Where to fish for social insights when the pond turns into a cesspit?
Expressing the opinion that Twitter/X.com is a horrible, toxic place full of fake -news, perma-outrage, abuse, and bots whose job it is to perpetuate all of the above, isn’t exactly a hot take. However, despite this being the case for a while now, it’s hard to deny that there has been somewhat of a further downturn in the health of the platform since the disruptive takeover of Elon Musk.
Smarter budgets, Happier Clients, Happier Agencies
by Rupert Foy, Group Deputy Managing Director Agencies are facing a transformative phase. AI looms over the creative department, threatening to deliver upon mood boards, billboards and video content – if only it can get the hands right (see a recent attempt at an AI beer advert here). Harrowing stuff indeed. But, in all seriousness, […]
The return of brown
By Phil Tristram Back in the seventies at school, my then art teacher confiscated my black paint. She said I was using too much of it and wanted me to try other colours. Although miffed (I was in my black period), the ban forced me into experimenting – and it worked! My paintings and drawings […]
The power of the dog
by Ellie Hughes Another monthly SLT meeting, another discussion about office culture. How can we make sure people are enjoying their time in the office, thus enabling their creative juices to fully flow? How can we get everyone socialising across the agency – juniors with board members, creative with account management? Sound familiar? One answer: […]
New agency established to champion diverse and inclusive influencer representation in the UK media
Established with the mission to increase diverse and inclusive influencer representation in the UK media, REFLECT, the UK’s only ‘not for profit’ D&I influencer talent management agency, will launch on the 16th September 2021. With millions of influencers in the UK contributing content to an industry worth in excess of $5bn1 in 2021 and growing, […]
Content and the power of outliers
Outlier – a person or thing differing from all other members of a particular group or set. When it comes to solving complex problems, personal or otherwise, we often ask others for advice. We surmise that it’s important to get another perspective. Why is this? Well, it’s because not everyone thinks like we do or […]
Content Thought Leadership – Utilities
Utilities industry are facing a problem. We will always need heat, light and water so that in itself isn’t a threat, how we manage them is changing quickly.
Why celebrities turn to fragrance as a branding tool
Celebrities are brands themselves. Their fans buy into them, dedicating their time and emotion to their music, memorabilia and social media.
Content Thought Leadership – Media and Entertainment
How did Netflix and Amazon Prime come to be known for top original content? What learnings are there for content marketers from their success?
Hasta la vista, baby – Robots are shut down after inventing their own language
Facebook recently shut down an experiment after artificial intelligence robots started a conversation in their own language.
What the Somerset House Perfume Exhibition teaches us about branding
Fragrance – something you smell. Seems obvious, straightforward – and all you need to know, you’d think. But when I went to A Sensory Journey Through Contemporary Scent perfume exhibition at London’s Somerset House (open until 23 September 2017), it blew my mind…
The rise and rise of Healthtech
There are more than 165,000 health-related apps on iTunes, the majority offering services focused on prevention. It’s not just consumers that use healthtech…
Are FinTech brands a real alternative to traditional banking?
Engaging content and technology that delivers, are FinTech brands a real alternative to traditional banking?
In the Balance of Probabilities
It’s official, summer is here and Wimbledon is just around the corner. Unless, of course, you live in Chessington, in which case it’s a short drive down the A3. Badum tish! June is also the month of the longest day, the 21st, and Midsummer Day, the 24th, when in olden times people lit bonfires to […]
The River Group wins major international Government content marketing programme
The River Group has been awarded a contract by VisitBritain, the UK’s national tourism agency
The power of comedy
In the second Contentology bulletin, The River Group considers the power of comedy in content marketing…
The science of content marketing
In the first of three investigative articles, The River Group considers the past, present and future of content marketing, starting with the meaning of data
River appoint Bauer Media’s Claire Irvin as Editorial Content Director
Claire Irvin, Bauer Media’s Editor-in-Chief is to join River Publishing as Editorial Content Director.
‘Turbo charge’ your marketing with online video
Colin Burcher, Head of Partnerships at video production and distribution specialists SeeThat, explains why you don’t need to own a Formula 1 team to make great video content (but it may help!)
