of Coke's bold attempt to get its mind around, and our mind around, branded content strategy. It's my latest at McMurry.com.

Brand journalism redux: My two perspectives, diametrically opposed

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Last month we shared our first impressions of "brand journalism," a would-be trend in marketing and journalism. (Note especially Mark Ragan's thorough and thoughtful contribution, in the comments section.)

Meanwhile, the fine folks at my publisher McMurry.com have posted my snarling, devastating mockery of the idea as "more silly than sinister."

We all remember where we were when we first heard the term “brand journalism.”

No we don’t, because the first time we heard those words, they beaded on our brains like so many other foolish notions that caffeine-crazed or boozy marketing people think up in manic desperation to justify to their clients or to their God what they’re trying this time.

And then, right next to it at McMurry.com, they ran my passionate defense of the brand journalism, as "the simultaneous solution to marketing problems and stubborn social ills":

Brand journalism will reward so many good things that business so often runs from: plain talk, human vulnerability, public listening ….  And if a transparent, humanistic, journalistic ethic becomes the norm in marketing, companies that practice it will gain ground on or even kill competitors less generous of spirit and big-minded.

And speaking of big-minded: I do feel like giving props to McMurry for making room for such opposing opinions on the corporate website, which many organizations feel compelled to make into airless sanctums of corporate wisdom.

My little dueling editorials aren't quite brand journalism, I reckon.

But they'll have to do have to do until brand journalism gets here.

Survey says: Print is back in a huge way—but for marketing, not internal communication

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A recent "Publishing Characteristics Survey," done jointly by the Custom Content Council and McMurry, the publisher I work with, came out at least one finding that really struck me.

Companies are doing lots of four-color magazines these days—but 79 percent of those mags go to external audiences, vs. only 21 percent to internal ones.

In my survey report, in ContentWise (download it for free here), I wrote, "Employee communication is increasingly achieved by electronic communications."

Maybe I should have said, "halfheartedly attempted," instead.

These companies have decided that, to earn the attention and admiration of customers and potential customers, only gorgeous magazines, and all the editorial tools they offer, will do.

But employees, otherwise known as Our Greatest Assets? Ah, we'll post some slop on the intranet, and the pigs can come and get it.

Communicators, is that about the size of it?