You know them by their catchy ads, their unique logos, their quirky names. Why on earth would the world’s best brand personalities need content marketing when their personality can do the talking for them?
That might have been the case back in the day. When there were only three or four TV channels, a handful of national print magazines, and no Internet or smartphones to divert prospects’ attention. A memorable ad alone might have reeled in enough customers to keep the C-suite happy.
Not anymore. Today’s customers can research your products and services on a wide variety of channels – and if you’re not there with the information they need to solve their problems, they’ll find someone else who can solve them.
So, how do these personality-plus brands keep their customers informed as well as entertained? Most of today’s best brand personalities use content marketing to show how their products, services, and industry expertise can meet potential customers’ needs.
Progressive Insurance: Going Beyond Personality with Content Strategy
Everyone knows “Flo,” Progressive Insurance’s perky fictional spokeswoman. Her viral TV and online ads charm everyone with their wacky humor.
Progressive definitely has personality – and then some. But, it also has an effective content strategy that reinforces its message with information-packed posts called “Answers.”
When a prospect sees one of Flo’s ads online or on TV and gets on Progressive’s website, they’ll undoubtedly have questions about whatever type of insurance policy they are interested in. With a wealth of articles, each a well-researched answer to many of the questions prospective clients have, Progressive has an excellent chance to turn lookers into buyers.
The Mirror: Giving Prospects a Foretaste of Individual Workouts
After a major snafu by one of its competitors in late 2019, a new home fitness device slammed the airways with its positive, energy-packed ads. The Mirror, unlike the Peloton machine, provides people with a variety of workouts, many of which require little or no extra equipment.
With its reflective surface allowing people to see not only their teacher but also themselves as they work out, this device (invented by a ballet dancer – whose workouts always involve a mirror) gives fitness enthusiasts a distinct edge over those who can only see their teacher.
Instead of a blog, the makers of the Mirror post sample workouts and interviews with several teachers on its website, allowing potential buyers to sample what they’ll be doing. In addition to branded content, they also encourage users to post reviews of the Mirror on their own blogs, leveraging the power of user-generated content to earn potential customers’ trust.
Betty Crocker: Nearly a Century of Content Marketing
As PBS’ Tori Avey points out, Betty Crocker didn’t begin as a brand, but rather as a character invented by one savvy marketer for a flour milling company, Washburn-Crosby. Respondents to a contest the company staged in 1921 attached letters to their entries – letters that requested recipes or cooking advice.
Marketing chief Samuel Gale answered those questions, but not as himself. After all, it was the 1920s, and despite women’s newfound liberation through the vote, he didn’t think them liberated enough to take cooking advice from a man. The fictional personality Betty Crocker came to life; her first content marketing campaign involved simple answers to these inquiries.
Soon, “Betty” had her own radio show, packed with content that unpacked the mysteries of cooking for its eager audience. From that time forward, the company has filled its ads, product boxes, and now – its website and mobile app – with informative content that meets its customers’ needs, and then some.
With recipes, how-tos, and instructional videos, Betty Crocker continues to be one of the best brand personalities and lead the food industry pack when it comes to content marketing. Its customer-focused video content, for instance, has generated well over 70 million views and growing, according to the company’s content analytics.
Disney Builds Awareness on All Levels Through Content
When it comes to brands with personality, Disney has it in spades. Whether it’s its perky mascot, the iconic Mickey Mouse, or a bevy of princesses, Disney tells stories like none other.
You might think that its movies speak for themselves. What need would they have of content marketing? It’s not as if the brand is an up-and-coming startup.
Yet, Disney takes nothing for granted in its content planning. As HuffPost’s Genevieve Walker and Amanda Fayer point out, Disney builds fan enthusiasm for its existing offerings, as well as anticipation for its coming attractions, with a wealth of content both on its website and its branded social channels.
If you thought that such a legacy brand would have no need for a blog, you would be wrong. Disney takes nothing for granted. It uses its blogs to build awareness of (and a fan base for) many of its behind-the-scenes players, such as Captain Marvel composer Pinar Toprak.
Whether it’s content about its theme parks or in-depth interviews with up-and-coming stars, Disney builds its kingdom one content brick at a time. With its new streaming service and expansive catalog of content for each of its holdings, the family entertainment giant shows no sign of slowing down its global growth.
Casper: Unfolding the Mystery of Sleep Through Content
Not only has Casper carved out a spot for itself among the uber-comfortable bed niche, but it has also introduced the concept of convenience. Instead of a heavy bed with levers to push here and there to adjust each side, there’s only a comfy foam sleep surface that its owners can unfold and jump into right out of the box.
Yet, as a relatively new entrant into this niche – with a slew of competitors – Casper needed something besides its convenience and mobility to set it apart as one of the best brand personalities in the mattress space. It found that through its informative blog called “Casper the Blog“.
There, customers can discover a wealth of information, all of which helps them get a better night’s sleep, whether they’re at home in their Casper or on a red-eye to Paris. With this informative content, the company builds authority in its field with every post.
With today’s customers demanding not only a great product but also expertise and a focus on solving their problems, Casper has honed in on a differentiator that can make it stand out in a crowded field.
Put the Power of Personality to Work for Your Business
Great content can do the same for your company, too – but you need to create an organized strategy to get it into the right hands. To get your content out to the right people at the right time, you need a comprehensive content marketing platform that can automate publication and analyze its performance.
DivvyHQ has just that. Start your free trial today!