Inspiring Interview: EContent magazine editor, Theresa Cramer
EContent magazine’s editor talks to River about content marketing, social media, and the Internet of Things
Inspiring Interview: Marc Blinder, strategic marketing, promoting the Adobe Marketing Cloud
Having begun his work in social media by designing and building a mobile social network Marc Blinder has since been involved with some of the most successful Facebook marketing campaigns of all time. Today he’s part of Adobe’s Marketing Cloud Strategy team in London and is a frequent speaker across Europe on social marketing…
The value of content marketing in retail
Content – whether in the form of an offline product like a customer magazine or online content intended to support information search – helps to enforce this position of authority, creating a sweet spot for the retailer and an extension of the customer journey.
Rock.Paper.Glass: River launch white paper on the evolution of content
River today launch an innovative new white paper research publication Rock.Paper.Glass on the future of publishing.
25 ways the web has changed content marketing
Content marketing has been revolutionised by the world wide web, which is 25 years old. Read our 25 ways the web has changed content marketing.
Not more content marketing; content marketing that does more
In 2013 everyone was talking about this amazing thing called “content”. Content marketing is the cool new kid on the block. You’re mildly irritated, secretly envious and curious to emulate his success.
The power of storytelling
Great stories don’t always come in the form of a book. The art of storytelling has improved as brands and advertisers recognise its power.
The digital communications revolution is in the hands of the consumer
The digital revolution has brought techies and creatives together in the pursuit of great content, playful marketing and consumer-focussed solutions.
Solve the big 4 content marketing challenges in 2014
2014 is the year considered, strategic content marketing will grow from a ‘should do’ to a ‘must do’ activity for credible brands intent on building meaningful engagements with savvy customers. Here are four tips for resolving the challenges ahead:
The customer publishing industry in 2023
2023 will see that change with branded content leading marketing strategy and properly putting consumers at the heart of marketing communications.
Beware cheap imitations: how Steve Jobs inspires great content marketing
Steve Jobs designed inspiring products. We should invest time, energy, expertise and passion in creating content marketing.
What makes good content? Q&A with Susi O’Neill, Head of Digital
This article by River Group’s newly appointed Head of Digital and Content, Susi O’Neill, was originally featured in .NET magazine in April.
What makes good content?
Content marketing isn’t new – content has always driven communications online. Good content is informative or entertaining, and always engaging. Make your content purposeful: what problem will you solve for your prospective customer? What call-to-action will they take? Use that eye-catching infographic to move your audience further into your engagement programme or sales funnel.
The challenge of the ubiquity of content in content marketing
Can you imagine going to a restaurant and ordering some food? No, actually ordering, just ‘food’. Then maybe ordering some ‘drink’.
Perhaps when you go shopping you like to buy some general ‘clothes’? Your next major purchase might be a ‘car’ or perhaps your Saturday afternoons are spent shouting with thousands of other people at a couple of ‘football teams’?
Content matters: the purpose of content marketing
it’s no surprise that content marketing has come to the fore. Content is by and large self-selecting. It is also immersive, emotive, and the customer gets to choose when, where and how often it is consumed.
Future Proof: five predictions for the future of content
I love writing about the future. It’s the one way I get to say whatever I like and you are only allowed to disagree with me in the mildest fashion. This is because you are not Doctor Who.
So I predict that in 10 years we will be able to invite holograms of our dead relatives to dinner and converse with them as if they we really there. Don’t believe me? Then watch the first episode of the latest series of Charlie Brooker’s ‘Black Mirror’ and think again.
Content marketing: the answer isn’t always more
We do, it is fair to say, have a bit of an obsession with growth. It is arguably one of the key tenets of capitalist society that ‘more is good’. Whether that be GDP and company profits at the business end of the spectrum, personal wealth somewhere in the middle, or a collection of books right at the other. Now, this writer doesn’t wish to debate the semantics of finite resources or the morality of wealth at this juncture, but suffice to say it does shine a number of uncomfortable lights upon the world of marketing.