In conversations lately, we’ve heard asset and wealth managers say that they have an oversupply of marketing content and want to optimize their efforts.
Further, data collected during White Marble Consulting’s annual CMOx exchange found that many leaders listed content effectiveness as a primary KPI this year.
I looked more into this trend recently as part of our new Q4 2023 U.S. Investment Marketing Trends Report. In the report, I recommend asset managers think of content like a supply chain to maximize its ROI.
What does this mean, though, and how can they begin?
Setting the stage
Put succinctly, White Marble defines a content supply chain as the coordination and codification of content processes – with the support of appropriate governance and technology – to enable more efficient and effective content development and promotion.
Firms don’t intend to overproduce content, but it’s often a result of ideating and producing content in siloes. Each portfolio management team may be producing content for their own individual goals and needs, leading to repetitive or even conflicting messaging and formats in the market.
Marketers can also get stuck in the habit of creating content simply because it’s always been done, even if it’s no longer impactful or needed. A supply chain mindset puts pressure on marketers to truly consider what content is needed, and how to efficiently create it.
A supply chain mindset puts pressure on marketers to truly consider what content is needed, and how to efficiently create it.
A manufacturer won’t produce 10,000 toys when they know they are likely to sell only 2,000. At the same time, they won’t maintain three toy factories if they can consolidate efforts and produce the same or better results with one factory. We can apply these same principles to content.
Five ingredients for a content supply chain
To build a content supply chain, firms must execute on its key ingredients. We believe these are:
1. Clear visibility into current content stakeholders & processes
First, you need to thoroughly understand who is producing your content and how. Audit your firm’s content efforts to create a starting map. What’s being created, and to what result? If teams are attached to their current content, a third-party audit partner may be able to provide an objective lens.
2. Ongoing insight into customers’ needs & interests
Just as manufacturers constantly evaluate and predict demand for goods, you’ll need some ability to gather insight into what content your audiences want to consume and what might stand out in their minds.
This may be as simple as regularly scheduled conversations with your sales leaders on what they’re hearing, or as advanced as ongoing social monitoring, focus groups, or competitor reviews.
3. Defined, strategic content goals
Guiding goals can provide a framework so your teams only create content that ladders up to business priorities. Thus, as part of your broader marketing strategy, be sure to lay out clear goals for your content too.
4. Appropriate governance structures
With the understanding gathered from the above steps, you’ll want to lay out a governance structure for content. The overarching goal of governance is for everyone from the CMO to the incoming marketing analyst to be clear what type of content should be created, how it’s created, why it’s being created, and by whom.
The overarching goal of governance is for everyone from the CMO to the incoming marketing analyst to be clear what type of content should be created, how it’s created, why it’s being created, and by whom.
What governance looks like in practice will differ from firm to firm, but it may come in the form of a firmwide style guide, templated briefs, a leadership approval process, regular team check-ins, etc.
5. A robust marketing automation stack
Just like robotics and AI have become integral to manufacturers’ supply chains, so too is technology the foundation of a true content supply chain.
Tools like a customer relationship management (CRM) platform or digital asset management (DAM) platform centralize knowledge of what’s happening and what’s already been created so it’s easy to find and repurpose.
When used thoughtfully and securely, emerging technologies like AI can also be used to automate how content is personalized, or how it’s distributed.
There’s no one right answer for building a content supply chain. It’s a practice and way of thinking, not a defined method. But by thinking of your content in this way, asset managers can start to reign in their oversupply of content and ensure more targeted, efficient, and impactful content efforts.
Our latest U.S. Investment Marketing Trends Report is out now. Our other trends cover ETF marketing and transmedia storytelling – read them here. And want to talk more about content? I’m always happy to chat.