Custom Becoming A “Cornerstone” Of Marketing, As CMOs Continue Shifting Ad Dollars To Content
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- Published in DemandGen Reports
While many organizations are challenged to harvest C-level buy-in on key business decisions, it’s becoming clear that content marketing has made its way up the ranks as a key business driver helping BtoB marketers effectively engage prospects.
A new study commissioned by the Custom Content Council — surveying CMOs in major industry sectors including healthcare, technology, finance, retail, communications and insurance — showed a marked improvement across all categories of usage, receptivity and results. Almost 9 in 10 CMOs said they see value in the service provided by custom content, representing a 15-point increase from 2006. The survey, conducted by GfK Roper Consulting by telephone in January 2011, provides new benchmarking data for a similar study conducted in 2006.
Since then, content has become an integral part of marketing campaigns. “Whether it’s in print, digital, video, social or mobile, custom content has become the cornerstone for customer relations,” said Keith Sedlak, Chief Marketing Officer, Meredith Integrated Marketing and President of the Custom Content Council. “CMOs have now told their story and we’re pleased to share the results with the rest of the marketing industry.”
More than 8 in 10 (83%) CMO respondents said they are receptive toward using custom content in their marketing plans, representing a 16-point increase since the last study; while more than 9 in 10 CMOs believe that custom content has a positive effect on audience attitudes and strengthens the bond with buyers.
A majority of CMOs believe that custom media will capture a larger proportion of marketing budgets over the next couple of years, as (59%) reported having shifted marketing funds away from traditional advertising in the last year toward custom content, representing an 18-point increase from 2006.
Almost half of respondents (47%) strongly agreed, and 91% strongly/somewhat agreed that custom content should be an integral part of the marketing mix for any business. A staggering 84% of respondents strongly/somewhat agreed that custom content represents the future of marketing. “As the content market continues to rapidly expand across multiple media channels, this new data confirms what we already know: content is king, queen and jack of all [marketing] trades,” said Lori Rosen, Executive Director, Custom Content Council. “Content has become the mantra for today’s savvy marketers.”
CMOs generally indicated that content marketing has a lasting effect, as 9 in 10 said they believe a majority of consumers find useful information in custom media and 85% believe that consumers who receive custom content will be more likely to buy from the sponsoring company again.