Aug 26, 20174 min read

This Week in Content Marketing: Could Apple Go Wrong With Its Billion Dollar Content Investment?

PNR: This Old Marketing with Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose can be found on both iTunes and Stitcher. If you enjoy our show, we would love it if you would rate it or post a review on iTunes.

In this week’s episode

Robert muses on inventing our own traditions. In the news, we cover Apple’s $1 billion investment in original content, the rise and fall of fidget spinners, and newsjackers on the eclipse. Our deep dives explore whether it’s Facebook that’s failing or the research behind it, and if publishers realize how much their business model is actually changing. Our rants and raves include Zillow’s book on real estate and Harvard Business Review; then we wrap up with an example of the week on AAHA Magazine.

Download this week’s PNR: This Old Marketing podcast

Content love from our sponsor: Smartling (43:03)

Translation: A reliable recipe for business growth – According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 95% of the world’s consumers live outside the United States. And any company pursuing them with English-only content is likely limiting its revenue potential. According to Common Sense Advisory, more than 70% of consumers are more likely to buy a product with information listed in their native language than a comparable product without. These realities haven’t been lost on the world’s leading brands.

Digital innovation may have flattened the world, but human language is still the key to forming authentic connections. As a result, any company limiting the conversation to a single language is also severely limiting its own growth potential. To be successful on a global scale, brands need to consider localization strategies that suit their audience and elevate their brand presence. And whether your company is big or small, the road to translation success always follows a similar path.

Before you can translate a single character of content, there are several basic points of strategy to address. Some of these factors include understanding revenue potential, gathering your content requirements, assembling the right team, planning the process for localization and translation, and using technology as a competitive advantage. With thoughtful plans, empowered teammates, and the right tools behind you, the barriers to publishing compelling global content will be lower than you think. And there is little doubt that tomorrow’s leading brands will be those that grasped today’s unparalleled opportunities. Download the e-book, Translation: A Reliable Recipe for Business Growth.

Show details

(00:01): An advertising blast from the past: “Winston Tastes Good – Like a Cigarette Should”
(00:33): Robert muses on this week’s theme: Can we invent our own traditions?
(05:44): Welcome to Episode 197: Recorded live on August 21, 2017 (Running time: 1:02:334)
(09:40): Content Marketing World 2017 – The largest content marketing event in the world will return to Cleveland on September 5–8, with closing keynoter Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Register today, and don’t forget to use coupon code PNR100 to save $100 on the cost of registration.

(10:04): Content Marketing University – Registration for the new semester begins on September 1. You can also use coupon code PNR 100 for a $100 discount on the cost of your one-year subscription to the foremost training program in the content marketing industry.

The quick hits – Notable news and trends

(12:00): Apple to shell out $1B on original TV programming for its streaming platform. (Source: TechDigg)
(18:30): The fidget spinner fad loses its momentum. (Source: The New York Times)
(26:00): Brands shine in the shadow of the solar eclipse. (Source: AdAge)

The deep dive – Industry analysis

(28:00): How publishers can embrace the “flight to quality.” (Source: Publishing Executive)
(36:45): Facebook’s big ad promises may not deliver for small businesses. (Source: Forbes)

Rants and raves

(45:11): Robert’s rave: As a die-hard fan of Harvard Business Review, Robert was excited to see this breakdown of the transformations that have enabled HBR to achieve record circulation growth in 2017, despite reducing its print frequency. (Source: Min)
(47:55): Robert’s commentary: Regular listeners will be familiar with Robert’s great interest in the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), which are scheduled to go into effect in May 2018. Yet, he was disappointed to read this MediaPost article, which views the regulations as a data security issue, rather than the marketing issue Robert feels it should be.
(51:44): Joe’s rave: While feeding my interest in all things investment-related, I came across a book called Zillow Talk: The New Rules of Real Estate. I was surprised and impressed at how skillfully the co-authors – two top Zillow executives – leveraged the company’s proprietary data as a way to support the assertions and recommendations they share in the content, rather than as direct promotion for the company.

This Old Marketing example of the week

(54:50): AAHA: Robert makes no bones about his love of dogs. So it’s no surprise that a publication he recently received from his pet insurance – a detailed guide on how to care for a new rescue pet – would catch his eye. But what Robert did find to be surprising was the high quality of the magazine’s content, which seemed to rise above the typical insurance company fare. After a bit of digging, Robert sniffed out the content’s true creators: the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) – the accrediting body for veterinary professionals – which licenses its pet-related content to other organizations. The AAHA also publishes its own print magazine, called Trends, which offers insights, tips, stories, and strategies for managing a veterinary medicine practice. By acting as the leading custom publisher for thought leadership content on how to take proper care of pets and other animals, AAHA has earned its place as a best in breed example of This Old Marketing.