Brands as Publishers: WP-Brighton talk

A few months back I gave a talk about the idea of Brands as Publishers at the WP-Brighton conference.Coca-Cola’s CMO and CEO have both said [paywall] that in 2012 20% of their marketing spend will be on social media, content and related activity. I take that to mean earned media, and I take that company’s commitment be the beginning of  a major shift in marketing to backing up an acknowledgement of the importance of earned media, with proper investment.What will evolve from now on will be systems and ways of doing marketing that will be more long term, more about managing content and brand assets more effectively.As I say at the start, the principles behind the idea of brands as publishers scale. The same things are as important for someone managing their personal brand as a consultant, a small business or major global brand.For more thinking and insights on this topic, take a look at the following couple of links:

• Branding in the Digital Age: You’re Spending Your Money in all the Wrong Places [paywall but very worth it*], by David C Edelman, McKinsey & Co: This is the article I reference in the talk. It’s a brilliant analysis, with evidence and case studies, about how brands work online. The role of earned media – from search engines and user generated content to branded content – is clearly laid out. The McKinsey view – and very much the Brilliant Noise view too – is that there is massive over-investment in paid media and underinvestment in earned.
• John Battelle: Brands as Publishers: If you’re at all involved in search engine marketing you will know of John Battelle. He’s been banging the drum for brands to think and act like publishers for some time. As well as the recent post here take a look at this and this…

More on this topic come, I can assure you…And, in case they are useful, here are the slides from my talk: