4. Do the definitions even matter?
Even as I say that brand marketers and journalists have to work together to execute either tactic effectively, I do believe the definitions are important, because the tactics are divergent in their practice, if not in their goals. The much-ballyhooed Old Spice and Red Bull campaigns are certainly using content in new ways (well beyond advertising) for marketing purposes, but they are decidedly not journalism. The Michelin Guides and our own FarmLife project for Massey Ferguson approach the criteria and ideals for journalism in ways content marketing doesn’t. Both can generate brand awareness, product demand, even leads… but when marketers and content creators sit down together, they need first to make sure they’re all talking about the same thing, then match the tactic to the audience, and finally, determine how success will be measured.