The Case for Content-First Thinking
- Expert Advice
Content has long been the engine powering businesses to success in the information age. As we enter the ‘intelligence age’, heralded by democratised generative AI, content quality and structure are more important than ever. So why is content often treated as an afterthought?
By putting content at the forefront of the creative process, brands can ensure substance is built into every marketing effort. Because content is everywhere, and required by all business departments, content-first thinking unifies stakeholders around tangible outputs.
Brands, and their agency partners, often take a channel-by-channel approach to content. One group thinks about advertising. Another thinks about the website. Another thinks about customer communications. We have a habit of rushing to the outputs without underpinning them with a structure that connects and enriches the customer experience.
To address this, we use a connected model that brings together our customer experience experts at Digitas, creatives at Saatchi & Saatchi and media specialists at Spark Foundry and MBM, to develop unified strategic responses built on omnichannel experience.
Content-First Thinking
In 2008, Jeffery Zeldman set the internet on fire with his tweet: “Content precedes design. Design in the absence of content isn’t design, it’s decoration.” Content-first thinking has been part of the conversation ever since, and that philosophy has extended to put content at the centre of marketing and consumer strategies.
Content-first thinking advocates for starting with the message and building everything else around it. It's about prioritising substance over style and ensuring that every design decision serves the content's purpose. And in doing so, brands can expect to see several business impacts.
1. Empowered teams
Digital content isn't just about products and marketing – it's about empowering teams with shared resources, skills, and a unified strategy. Through a content-first approach, teams can work collaboratively, leveraging existing assets, and maximising efficiency. Content can be a strategic asset that drives productivity and fosters innovation.
2. Increased efficiencies
We’ve applied a content-first mindset while working with high-profile NZ brands, connecting the dots between above-the-line media and personalised digital experiences. It’s about strategically placing content across the entire customer journey and increasing content reuse across channels. For one major automotive client, engagement increased by 17% and call centre enquiries reduced by almost 30%.
3. Better informed and more engaged customers
Customers are dependent on content. It helps them find what they need and is often the very thing they are looking for. It’s in every interface and every channel. It stands to reason that putting content first in our thinking, is in fact, putting customers first.
Prospects and customers who act on marketing, can be left disappointed when they look behind the curtain. Owned channels, like websites, where customers come to complete tasks and make purchases, often don’t reflect the promised experience.
For too long, customers have had to cross the chasm between marketing and product on their own. Content can be the bridge between them. The very thing that takes them from being an outside observer of your brand, to loyal advocate within it.
Content-first strategies work because they’re tied to real assets. Content performance can be measured, tested, and shipped relatively easily. So next time you’re solving for customers, think about the content they’ll need along their journey, and you’ll be thinking content-first too.
This was first published in the NZ Marketing Magazine March/April 2024 issue.
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Chris BrunnerContent Director at Digitas New Zealand
