2014 was a banner year for content marketing as budgets increased and content creation skyrocketed. In fact, 70 percent of B2B marketers are producing more content now than one year ago and 46 percent of businesses plan to increase their spend, according to the most recent research from Content Marketing Institute (CMI).
This year, brands across all industries and sizes pushed the envelope and stepped up their game with creative out-of-the box content marketing campaigns that wowed consumers and industry pundits. Before the year wraps up, let’s check out some of our favorite content marketing campaigns from 2014:
- LinkedIn’s “Bring In Your Parents Day”: Because many parents have no idea what their children do at work, LinkedIn hosted “Bring In Your Parents Day” for organizations around the world. The social network geared toward professionals encouraged businesses to open their doors and give parents a firsthand view of what their children do at work. LinkedIn created a slew of helpful content resources—including promotional posters, invite cards for parents, logos, schedules and checklists—to help businesses prepare for the day.
- AMC Theatre Anchorman infographic: With Anchorman 2 coming out this year, there was plenty of hype surrounding the sequel. But AMC Theatre—the American movie theater chain—wanted to break through the noise and encourage moviegoers to see the film at its theaters across the country. So the company created an infographic called “Ron Burgandy’s Guide to Dress for Success,” offering tips on how to dress as the movie’s main character, ending with a call-to-action for fans to see Anchorman at AMC. It’s a hilarious infographic connected perfectly with the company’s target audience.
- Callaway Golf’s YouTube videos: Callaway Golf scored a hole-in-one on YouTube this year with a series of educational videos featuring professional golfers. Well-known golfer and Callaway staffer Stuart Appleby, for example, showed viewers how to putt when your ball is against the fringe in a two-minute video clip. The next time that viewer heads to the golf store to pick up a new club, ball or glove, they may now consider Callaway because of the educational video.
- AirBNB short film: AirBNB, which helps travelers connect with home and apartment owners for accommodations, took off this year—as well as improved their content marketing efforts. AirBNB invited customers to create 6-second clips using the social media app Vine of a traveling piece of paper; the company then created a short film of paper airplanes, paper boats and other creations exploring the world. This content marketing strategy engages customers in a fun and interesting way, while inspiring people to travel.
- Williams-Sonoma taste blog: Warning—heading to this website will cause anyone to salivate and make them want to cook immediately. Williams-Sonoma’s blog is filled with content that provides consumers with information about how to do everything from smoke baby back ribs to make latkes just in time for Hanukkah. The blog is well-organized, easy to navigate and includes Williams-Sonoma products without slamming them in the reader’s face.
So, what were your favorite content marketing campaigns in the past year? Will your business be on this list next December? Share your thoughts in the comment section below or connect with us on Twitter @Content_Boost.
