Cm state of the nation cma tns_executive summary

©TNS 2013A study conducted by TNS for the CMA - November 2013 www.the-cma.com

Content Marketing State of the Nation

Executive Summary

©TNS 2013

www.the-cma.com

“This study shows that whether it be long term engagement, building brands or customer acquisition over 70% of marketers are now using content marketing.

For those using content marketing it is the single most important channel across the full marketing mix and equates to 20% of their total budgets.

As with any successful content, quality is essential and at The CMA we look forward to driving this agenda forward”.

Clare Hill, MD CMA

Content Marketing – State of the Nation


49%

25% 26%

£5 -£9m £10-29m £30m+

We spoke to 130 marketing decision makers in a range of companies with an annual turnover of £10m+

Turnover

£60m+

£20-£59m

£10-£19m

Marketing spend

3

£

Sectors coveredRespondents were mainly atManagerial and Director grades

£31% 34%


Awareness of content marketing is widespread among UK marketers

Source: Q3. Had you heard of content marketing before you started this survey? Base: UK professionals involved in marketing activities n=130

aware of CM

4

85%


A substantial proportion of those aware of content marketing are currently using it

Source: Q6. Based on the above, does your organisation use content marketing? Base: UK professionals involved in marketing activities n=130

Usage of content marketing (% of total)

These tend to be bigger, international or multinational companies

5

use CM

70%


19 10 9 15 14 11 7 6 6

Approx. 20p of every £ spent by those who use content marketing is spent on CM, more than any other form

Marketing spend among CM users (%)

Source: Q7. Roughly what proportion (%) of your marketing spend is on each of the following? Base: UK professionals using content marketing n=91Base: UK professionals who do not use content marketing n=39

Content marketing

Print advertising

Direct marketing

Events TVInternet

advertisingOutdoor Social Radio

6

…among CM NON-users (indicative %)

18 25 12 18 15 12 8 5


19 10 9 15 14 11 7 6 6Marketing spend among CM users (%)


Content marketing

Print advertising

Direct marketing

Events TVInternet


7


18 25 12 18 15 12 8 5

Where CM is not used, print advertising and direct marketing get a bigger share of wallet


19 10 9 15 14 11 7 6 6

18 25 12 18 15 12 8 5

Marketing spend among CM users (%)


Content marketing

Print advertising

Direct marketing

Events TVInternet


8


Budget growth for CM likely to impact these two areas


51

Plan to increase

Remain the same

Decrease

42

While overall budgets are essentially static, half of organisations plan to increase CM spend in next 12 months

Source: Q17b. How do you expect your organisations’ marketing spend / budget to change over the next 12 months? Spend on content marketing | Above the line marketing spend | Overall marketing spendBase: 130 for overall, 91 for content marketing

Overall Marketing Spend Content Marketing Spend

9


51

Plan to increase

Remain the same

Decrease

42

While overall budgets are essentially static, half of organisations plan to increase CM spend in next 12 months

Source: Q17b. How do you expect your organisations’ marketing spend / budget to change over the next 12 months? Spend on content marketing | Above the line marketing spend | Overall marketing spendBase: 130 for overall, 91 for content marketing

Overall Marketing Spend Content Marketing Spend

97%

of businesses that currently spend over £350k on CM are planning to increase this further

10


11

Brand engagement and brand building top the list of objectives for marketers using CM

Engage customers with the brand long-term

Build the brand

Acquire customers

Source: Q8. What are the key objectives for using content marketing in your organisation?Base: UK professionals using content marketing n=91

21 3


12

But how effective is CM perceived to be in achieving targets?

Source: Q15. Which objectives would you say you achieved/are achieving with content marketing? Rank according to % who rated CM to be “5 - very effective” or “4 - effective” (scale from 1-5)

Engage customers with the brand long-term

Build the brand

Acquire customers21 3


Measuring effectiveness of CM efforts particularly ROI is a key challenge, as is creating good quality content

Source: Q10. What are the key challenges your organisation has encountered in its CM efforts? Base: UK professionals using content marketing n=91

Top 3 challenges marketers face with content marketing

Creating content of appropriate quality

Proving the effectiveness of CM internally as we define it

Securing enough budget

1 32

13


14

“Changes in Google algorithms mean quality online content

is vital to being visible. But the current risk is that marketing

departments do not have the right skills or understanding

to practice content marketing properly – and these brands

will suffer at the hands of Google. Those with backgrounds

in journalism are a must-have asset for brands engaging

in content.

Sharon Flaherty, Head of Content and PR, Confused.com ”

Reinforcing the point on quality


15

CM activities are currently predominantly being done in-house, an opportunity for agencies

74

60

56

51

39

38

37

37

33

32

Internal employees/resources

PR agency

Ad agency

A specialist CM agency

Freelance CM professionals

Other freelance professionals

Online publisher

Freelance journalists/editors

Social media agency

Integrated agency

“ATL agencies have traditionally been good at helping clients design, evaluate and sell marketing interventions internally. It is important for CM agencies to adopt the same approach to show how effective content can support business objectives.Chris Moriarty, Head of Corporate Affairs, CIM ”Source: Q9. Who do you work with in planning and implementing your content marketing activities?

Base: UK professionals using content marketing n=91Quote: In-depth interviews with practitioners

Currently use


In summary

The industry is largely aware of content marketing

It is widely used, primarily for brand engagement and building, less so acquisition

Key issues surround proving its ROI and creating appropriate quality content

The role of specialists in delivering content marketing to organisations has room for growth

16


Go to the CMA case study gallery to view hundreds of

multichannel content marketing case studies that demonstrate

what editorial intelligence can do for your brand…

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