With 2015 well underway, I wanted to look back at the winners and losers in content marketing from the past year. But as I started compiling my data, I saw a surprising trend emerge. The companies that killed it with content were smaller, fast-growing businesses while more Fortune 500 brands failed big in 2014. It begs the question: Why do big brands suck at content marketing?
Just look at Verizon Communications Inc. In June, the company launched SugarString, a tech lifestyle website similar to popular online publications like WIRED or Motherboard. And with General Electric, American Express, and Dell already succeeding in this arena, creating a brand-owned content platform seemed like a sound choice.
But Verizon almost immediately ran into problems. During its recruitment efforts, the editor-in-chief set restrictions on content, asking potential writers to steer clear of topics like spying and net neutrality due to the company’s “entanglements.” Needless to say, the censorship was met with criticism from both the public and the media.
To make matters worse, Verizon appeared to mask its affiliation with this site, only posting a small logo at the bottom of the page. This caused some to believe that the brand was trying to mislead them.
The bad press and consumer doubt that followed forced Verizon to pull the plug in just over two months.
Brands Lost Big With Content Marketing in 2014 — Here’s How to Recover This Year
