If we can make one firm prediction about content marketing trends in the coming year, it is simply that there will be a lot more of it. According to the UK’s Content Marketing Institute’s Benchmarks Budgets and Trends report, 66% of marketers say spend is set to rise.
There’s likely to be more variety too, with the same report noting that marketers experimented with more content marketing tactics in 2015, a trend that seems likely to continue.
So what does that mean in practice? Well even in the first few weeks of 2016, we’ve seen a flurry of activity, demonstrating that marketers are not only actively developing their content campaigning but also – in many cases – keen to establish a position on the leading edge.
Courting controversy
And there is also, it seems, a willingness to court a certain amount of controversy and challenge the audience. For instance on Valentine’s day – always a focus for content marketing in the B2C marketplace – Adidas posted a picture of a same sex couple on its Instagram page, coupled with a quote from Beatles Song, the End: “the love you take is equal to the love you make.”
Predictably the post prompted protests on Twitter, but the company stood its ground. Perhaps more importantly supportive feedback more than outweighed the negatives. In the process, Adidas won new fans while also demonstrating that it stood on the right side of history in terms of changing social attitudes. And, of course, the picture itself featured two pairs of desirable shoes.
Pushing the technological envelope
February also saw a US computer company taking content marketing into uncharted territory.
The content was provided by Lady Gaga, performing a Bowie tribute at the Grammy Awards. But the performance was in fact collaboration with Intel who deployed cutting-edge technology to electronically dress the performer using projected images as she moved around on stage. 
Given the controversy in the lead-up to ceremony – with many asking if Lady G has the credentials to pay tribute to South London’s most famous son – the performance was always going to attract a huge audience. It was, therefore, a perfect, if subtle showcase for Intel.
Fit for the future
Meanwhile, a US-based gym/fitness company has marked the start of the year with a new magazine aimed at the “wellness” market.
Equinox already has form when it comes to high impact, content-focused marketing. The company’s early forays took the form of a blog. This in turn provided a home for a well of content and video, including “The contortionist,” which has clocked up more than 10 million YouTube views, thanks in no small part to a provocative take on Yoga.
The new magazine, furthermore, marks a move from a blog format into a full-scale media project employing full time journalists. For the company it’s a means to build the brand by associating its gyms with a wealth of useful, well-researched and scientifically proven information.
The message for marketers
There’s action on the B2B front too, notably with the launch of a second round of Adobe’s Marketing Superstars podcasts.
Featuring interviews with prominent or innovative marketers, the podcasts offer up discussions of current challenges and how they can be overcome. It’s a strategy that is allowing Adobe to deepen its own relationship with the marketer community.
All this is the tip of an iceberg. Businesses with deep pockets are seizing the opportunity to lead the way in content marketing. When you step back to look at the bigger picture, blogs, podcasts, video journals and a raft of other tools are helping companies of all sizes address their target audience. It’s set to be a busy year.
