ICMF Barometer: The state of content marketing internationally

ICMF Barometer: The state of content
marketing internationally
November 2016
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Method
The ICMF Barometer surveyed nearly 600 communication executives (n = 592) in nine
countries to explore the state of content marketing and its future at international level.
1, 180, 30
4, 222, 60
, 65, 65
5, 145, 145
9, 179, 179
, 0, 130
4, 96, 211
2, 155, 228
Barometer
Coverage of different regions:
§  Central Europe
§  Eastern Europe
§  Scandinavia
§  USA
5, 133, 0
5, 184, 61
0, 44, 30
, 80, 64
8, 145, 136
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Our definition of content marketing
1, 180, 30
4, 222, 60
, 65, 65
5, 145, 145
9, 179, 179
, 0, 130
4, 96, 211
2, 155, 228
5, 133, 0
5, 184, 61
0, 44, 30
, 80, 64
8, 145, 136
Content marketing covers the whole spectrum of content-driven communication,
including custom media (sometimes called corporate publishing).
Content marketing
•  is a form of corporate, brand, product or staff communication driven by relevant
editorial content
•  harnesses all the available media channels, including print, video, mobile and online,
individually and on a cross-media basis
•  includes communication with different audiences, in particular with consumers,
business customers, employees and investors
•  can be used to pursue various goals along the customer journey, from boosting
brand awareness, brand image and customer retention to acquiring new customers
and triggering purchase decisions
•  includes both continuous communication projects and time-limited communication
campaigns
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Content Marketing: Share of Budget
At international level, organizations allocate between 20 and 28 percent of their overall
communications budget to content marketing.
1, 180, 30
4, 222, 60
AUT
21
, 65, 65
5, 145, 145
9, 179, 179
, 0, 130
4, 96, 211
2, 155, 228
5, 133, 0
CHE
26
DEU
26
DNK
20
HRV
20
NOR
20
5, 184, 61
0, 44, 30
, 80, 64
8, 145, 136
POL
22
SVN
22
USA
28
20
28
Q: Around what percentage of your overall communications budget does content marketing account for?
Countries in alphabetical order; averages, adjusted for extreme values
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Anticipated Change in Content Marketing Budget by 2020
Organizations expect their CM budgets to increase by 14-69 percent by 2020.
Growth expectations are highest in Croatia and Poland.
1, 180, 30
69
66
4, 222, 60
69
, 65, 65
5, 145, 145
9, 179, 179
, 0, 130
4, 96, 211
37
2, 155, 228
33
5, 133, 0
5, 184, 61
0, 44, 30
24
22
32
26
, 80, 64
14
8, 145, 136
AUT
CHE
DEU
DNK
HRV
NOR
POL
SVN
14
USA
Q: How do you think your organization's content marketing budget will develop by 2020?
Countries in alphabetical order
5
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Content Promotion as a Success Factor
It is widely acknowledged that content promotion is a key to successful content
marketing.
1, 180, 30
4, 222, 60
AUT
71
, 65, 65
5, 145, 145
9, 179, 179
, 0, 130
4, 96, 211
2, 155, 228
5, 133, 0
CHE
DEU
73
63
DNK
82
HRV
96
5, 184, 61
0, 44, 30
NOR
81
, 80, 64
8, 145, 136
POL
82
SVN
89
USA
100
63
100
Statement: “Content promotion – systematically raising awareness for content – is key to successful content marketing.” /
top 2 boxes: (completely) agree; countries in alphabetical order
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1, 180, 30
4, 222, 60
, 65, 65
Content Promotion as a Success Factor
At international level, executives generally share the view that higher investments in
content promotion could boost content marketing’s impact.
We could clearly increase the impact of our content marketing
by investing more in media or content promotion.
5, 145, 145
9, 179, 179
, 0, 130
4, 96, 211
2, 155, 228
5, 133, 0
82
5, 184, 61
0, 44, 30
, 80, 64
8, 145, 136
top 2 boxes: (completely) agree
69
71
59
91
94
48
74
83
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1, 180, 30
4, 222, 60
, 65, 65
Relevance of Content Marketing
There is widespread unanimity among executives that content marketing will continue
to grow in importance.
Content marketing will become more important in our
communications mix in the future.
5, 145, 145
9, 179, 179
, 0, 130
4, 96, 211
2, 155, 228
5, 133, 0
99
5, 184, 61
0, 44, 30
, 80, 64
8, 145, 136
top 2 boxes: (completely) agree
88
95
65
61
99
76
94
96
8
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1, 180, 30
4, 222, 60
, 65, 65
Content Marketing and Classic Advertising
There is broad international consensus among executives that content marketing and
classic advertising will be the “power couple” of marketing communications.
In the future, content marketing and classic advertising will be
more closely coordinated and integrated.
5, 145, 145
9, 179, 179
, 0, 130
4, 96, 211
2, 155, 228
5, 133, 0
94
5, 184, 61
0, 44, 30
, 80, 64
8, 145, 136
top 2 boxes: (completely) agree
85
91
78
83
82
90
91
96
9
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1, 180, 30
4, 222, 60
, 65, 65
Quality as a Success Factor
There is international consensus among executives that the guiding principle of the
future is quality over quantity.
In the future, the smartest organizations will create less but
better content.
5, 145, 145
9, 179, 179
, 0, 130
4, 96, 211
2, 155, 228
5, 133, 0
82
5, 184, 61
0, 44, 30
, 80, 64
8, 145, 136
top 2 boxes: (completely) agree
88
81
65
82
77
87
83
88
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1, 180, 30
4, 222, 60
, 65, 65
5, 145, 145
Content Marketing Organization
The majority of the executives is convinced that we will see more centralization of
content marketing activities.
Organizations will increasingly centralize their content marketing
(e.g. central content studios, brand newsrooms and content
centers).
9, 179, 179
, 0, 130
4, 96, 211
2, 155, 228
5, 133, 0
82
5, 184, 61
0, 44, 30
, 80, 64
8, 145, 136
top 2 boxes: (completely) agree
56
63
57
73
65
90
80
75
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Strategy Gap
Less than half of the companies have a defined content marketing strategy. The
exception is the USA, where approximately six out of ten organizations have one.
1, 180, 30
4, 222, 60
AUT
40
, 65, 65
5, 145, 145
9, 179, 179
, 0, 130
4, 96, 211
2, 155, 228
5, 133, 0
CHE
45
DEU
45
DNK
HRV
43
38
5, 184, 61
0, 44, 30
NOR
46
, 80, 64
8, 145, 136
POL
SVN
USA
41
43
59
Statement: “Our organization has a defined content marketing strategy.” / top 2 boxes: (completely) agree; countries in
alphabetical order
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