Is the Content Director the new Creative Director?
Vast quantities of data, abundance of automation platforms and measurement tools are undoubtedly making marketers’ lives easier, but we need not forget that creativity is still at the core of any successful content marketing strategy.
To quote one of my favourite marketing bloggers, Mitch Joel, “Creativity for the sake of being creative is fine: anyone can do oil painting in their garage, or pluck away at their guitar in their basement for the pure love of the activity. On the other hand, great creativity does inspire on other levels. Great creativity makes human beings curious, it makes them yearn to hear more, and it makes them take action.”
But, who is in charge of creativity? Who is responsible for developing it? Or do we have a new ‘owner’ of the space?
Tough questions to answer.
Client briefs today have changed. The industry is no longer tasked to create 30-seconds commercials with the objective of pushing out a promotional message and to gain brand acceptance in a short period of time. Clients want long-term relationships and brands want to experience love again.
As such, the ‘creative economy’ is playing a much more important role in overall business strategies and plans these days. Increasingly, it is the creative brain that is responsible for disruption in an industry, be it via innovative business models or stand-out communication.
And so changes the definition of ‘creativity’ as we know it. It is now both content-rich and engagement-driven.
But does this mean that the Creative Director is dead, or rather replaced by a Content Director? Quite the opposite, I think.
There are lots of similarities between the two roles: they both need to be able to understand audiences; they need to be able to tailor and build content and advertisements that deliver to that particular audience.
The difference, however, is more in the way those skills are applied.
Creative Directors have been historically much focused on advertising, on the ‘big idea’ that goes ‘viral’, and delivers value for a brand. They have been in charge of creating great stories on behalf of brands for the longest time, so they seem uniquely qualified to lead content creation for brands. Their thought process does not start with a piece of content though – it starts with understanding what the brand story is, and from that, they then build a narrative that embodies the messages and values that the brand wants to deliver.
The outcome of that is a compelling idea, something that doesn’t simply appeal to an audience, but creates advocates, makes people fall in love with a brand – again, and again, and again.
But the reality is that Creatives are more focused on campaign-led opportunities, and some of them still struggle when it comes to thinking of content marketing as an ongoing dialogue with an audience.
And that is where a Creative Director’s weakness is a Content Director’s strength.
Content Directors have focussed more on the actual platforms for content, and how to reach the right audiences – a perfect marriage between technology and storytelling.
Content marketing has certainly contributed to re-shaping the Creative Director’s mindset so that they can now truly think beyond ad copy and 30-seconds commercials.They force the creative community to think long-term vision and encourage the building of narrative.
As they say, Content Marketers are now seen at the ‘Editor-in-Chief’ of brands.
So, does that mean that brands need to take pick between Creative Directors and Content Directors when they work on their strategies? Not at all.
What the situation demands, on the contrary, is the acceptance and attitude of working together to achieve common goals, because ultimately both roles aims to inspire, make people yearn to hear more, and to encourage them to take action.
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