A little familiarity goes a long way

Without it, you risk pushing your audience too far too fast. [View Message in Browser]( / [Add Us to Safe Sender List]( WEEKLY NEWS 8.18.23 WEEKLY NEWS 10.13.23  FEATURED [How Purdue's Award-Winning Video Transformed Recruitment With Emotive Storytelling]( By Jodi Harris Purdue University enabled a girl to envision her future, and audiences followed along. The resulting story unseated the previous No.1 video on Purdue’s YouTube channel, which had 15 years of views. Here are four lessons to take from it to improve your video marketing. [Read more](  MORE OF THE WEEK'S BEST STORIES [Why Investors Trust Marketing, But Not Marketers [New Study]]( by Content Marketing Institute Team The 2023 Trust in Marketers research finds buyers generally trust brands’ content. But they also are less likely to find value in it. How can you bridge that gap? The answer’s pretty simple. (Well, maybe.) [Master Content Proofreading and Editing With These Tips]( by Ann Gynn Wearing two hats at the same time is uncomfortable. Yet, content marketers do it when they edit and proofread at the same time. Here’s how to make each a distinct – and more valuable – experience. [Why a Dash of Familiarity Makes Controversial Content More Palatable]( Robert Rose Controversial content topics get attention – for better or worse. To earn the best kind, try balancing these four elements: surprise, familiarity, consensus, and controversy. This new framework can help. [ICYMI: How To Raise Your Brand’s Voice on Issues That Matter [Examples]]( Ahava Leibtag Studies have found that consumers believe it’s important for brands to take a stand on social and political issues. Here are the questions to ask before you do, and some tips and examples to inspire.  A NOTE FROM ROBERT ROSE A little familiarity goes a long way One of my favorite Content Marketing World sessions this year came from The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson, who wrote the book Hit Makers: How to Succeed in an Age of Distraction. In his talk, Derek explained the power of familiarity: One of the best ways to ensure a welcome surprise is to infuse the experience with familiarity. The idea originates with famed industrial designer Raymond Loewy, who described his MAYA (Most Advanced Yet Acceptable) principle as a balance between human curiosity for new things and fear of anything too new. As an example, Derek shared what happened when Spotify fixed a bug that let familiar songs into the automated playlist Discover Weekly, which was designed to help listeners discover new music. Discover Weekly listens declined. As it turned out, having one or two familiar songs strengthened the value of the discovery playlist. Derek explained why with this Loewy quote: “To sell something familiar, make it surprising. To sell something surprising, make it familiar.” I love that idea for content and marketing. And it got me thinking about another counterweight to apply to the balance of familiar and surprising. Don’t take controversial content positions in a vacuum Today, brands struggle with controversial positions in their content. The more heated the topic, the more people the content may attract – to a point. But, as controversy increases, the number of people who react negatively also goes up. Some brands adopt a point of view in a provocative debate to inspire conversation, get a wider reach, and pierce through the noise of crowded media. They see it as a kind of steganography – a way to embed brand, product, or sales messaging within the body of content around a controversy. The problems emerge, however, when the team behind it doesn’t see if the rest of the business (or the audience it wants to build) will support the point of view. Bud Light learned this lesson from the backlash around hiring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, then [throwing Dylan and its marketing team under the proverbial bus.]( [Research shows]( that the level of conversation a controversy produces depends on two countervailing trends. A low level of controversy makes topics more likely to be discussed. But when controversy increases beyond a moderate level, researchers found, the likelihood of discussion goes down because people are uncomfortable talking about the topic. So, if your goal is to reach more people, generate more awareness, or pierce the noisy marketplace of ideas by taking a position on a topic, it makes sense to imbue your point of view with enough consensus to make people feel comfortable discussing or sharing it. In [Rose-Colored Glasses]( this week, I offer a framework for balancing surprise, familiarity, consensus, and controversy. It’s a work in progress, so I’d love to hear if you think it’ll work for you. [Share your thoughts with me here](mailto:Robert@contentadvisory.net?subject=Weekly%20Alert%20–%20a%20little%20familiarity%20goes%20a%20long%20way). Until then, remember: It's your story. Tell it well. Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute Would any of your colleagues or friends benefit from Robert's weekly updates? Please invite them to [subscribe]( here.  SPONSORED CONTENT Informa Tech Trust in Marketing Index reveals the state of trust between marketers and senior tech decision makers. Senior decision makers are engaging with content regularly. Are they happy with what they see? Do they trust it? The Index uncovers their preferences, giving marketers essential insights into how to elevate trust with the most desirable audience. [Download the report for free today »](  MORE FROM CMI Coming Soon: CMWorld On Demand Content Marketing World may be over, but you can still experience the learning and inspiration by purchasing a Digital Pass. Sharpen your content marketing skills with 150+ sessions from global marketing experts fresh from our 3-day event in Washington, D.C. You’ll have access to keynote and breakout session recordings through December 31, 2023, to watch at your own pace. Get $100 off of your digital pass with code COMMUNITY100! [Register for a Digital Pass »](  Livestream Playback: Content Marketing Strategy Has Nothing to Do With Your Content Do you know how to turn the attention your content receives into cold, hard revenue? Content marketing is one of the most important pieces of the marketing plan, but many businesses miss the mark with their content strategy. On this Monday’s Ask the #CMWorld Community Livestream, CMI host Amanda Subler sat down with Robert Rose, CMI chief strategy advisor and author of the new book, Content Marketing Strategy, to share his new model that will transform and optimize your content marketing by harnessing the power of your brand’s voice. [Watch the livestream »](  To change your email preferences or unsubscribe, visit our [subscription center.]( Copyright © 2023 Informa Connect, All rights reserved Content Marketing Institute, an Informa Connect brand 605 3rd Ave | New York | NY 10158 [Terms of Service]( | [Privacy Statement]( [informa tech]