Better call a plumber

mlns='> Remarkable content won’t flow without a process to channel it [View Message in Browser]( / [Add Us to Safe Sender List]( Weekly News 3.24.23 Connect With CMI  [Surprising and Expected Results from Tech Content Marketers [New Research]]( Tech marketers are focused on community building and hybrid events in 2023. Here’s what you can learn from this and other top findings from CMI’s newly released Technology Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends research. [Read more]( By Lisa Murton Beets More of the week's best stuff: - [YouTube’s ‘Big’ Announcement Gets the Attention It Missed in a Sea of AI News]( by Content Marketing Institute Team - [How To Make Your Next Thought Leadership Program a Success]( Janie Hulse-Najenson - [Why Remarkable Content Originates From an Unremarkable Process [Rose-Colored Glasses]]( Robert Rose - [I]( 5 Misunderstood Best Practices in Content Marketing]( by Ann Gynn  Better call a plumber Comedian David Mitchell once [offered this truth]( on the British game show, Would I Lie To You?: “One of the codes I live my life by is that my appearance should be in no way noteworthy. But then again, not so unnoteworthy to be in itself noteworthy.” David explained with the example of a person wearing a gray tie that's so colorless, so unnoteworthy, that the person who wears it becomes noteworthy because of it. I thought of this code last week after someone sent me an [Inc. article]( that pitted "content" (and people who focus on content regardless of process) against processes (and the people who follow them). I'll explain how that ties to Mitchell's life code. But first, rant ahead: The Inc. article warns organizations not to overlook their "hyper-performers." OK, who would argue differently? But what prompted my rant is the mischaracterization of hyper-performers based on a quote from a mid-1990s [interview]( with Steve Jobs: “I found that the best people are the ones that really understand the content. (By ‘content,’ think what truly drives results in your business.) And they're a pain in the butt to manage. But you put up with it because they're so great at the content. And that's what makes great products. It's not process. It's content.” Jobs recounted how Apple's engineering team told him the mouse would take five years to develop, and each one would cost $300 to build. So, he hired an outside firm that developed one in 90 days that cost $15 to make. A remarkable achievement. But he's wrong to use that example to imply that process gets in the way of innovation as he does here: “Companies get confused. They want to replicate initial success, and a lot of them think somehow there’s some magic in the process. So, they try to institutionalize processes, and before long, people get confused that the process is the content.” Process and content must be in balance for either one to achieve remarkable results. Whether we are talking about the contents of a product or the experiential content that marketers focus on, “remarkable content” is built on standardized, repeatable processes. Jobs recognized the need for an innovative way to develop the mouse because Apple's standard, well-understood processes informed its engineers that the kind of mouse Jobs wanted would take five years and cost $300. Finding a firm to design one inexpensive mouse in 90 days was just step one. Success came because Apple developed that mouse quickly and then created a repeatable process that set a new standard for producing mice. The creative solution combined with the repeatable process is what made it work. In [Rose-Colored Glasses]( this week, I assert (and defend) my position that the push for remarkable content must be balanced by a standardized process. The two working together, symbiotically, is what allows you to even see the possibility for innovation. But what do you think? Send me [an email](mailto:Robert@contentadvisory.net) – or leave a comment on [the article page]( – to let me know if you agree or disagree. Until then, remember: It's your story. Tell it well. Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute Do you have colleagues or friends who would benefit from Robert's weekly updates? If so, please invite them to [subscribe]( here.   More From CMI Content Marketing World 2023: Lowest Rates End Soon! The [super] early bird gets the worm – and also up to $300 off their pass to Content Marketing World in Washington, D.C.! Register by April 7 for the lowest rates, and get ready for a program jam-packed with informative and inspiring sessions from some of your favorite speakers and fresh voices in content marketing. [Register now to save »](  If you’ve never joined us at Content Marketing World (or it’s been a while), let us show you what you’ll learn by attending. We unlocked five of our most popular sessions from the 2022 conference so you can preview the inspirational speakers and actionable takeaways that keep our community coming back each year. Watch the videos – and then make plans to experience CMWorld firsthand this September! [Sample 2022 sessions »]( [CONTENT CREATION RESOURCES](  Events [Content Marketing World]( [ContentTECH Summit]( [Content Marketing Awards]( Resources [Research]( [White Paper/eBook Library]( [Content Voices]( Education [Content Marketing University]( [Chief Content Officer]( [Webinars]( [Job Listings]( Interested in advertising with CMI? [Learn more.]( 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]