Editorializer interview #2: Eric Levin, SVP and Chief Content Officer of Mediavest | Spark
“ The power of content is that it extends the brands narrative in new ways and new places ”
Every Friday on Your Editorializer wall: a new story about the Power of Extension.
Today : Eric Levin, SVP and chief content officer of Mediavest | Spark, based in Chicago, has worked for years to make content the center of everything he does.
Part of Publicis Media, Mediavest| Spark is highly regarded for the way the agency has very successfully — gained more and more clients, more market share, more awards and more money for them — all thanks to carefully reinventing oneself around groundbreaking content initiatives.
Member of the Publicis Media Global Content Practice council led by Belinda Rowe, Eric was also recently appointed head of the US Content Council by Tim Jones, Chairman and CEO of Publicis Media Americas.
In the following “Editorializer interview”, Eric is sharing his vision about content.
Comments and contributions are more than welcome.
Why and How MV|S is seen as one of the best examples of “content transformizer agency”?
In 2015, we made a commitment to put Content at the center of everything we do. Seeing the trends in the industry, and wanting to better position ourselves for future growth, we blew-up our structure and established the first true content ‘hub’ inside MV|S. By taking a step back and investing in both our talent and structure, we emerged as a ‘new’ type of media entity — one that puts a major emphasis on creative growth. This wasn’t simply tying ourselves to investment, but actually becoming an investment team ourselves. This new structure has allowed us to work seamlessly with other teams, thus creating content that is rooted in key data learnings, insights, and strategy.
We’re a unique player in the agency landscape. That’s because brands and marketers today are still faced with a choice between agency partners that are more right brain — creative shops that develop break-through brand campaigns and experiences — or the left-brain firms that focus on the more black-and-white aspects of marketing — practices centered on precision targeting, data, optimization, analytics, etc. We believe this is a false choice…
We believe the future will be won through whole-brained creativity. Now, every agency claims to be balanced between creativity and analytical. However, unlike other players, our Content team was born as a whole-brained solution, with a heritage in entertainment marketing melded to media intellect. As a result, our teams are as comfortable thinking in terms of breakthrough entertainment as they are in fueling DMPs. To us, building brands and data is one in the same.
For MV|S, this has been a huge point of differentiation, and one that continues to drive growth for the agency.
Why content is so impactful and why should it be more a part of every client strategy?
The power of content is that it begins with a different question — not “what must the brand say about itself?”, but “what are the needs, wants, and passions of our consumer?” Armed with this understanding, we then use content to connect consumers to relevant brand propositions, values and truths in a way that seems organic and meaningful to our audience and users.
Our approach is centered on first understanding what people care about and do and then working backward to connect those passions and behaviors to what the brand stands for. And because our Content group is part of Publicis Media, one of the globe’s largest media entities with market-leading data, tech, and marketplace access, we have unrivaled understanding of people.
When you bring consumers value, they let you in. And this is how you create our overarching philosophy behind: Welcome Brands.
And our approach often provides another big benefit. While the industry still speaks in terms of “non-working” and “working” dollars, we believe in making every dollar work. The traditional approach invests in creating assets that then require further investment to reach audiences. We flip the script by using the brand’s paid media investment as fuel to create content and experiences with partners — entertainment industry, tech platforms and media publishers — who are already drawing consumers naturally. The money that would’ve been spent in placing media with these partners is instead used to co-create brand experiences more in keeping with what consumers want from these partners — with what consumers expect. It’s a more cost-effective approach to creative that also drives more engagement naturally because the brand connects with known consumer interests.
Advertising and more standard ways of marketing still play a hugely valuable role. But for many brands — especially mature brands who are looking to create deeper bonds with consumers, bonds that create a new sense of familiarity, likability and relevance — the Content approach works differently. We set the bar at creating brand experiences that people will actually welcome. And we strive to create brand experiences so entertaining and/or valuable that people actually seek them out as the main course, not a side dish. And in some cases, our work is so compelling and valuable that people will actually do us the great honor of paying to experience it, opening new lines of revenue for the brand.
Advertising is about “power of reduction”, content about “power of extension” — business extension, image extension and management extension. How would you describe this power of extension?
Well first — let’s be honest with ourselves. Content is advertising and advertising is content. We’re still trying to drive sales (or any number of other KPIs). However, the power of content is that it extends the brands narrative — in new ways and new places. It’s unexpected, yet welcomed and allows for greater reach through storytelling. With an ad, you have :30 seconds to cram in as much information as possible. You’re only able to tell a product story — how it may ultimately benefit the consumer and what’s needed to sell.
With content, you can take a step back and find the real way in to connecting with consumers. It also allows you to play in so many spaces that traditional advertising cannot go (though that hasn’t stopped them from trying to get a :15 or :30 to work in every space).
Content has to be customized and delivered at the right time. We also have to deliver against audience expectations for a brand.
For example, our insights have shown us that Millennials are increasingly looking for brands to play a different role in their lives. They want to have the ability to immerse themselves in the brand — to understand the origins and what role we want it to play in their lives. Expectations of millennials range widely from a need to understand why it exists, what it stands for, to be entertained or even get resources or help. It’s this combination and elevated expectation, along with the wide variety of places that a brand could play, that make content rich with opportunity — and completely different than traditional advertising.
And again, traditional advertising plays a role, but it only tells part of the story. With these campaigns, we can add a layer that continues to drive excitement and exploration by our consumer.
