The Pitch: Brand marketers need quality bait to hook viewers

Suddenly we're all content producers. Technology has quickly removed barriers to creating and broadcasting content. The internet set the framework and ever cheaper hardware, multimedia applications and new web channels have put content creation tools and publishing opportunities at the fingertips of many.

The human instinct for communication has grown into a many-headed beast with a lust for churning out almost anything in any format. But, other than storage information vendors, are we any better off?

Back in the good old days of eyeballs and "hits" it was popularly held that content was king. Wrong, as we all now know. It was only ever about money. Back then, content was seen as the hook to get eyeballs reaching for credit cards.

But the hook didn't work, because the world was quickly flooded with content. So when the venture capital ran out, it was bellies up everywhere.

But not to be discouraged by the recent past watershed period of misguided business models and $100 bill bonfires, we all kept busy. Busy using our scanners and digital cameras; busy publishing on websites, intranets and extranets; busy sending emails, e-newsletters, and spam; busy maintaining blogs - and busy reworking the efforts of others.

We all know what is wrong with this pattern. The content supply chain is often missing an arbiter of quality.

It now takes longer to find the stuff worth consuming than it does to consume it, which is why services like Google are invaluable.

With the content king idea spectacularly beheaded, what content producers - and that includes every marketer and brand owner - must grasp is the art of storytelling. Because brands are a form of storytelling, Stories are bought and sold; they are currency. In the business of marketing, storytelling is mostly concerned with the skilful art of making nonfiction more vivid and emotional to elicit a positive response.

When a dog bites a man it's unlikely to make the news. But when a man bites a dog the news media can't resist.

 

Like advertising, news media organisations live and die by their ability to engage and hold an audience. And this comes down to the quality of storytelling.

You don't do this without multiple talents of a psychologist, editor, salesman, evangelist, marketer, stylist and investigator. So, while many have been seduced by accessibility of new channels, publishing tools, and new-found audience accessibility, the winners - those who get listened to - will be the organisations that understand the power of a good story and have the skills to tell it well.

 www.talkies.co.nz

* Richard Carter is creative director at PR and marketing company Talkies Group.

* The Pitch is a forum for those working in advertising, marketing, public relations and communications. We welcome lively and topical 500-word contributions. Contact marketing writer Karen Chan at karen.chan@nzherald.co.nz