From the Front Lines of Content Marketing [4]Aiming to be a good marketer through content marketing
In the past two installments, we discussed with Mr. Sugiura of Nextedge Dentsu Inc. why we arrived at content marketing ( Part 1 ) and the challenges of implementing it and how to face them ( Part 2 ). This third installment should shed light on the mindset marketers involved in content marketing should adopt.
Gunji: The new fiscal year finally begins in April. What differences do you foresee compared to last year?
Sugiura: I see 2014 as the inaugural year for content marketing. This year is the year of action and challenge. I believe this is the critical moment to see if we can truly deliver results. Trials are starting at various companies, and specialized agencies responding to this demand are also becoming more visible.
However, while there are success stories at the startup and venture level, examples of major corporations succeeding with content remain scarce domestically. This year, I expect so-called national clients to finally commit fully.
Gunji: I share that view. Remember when I mentioned to you before, "People around me are asking how to build brand fans or strengthen engagement"? You told me, "Gunji, that won't work because you can't measure it. Let's set that aside."
Sugiura: Was that so? (laughs)
Gunji: I feel the scope of digital marketing is expanding, and the objectives demanded within it are diversifying. The ultimate goal is sales, but if you try to connect content directly to sales, you can only target a small segment of people who are already considering a purchase. Therefore, for those who aren't yet ready to buy, you need content focused on building a relationship with the brand and strengthening engagement. Ultimately, even if the challenges and goals differ, I feel like the need for a content marketing mindset has been emerging since around last year, based on my gut feeling.
Whether to track actions after a "Like"
Sugiura: This is partly influenced by my personality, but for over a decade now, even for products like home appliances or cars where the purchase isn't completed solely online, I've always been concerned about "whether the product sold" after implementing digital initiatives. So, I've checked sales trends and analyzed data like store visit numbers. On the other hand, analyzing web user behavior data reveals insights about those users. What content captures their interest and keeps them on the page? What content causes them to leave?
On the other hand, if behavior alone didn't provide enough insight, we'd cross-reference surveys to capture psychological shifts. Within that process, we've gone through trial and error: what hypotheses hold up, whether a hypothesis was correct or incorrect, and why it might have been wrong. These things become starkly clear in the digital world, especially in direct marketing. It's a scary world, but I think it suits my temperament.
Gunji: That's accelerated even more since social media emerged, right? Otherwise, Mr. Sugiura and I wouldn't have met within the Dentsu Group, let alone worked together (laughs). That's fundamentally changed, hasn't it?
Originally planning communication for mass media, we've always considered how specific projects move people's hearts and prompt action within challenges like building brands, fostering engagement, or turning people into fans. So we can handle the whole process, from storytelling to project design. However, evaluation isn't just about looking at each piece of content and marking it right or wrong. What do we need to understand to improve? Content consumption trends, context, viewer profiles—it's multifaceted.
Furthermore, we need to connect each piece of logic with a broad perspective to understand how these content improvements impact the business. But honestly, if we focus too much on a single piece of content, it just gets messy.
Sugiura: For example, let's say you implement a strategy to boost engagement by growing your Facebook page's fan base and creating ongoing touchpoints with the brand. To rigorously measure effectiveness, you'd need to obtain Facebook IDs linked to your CRM IDs and verify the impact by comparing the subsequent LTV (Lifetime Value) of "people who liked us" versus "people who didn't like us." But in reality, it often ends with just "We got X number of likes." Fundamentally, unless you track the subsequent actions of those who clicked "Like!", you can't cross that line.
Gunji: Fundamentally, content marketing is about using content to drive attitude change in your target audience. However, it's often misunderstood. Many think content marketing simply means self-publishing information via owned media, or that it's just about creating content that delights consumers. Some even say, "It's still in the trial phase, so let's just do it without worrying about KPIs." If you proceed this way, you might ramp up information dissemination and even establish direct communication channels with users. But you'll inevitably hit a wall beyond that point.
Pursuing content marketing to its fullest means pursuing marketing to its fullest
Sugiura: When I mentioned analysis earlier, it was simply to say that what we've been discussing is becoming easier to do and easier to capture user behavior. It's not that user actions tied to web cookies are the only thing that matters.
