Content Is Not King: Why Relationships Matter Most In Marketing.
Brand loyalty cannot be bought. It must be earned.
I’m sick of seeing articles every six months claiming that “content is still king!”
Give me a break. Unpopular opinion: It never was, nor will it be.
*locks doors, shuts windows, hides from SEO squad*
In today’s marketplace, the volume of content produced by brands is overwhelming, there’s almost too much to look at. Meanwhile, brand-consumer relationships are becoming increasingly fragile, especially with the speed at which news (good and bad) travels online. As consumer expectations of brands rise, the construction of relationships is one of the most critical factors that can determine the outcome of a campaign.
And this is nothing new. It’s just the way we’re wired, because relationships are fundamental to human communication.
This was something I actually picked up in my undergrad. Anthropologist Gregory Bateson developed two theories that defined communication between individuals as involving only two dimensions: content and relational. Although these theories often refer to interpersonal communication, we can extend them into how a brand interacts with their audience. Because what’s true for communication between people is also true for communication between brands and people.
Bear with me while I get into something a little academic. In his theory, content refers to the literal informational content of a message, while relational refers to the ultimate interpretation of the message, based on the relationship between the sender and receiver. So, all messages carry a duality of meanings — the one intended by the sender, and the one that’s determined by the receivers.
It’s like the secret force that alters how people perceive what is being said to them.
Think of it like having dinner with your in-laws. You’ve got a pretty good relationship going with your partner, but for whatever reason, the parents just don’t like you. You can act genuine, be honest, and put on your best smile—only to be read as a fake, plastic grin. With brands, positive relationships mean your actions and messages will be perceived positively in the mind of the consumer. If you have a negative relationship, your actions and messages will be interpreted as complete bullshit.
In advertising, pumping out content under the latter conditions can lead to everything from wasted budgets to PR disasters.
What happens when such a disaster strikes? Depending on your relationship, it will generally go one of two ways.
I’m a fan of the oldies, so let’s look back at some of my favorite blunders. (And by oldies, I mean this past decade. Sorry to anyone in their thirties who just got offended).
KFC has a devoted fanbase, and when I say that I mean there’s more than one person out there right now with a sexy-Colonel Sanders’ cosplay outfit in their closet. Because KFC has been pretty straight up with their diners for quite some years.
But in 2009, one of their ads made its way from Australian television to the global newsrooms, deeming the company racist. The talent featured in a spot was mistaken to portray an offensive and harmful stereotype of African Americans. In reality, it’s the epitome of American’s cluelessness about anything beyond the tip of their dicks. But regardless of true intent, (which did not involve conventionalizing minorities), KFC recovered shortly after pulling the ad and dropping an apologetic press release. This was due in major part to their existing good relationship with consumers.
Spirit Airlines, however, took a bit longer to recoup from their blunder. Famed at #9 on USA Today’s “Most Hated Brands by Americans,” (including myself), they were already in bad standing when an attempt to gather some laughs backfired. Too Soon doesn’t scratch the surface. Remember the devastating BP oil spill that literally exterminated life for thousands of square kilometers and cost more than the GDP of several small nations just to clean up? Somebody at Spirit, who was probably raised in the comments section of a 4chan post, gets the brilliant idea to promote flights to beaches unaffected by tragedy. Tack on the headline, “Check out the oil on our beaches,” alongside an image of a sun-tan oil soaked woman in the sand, and they had themselves one hell of a shitpost.
*breaks pencil*
They didn’t get over it very quickly either. Because Spirit, for most of its recent history, hasn’t had a decent rapport with fliers. Along with being the first to charge for luggage, they were known for controversial, offensive, and sexist remarks in their promotions. They even dubbed them, “Red Light Specials.”
That’s the kind of marketing that makes me want to drink drain-O. Needless to say, they had nothing to fall back on.
One could argue that good content can catapult success. Take Metro Trains Melbourne for example. A classic case of viral content that skyrocketed their presence from a local public transport company to an online sensation across the globe, when they released “Dumb Ways to Die.” Or Invisible Children, the charity that created “Kony 2012.” None had heard of the philanthropy during most of its eight-year history, until a single piece of long-form content turned them into a nationwide conversation.
You could also argue that content can take a no-name brand and turn them into rockstars. Take Dollar Shave Club, for example, a brand that rode the back of a viral video that took them from just another startup to household fame. Then they created an in-house team to churn out more and more content, which not only maintains their success but also disrupted a historically stale category.
Sure, that’s a decent point. Except the content didn’t create the good relationship. It was like a trojan horse to get people to try the product. The relationship was started, but now it is maintained in the form of aspects such as great customer service and products that live up to their name.
So yeah, I get it. Content is good for many things. Along with increasing awareness, it’s great for SEO, it boosts engagement, and it drives traffic. But these were all brands that were already in good standing or had no prior standing with consumers. So, let’s say your brand has a poor relationship with your audience. You’ve got a bad reputation. You’re doing all these things to build brand awareness and interaction, but you still have a negative view in the mind of the consumer. Is content really the right playing card? Or is it time to fix what’s broken?
Affection towards a product is not the same as affection towards a brand. What brands should do is seek out more ways to construct good relationships with audiences outside of their usual platforms and channels. This can be achieved by creating two-way interactions with the consumer’s world. Meaningful experiences must be curated to show authenticity, not superficial messages. Interaction can create a shared identity and express shared values. Forming long-term emotions for the brand through interaction, rather than short-term brand awareness for the product through content, will make all the difference.
Moosejaw, the midwestern outdoor clothing brand, is a classic example of a genuine brand with a loyal following. They built their success from a brick-and-mortar store to a top 50 online retailer and a leader in online marketing. Moosejaw’s content is certainly nothing to scoff at either. Their nonsensical marketing and free-minded attitude helps them maintain a positive brand image and rewards them with positive engagement. Simply put, they produce good content.
But Moosejaw did more than just create a silly and humorous social presence. They started #MoosejawMadness, an online community based on a hashtag that invites outdoor enthusiasts to share their experiences with each other. They provide useful education through their Knowledge Center. And to bring people together in a legitimate effort, they created an official athlete team for anyone to apply with its non-exclusive factor.
The reason this works is it is producing positive outcomes for both parties. It is building a relationship through experiences that create meaningful moments in the consumer’s world. Brands like this are aware that when producing content, they’re not just exchanging information about themselves, they are inadvertently discussing the nature of their relationship with the consumer. And while that relationship may be maintained by good content, it cannot be bought with it.
Back to my example with the in-laws, they don’t want to like you — and you win when they can’t help but like you. You cannot buy trust, you need to earn it by building a relationship.
And, a lasting tip: Make sure your customer service doesn’t suck either.
