history of content marketing
TRANSCRIPT
April, 2016
http://www.camasmedia.com/
By Camas Media
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN...
Many seem to think of Content Marketing as a modern marketing buzzword or a fad of the 22nd century
It all began in 1895
But the fact is that Content marketing is more than a century old!
• Agricultural machinery manufacturers John Deere Corporation published a consumer magazine called “The Furrow”
• Topics related to making farming profitable made it popular amongst the public
• By 1912 it enjoyed a readership of 4 million readers
• Today it has a circulation of nearly 1.5 million readers across 40 countries
• The magazine talked ‘with’ the readers instead of ‘at’ them holding up a very basic principle of Content Marketing.
The First Step
YEAR: 1895TheFurrowMagazine
• Michelin Tires published a 400-page guidebook to assist French drivers with various aspects of automobile maintenance
• Initially 35,000 copies of the guidebook were distributed for free
• With time as the popularity grew, it expanded itself into a series of annual guidebooks for different countries
• Guide has information on hotels and restaurants that motorists may want to visit
• This exercise helped Michelin grow in public memory and drive demand for their product
Content Marketing Takes Tothe Road
YEAR: 1900The MichelinTires
• In the earlier 20th century, this popular American brand had dismal sales figures
• Plagued by heavy losses, Jell-O Corporation distributed free copies of a cookbook, with recipes to use their product in various dishes
• In a span of just 2 years post that, Jell-O not only became a household name, it also saw its sales rise more than $1 million
The Sweet Tooth
YEAR: 1904The Jell-O Cookbook
• With the popularity of radio in 1920-30 America, it became an marketing channel
• In 1933, Proctor & Gamble began the broadcast of a radio serial drama called “Oxydol’s Own Ma Perkins”, sponsored by their product Oxydol soap
• Show was targeted to appeal to the housewives and women
• During breaks, P&G would advertise its soap products
• The show was so popular that the term “soap opera” was first coined for it
The Advent of “Soap Opera”
YEAR: 1933Procter
&Gamble
• Founder of Nike Bill Bowerman publish a booklet on jogging
• It talked about how jogging should be done, and help an average American get on track and do it right
• The 19-page booklet simply titled “Jogging” inspired a generation of Americans to get physically active
• While doing that, the shoe brand foremost on their minds was Nike
Content Marketing Made America Jog!
YEAR: 1960Nike
• In 1982 Hasbro and Marvel innovated in their approach to Content Marketing
• The G.I.Joe action figure was developed into a cartoon for television and comic books which became hugely popular
• This was perhaps one of the first examples of visual content marketing
G.I. Joe: A Visual Treat
YEAR: 1982G.I. Joe
The Big Bang
YEAR: PRESENTContent Marketing has truly evolved
over the period of time
Many modern marketers & top brands are heavily investing in Content
Marketing
The boom of the internet and social media has given it a whole new twist for
the better.
In one sentence
Camas Media is an online perception management company that creates content driven digital experiences for a new type of consumer. To know more about us connect with us on
Camas Website