Is Content’s Reign as King Ending?

It’s a phrase that’s embedded in every marketer’s mind, “Content is King.” And at the beginning of the millennial journey to savvy consumerism, that was almost certainly the case. Now, with Generation Z poised to overtake the millennial majority, many wonder if content’s monarchy will lose its luster.

Content rules by relevance. Millennials who hungered for information that was meaningful to their exclusive interests found it when strategic content marketers delivered. And delivered. And delivered. Every word was carefully curated to satisfy search engines. And since digital marketing informs most campaigns, the messaging trickled to every tactic. The strategy worked; so if it’s not broke, why fix it?

A New Breed of Royalty

Fast forward to Generation Z and it becomes clear that it may be time for a new breed of royalty. For this generation, being bombarded by redundant messaging has been a way of life. In other words, it’s not only going to be harder to capture the attention of Gen Z, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to capture anyone’s attention at all.

I’ll pick on our own industry first to illustrate. Visit a few local agency websites and you’ll be amazed by the number of creative, strategic and passionate marketing experts in your area. Or, look at billboards for large hospital systems that all seem to promise compassionate care combined with the latest technology. With so much redundancy, how can anyone stand out?

The Knight in Shining Armor

For some marketers, the answer to that question is “shock and awe.” Using the shock and awe technique, a campaign captures attention by its sheer audacity. But that’s hardly a strategy. This is where brand becomes the knight in shining armor. By creating a unique brand identity, you connect to your target audience in a unique way. Your brand doesn’t have to be shocking to stand out, but it does need to provoke emotion. It may be humor, excitement or trust; you just need to convey some kind of feeling to break the ice and start the conversation.

I’m not suggesting that content should abdicate its throne. On the contrary, coupled with a strong brand identity, content becomes all the more powerful and meaningful. Once you’ve captured your customers’ interest, content will bring them along on customer journey and ultimately entice them to buy. You just need to grab their attention first!