VALUE OF CONTENT

Interest + Accessibility + Context

June 12, 2007

The value of content became a popular debate when Napster opened the floodgates to music downloading. The RIAA flew into a major tizzy, changing the accessibility and valuation of content forever.

Content includes facts and ideas in the form of data, articles, videos, audio clips, photos and images. For content to have value there needs to be significant audience interest. This is why consumer-generated content (the buzz word of today) is so important. Consumer interest is peaked when the opportunity is given for consumers to interact with and contribute to this content making it valuable. There are a plethora of examples, from MySpace.com to Second Life. All containing content that is consumer-generated, filling it with life. When content has buzz, which can be driven by good online PR and online marketing, it has the propensity to grow and become viral. It is then that content develops monetary value, becoming "sellable."

Because of the changing value of content, ad revenue models have been altered. Sites used to sell simply IAB standard ad units, hoping that their content would engage the audience so to yield significant banner impressions. Now statistics are readily available using tools such as Google Analytics and Web Trends, which have become increasingly sophisticated. As a result, agencies and publishers have had to become significantly more creative in the ways they develop online advertising solutions for their clients. In order to keep consumer interest, ads today now have become progressively more innovative, from video roll advertising and run of site campaigns such as AOL's network to video shorts developed specifically for sites like MySpace.com.

Content has become more accessible because many players have begun to provide opportunities for consumers to develop and sell content. Examples include Mochila and Content Tycoon, both of which provide an online market place for writers and publishers of content to buy and sell their content online. This has made it simple for anyone to develop and deliver content online. A great example of content distribution is Bit Torrent, who has an installed base of over 135 million clients worldwide and who deliver high-quality audio and video quickly and easily.

Sites for content sharing and distribution, like Mochila, have forced monetary values to be placed on available content. There is a positive correlation between access to content and the need for information. The value of content increases exponentially with an increase in need for that content coupled with an effort to locate it. Time is money.

Context, or where the content is placed is just as important as the content itself. Placing the content on sites and blogs where your targeted audience lives is what will make that content develop interest and value. Media giants like Google have made contextual ad placement an important way that advertisers can reach targeted audiences. The ads are placed based on their contextual relevance to a site topic, articles within or a combination of both.

What is the value of content? Interest. Content needs people to breathe life into it. People need to be impressed by new, creative stimuli. Accessibility. Are people willing to put the effort required into locating your content? Context. Content that is unseen is useless. Therefore, equally important is the context in which the content appears. Interested + Accessibility + Context = Value.

OMMA LA 2007

This year's theme of the OMMA Conference was Anxiety in Online Marketing. Many discussions and debates addressed how changes in online technology have affected the way agencies serve their clients. Mobile Service Ad Agencies, Search Engine Marketing Companies, Web to Phone Providers and Video Roll technology companies all came together to embrace partnerships ao that they may deliver optimal results for their clients.

This year, OMMA was led by revolutionists in today's web marketing world such as Arianna Huffington and David Carson Heavy.com, as well as media giants like Google and conglomerate holding companies like Publicis. The conference focused on what they believe is the future of the industry, namely acknowledging the never-ending changes in online marketing.

All of the keynotes seem to agree that to survive as an agency in this industry means finding a niche that works and becoming the best therein. With so many agencies providing so many singular services to clients from Creative to Media Planning to Development to Marketing to Research, the brand marketers must adapt to having two to three agencies on board simultaneously and must encourage collaborative efforts and partnerships amongst them.

To be in online marketing means always keeping informed about new technologies, competitors, mergers and acquisitions. Those that survive maintain their focus and keep up with the ever-changing nature of the business. I agree with Julie Roehm, who said "change and innovation should be part of every day business, rather than allowing yourself to be surprised by change." One of the major changes is the control in the agency business today, which has shifted to the clients: "Control Shift Options," Nick Nyhan, OMMA Emcee.

The OMMA 2007 lesson for agencies is that they must collaborate, bringing forth their special skill set, and understand and leverage the fact that the consumers are in control.


Diamonds International

Featured Client: Diamonds International

Building Success Online with Strong Partnerships

Diamonds International is the world's largest duty-free jeweler and has more than 100 locations in the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. Agent-cy acts as their online PR agency of record to drive interest and sales for their online store, www.ShopDI.com. This online store carries over 4,000 products, including a fabulous collection of jewelry, diamonds and watches. In Q4 2007, Diamonds International, with strategic online marketing direction from Agent-cy, will be launching Couture, which will be a microsite within ShopDI.com, that will appeal to a very high-end customer interested in only the most unique pieces.

To date, Agent-cy has grown online relationships on behalf of Diamonds International with events including Couture Fashion Week, NYC; brands including JDate; and publications including The Robb Report and Remarkable Woman Magazine. Most significantly, Agent-cy has helped to develop content for the monthly Diamonds International Newsletter, which serves the lifestyle interests of their various audiences worldwide. These partnerships and associations resulted in an increase in ShopDI.com's Page Rank and produced an increase in qualified traffic. This example demonstrates the value of using complementary partnerships that appeal to an appropriate audience to build, grow and elevate brands online. For specific marketing metrics around this case study, please contact Jasmine Sandler, CMO of Agent-cy.

If interested in reaching the fine jewelry lover audience, please contact Agent-cy to discuss a possible online partnership with Diamonds International.


1 Touch Marketing

Featured Partner: 1 Touch Marketing

1 Touch Marketing, out of Boca Raton, Florida, has partnered with Agent-cy to provide brands with the ability to reach targeted audiences on their lifestyle interest. This is accomplished through Agent-cy's Lifestyle Newsletter Program.

1 Touch Marketing has the resources to provide deep consumer data in almost any area from a localized to a mass audience, from gender, to age, income, job title and much more. Because of its experience as a direct marketer, 1 Touch Marketing can provide lists for e-mail campaigns based on specific consumer lifestyle interest. 1 Touch Marketing complements Agent-cy's experience in developing and managing lifestyle marketing campaigns forming a perfect partnership when seeking to reach both current and prospective buyers of products and services that serve their lifestyle interests.

Beyond e-mail data lists, 1 Touch Marketing can provide Targeted Opt-In Marketing, Postal, Traditional Media Buying and Creative.

If you have any interest in how Agent-cy and 1 Touch Marketing can help you build and sustain a loyal audience, contact us at 646.649.2929 or at info@agent-cy.com.

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