Episode Details

When brands like Outdoor Voices launch a new content platform it gets us thinking about retail-brands-turned-content-creators and begs the question: who is the winner in the attention economy? Do brands have what it takes to create engaging and timely content? Listen now!

##Main Takeaways:

• In today's brand economy, everyone is expected to be a storyteller and have content play a large part in their retail strategy. 

• Brian and Phillip use their own experience as a guide and describe the qualities it takes to be a successful content creator. 

• In some cases, content is dictating how product is being created so brands that master their content game are becoming majorly successful.

• Strategy is an integral part of achieving your goals and it takes a specific skillset to combine strategy with brand development.

###The State of Content: Everyone Has to Be a Storyteller:

• Outdoor Voices is launching a storytelling marketing platform called The Recreationalist that is positioned around showcasing the fun in outdoor activities as opposed to most outdoor brands that focus on performance.

• Brian states that we are at the peak content level period where every brand needs to be a storyteller and everything is content. 

• The way we are consuming content has changed dramatically in the past ten years and we are more willing to put our focus on content that is current and innovative. 

• Creating content consistently is a large commitment that extends past just being employed at a company.

###The Lasting Content Creator: Avoiding Creative Burnout in A Demanding Climate:

• Given their standing as "authorities" on the subject, Brian and Phillip describe the perfect combination of qualities that allows someone to be a consistent content creator. (Strangely it sounds like they're reading their own biographies. Imagine that.)

• You can't have a strategy without a goal, and everyone on your team should know what that strategy is and have a clear direction on how to achieve it. 

• Creating content in a particular media takes a different skill set that might sometimes conflict with your ability to be a successful retailer. 

• If you're going to get into the content game, get in with both feet and don't just try to do it halfway.

###The Shifting Tide: Content is King:

• In the attention economy, most brands are competing for the same groups of content consumers so these brands must stand out from their competitors. 

• Brian recently heard a VP of Product at a large furniture retailer say that it's better to create content, see how that content performs, and then create a product that fits that content. 

• "People want to quantify that you're spending has a direct return but when you're creating content, what you're spending on is brand."

• Aggregating the listeners or consumers of your content is a challenge because they are coming from such disparate places across all channels.

###What's On the Horizon?: A Sneak Peek at the Future of Future Commerce:

• Phillip is excited to announce that Gladly is now a sponsor of the show and to check out last week's episode with Charlie Cole and

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