For example, if you intuitively feel that 100,000 people visit your website and 10,000 of them have an excellent experience, what does that mean for marketing? Compared to reaching 10 million people on TV and gaining awareness from 3 million, which should be prioritized, or how should they coexist? Rather than blindly choosing content marketing, it's crucial to understand the fundamental differences in target audiences and objectives by comparing it with other methods, relativize it, and gain conviction or make a judgment. This is less about content marketing and more about the essence of marketing itself.
Gunji: When you really delve into content marketing, I think it ultimately boils down to "becoming a good marketer." A good marketer recognizes that in today's environment where communication can't be glossed over, traditional branding focused solely on image creation is becoming difficult. They understand that in branding, building relationships is now more important than just creating an image. However, building relationships takes time, so you have to start early, right?
Sugiura: I feel we've finally reached an environment where marketers can do what they truly wanted to do. Parts of marketing theory that were once vague concepts have become visible. With digital technology permeating society, we can now see how our initiatives are perceived, the actions they trigger, the shifts in sentiment they cause, and how they ultimately lead to behavior.
In that sense, to use an analogy from combat sports, which I personally enjoy, marketing has become like the world of mixed martial arts. Because results are so visible, winning is paramount. Whether short-term or long-term, it's crucial to connect everything to the ultimate outcome: sales. To achieve this, relying solely on boxing, judo, or pro wrestling won't suffice. Creativity, data, and operations are all vital. You need management to combine and execute these elements effectively, and even the ability to oversee the broader production process.
Moreover, this "fighting power" doesn't increase solely through knowledge gained from books; it's honed through sparring and real combat. In this world, even an Olympic gold medalist can be knocked out in seconds by an unknown Brazilian powerhouse. On the other hand, with the potential and foundational skills of a gold medalist, combined with proper training and real-world experience, you can become the strongest. This story could go on, so I'll stop here (laughs), but I'm excited to work in this advertising industry, which could be described as a "warring states period."
Gunji: A mixed martial arts-style team requires a certain kind of cross-cultural communication, right? Working with the Next Edge team, we often argue because we speak different languages. But after talking things through thoroughly—sometimes to the point of heated debate—we often realize we're actually saying the same thing. The meetings are incredibly tough, but we learn so much from each other, and it always gets me excited.
【Gunji's Eye】
Through past discussions, what became concrete—and what we've made the title of this piece—is "becoming a good marketer." I believe that when you sincerely and thoroughly consider what is required of a marketer, you naturally arrive at the approach of content marketing. Content marketing should be seen not as a trendy tactic to jump on now, but rather as the optimal marketing method within the media and information environment surrounding today's consumers.
Embarking on content marketing requires shifting perspectives and overcoming challenges that go beyond past experience. With Mr. Sugiura, we share and confirm these insights daily, not just in these discussions but also within actual projects.
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Author
Tomohiko Sugiura
Dentsu Digital Inc.
Joined Dentsu Inc. in 1998. Visiting Researcher at Columbia University Business School's Center for Information Technology and the Internet (CITI) in 2009. Participated in launching Dentsu Fuse and Dentsu e-Marketing One, handling web consulting and online advertising ROI management. Primarily involved in customer acquisition support for financial/insurance and e-commerce companies, as well as e-marketing strategy development and PDCA cycle management for the IT and automotive industries. Simultaneously, led the development of proprietary digital marketing optimization tools, including methods for mass advertising × web integrated analysis, online advertising planning optimization, and attribution analysis. Appointed President and CEO of Nextedge Dentsu Inc. in 2013.
Akiko Gunji
Dentsu Digital Inc.
Joined Dentsu Inc. in 1992. After working on advertising and campaign planning in the Creative Division, transitioned into content marketing. Directed content strategy, planning, production, and operations across industries including daily goods, fashion, automotive, leisure, and housing. Focused on enhancing brand engagement, CRM and loyalty, and customer acquisition through content-driven initiatives. Currently oversees all communication aspects within digital marketing. Co-translated two books in 2014: "Content Marketing: 27 Essential Principles" (Shoeisha) and "Epic Content Marketing" (Nikkei Business Publications). Speaking engagements include the WOM Marketing Summit (2013, 2014), Outbrain Publishers Seminar, Web & Mobile Marketing Expo 2014 Autumn, and ad tech TOKYO international 2015.
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