Branded Newsrooms: What Matters, What Doesn't and How They Work

Join us at 11am EST on Tuesday, April 8, as we host a chat with brand newsroom experts.

3rd & 7 37yd

In some cases the metrics today are simply brand awareness, but particularly in B2B you're going to see a huge emphasis on lead generation/inquiries and top-of-the-funnel sales contribution.

by shaneschick 4/8/2014 3:51:19 PM
In a world full of metrics and analytics dashboards, you can dial in just about every part of your brand, message and execution if you’re willing to invest the time and budget in research. -- Steve Smith

by chris.huston 4/8/2014 3:51:22 PM
Brand awareness is measurable. And brand journalism provides measurable lift.

by Steve Smith 4/8/2014 3:52:11 PM
Where does the brand newsroom live in the media and brand/marketing world? What does it look like now and what will it look like a year down the road?

by Stephen Zorio 4/8/2014 3:52:32 PM
by chris.huston 4/8/2014 3:52:44 PM
Brand news rooms will become increasingly important. One of the biggest problems with every brand under the sun jumping into producing content is that it’s leading to a flood of rubbish, poor quality content with produced with no real thought as to the audience it’s aimed at. Content pollution in other words, which at Bite we’re fighting against, www.stopcontentpollution.com. A branded newsroom’s biggest goal really should be to stop brands churning out pollution.

by Justin.Pearse 4/8/2014 3:53:27 PM
@Stephen: Brand newsrooms can position a brand as an equal to a media organization. For example, when it comes to attracting audience, companies like Red Bull are as powerful as any media organization. Worth noting: A deep, deep, deep commitment on Red Bull's part.

by Chris Hogg 4/8/2014 3:54:43 PM
If brand journalism is successful, they'll become as popular and as valuable as traditional media. This is already starting to happen for me. When I want to read about literature, I look at Random House Canada's Hazlitt. When I can't find anything to read in Esquire or GQ I look at Mr. Porter's Journal. That should be the goal.

by shaneschick 4/8/2014 3:55:13 PM
Red Bull though is now actually a media company in its own right that ALSO sells cans of drinks.

by Justin.Pearse 4/8/2014 3:55:33 PM
Where does the brand newsroom live in the media world?

It's not going to replace independent sources of content. But it might prove complementary, especially if brands understand that they are writing for the reader. That means providing useful content, not badly disguised marketing messages. American Express, Intel and co seem to understand this.

by Jon Bernstein 4/8/2014 3:55:46 PM
How Red Bull Takes Content Marketing to the Extreme
MashableRed Bull is a publishing empire that also happens to sell a beverage. A glimpse at the brand's expansive market, made possible by strategic content marketing.

by Kim Fox 4/8/2014 3:56:12 PM
Brand newsrooms are still somewhat nascent, but what brand newsroom really sticks out to you and why? What is it about their approach that distinguishes them?

by Stephen Zorio 4/8/2014 3:56:34 PM
@Stephen: As previously mentioned, Red Bull is a great example of a company that has fully embraced a brand newsroom (and has done so since 2007). #commitment

by Chris Hogg 4/8/2014 3:57:25 PM
Personally I get a bit annoyed always hearing about Red Bull when it comes to content marketing. Its cited at every conference I go to but it's great at content because is IS a content company. it owns sports teams, record labels etc etc. Brand don't have to be Red Bull to be able to produce great content for their audience.

by Justin.Pearse 4/8/2014 3:58:30 PM
@Jon We're now seeing organizations becoming their own media organizations -- take Coke for example. In the new media world, brands can use their newsrooms to become thought leaders in their industry space, curating content, breaking news and telling great stories -- their stories -- directly to their consumers.

by April.Umminger 4/8/2014 3:58:37 PM
@Chris Red Bull is an interesting example but it appears to want to broadcast to as big an audience as possible. The examples that really interest me are those that are playing to their niche. So

IQ by Intel = IT pros and business decision makers
Open Forum by Am Ex = small and medium sized businesses
MoneySupermarket.com = consumers looking for financial products and services

by Jon Bernstein 4/8/2014 3:59:33 PM
@April yes, broadly agree but they still require third parties in the main to help disseminate that message. The third party might be LinkedIn or Twitter but it's still a third party.

by Jon Bernstein 4/8/2014 4:01:07 PM
Thanks for your patience everyone! We're now going to post a couple of your questions in the last few minutes of the chat. First up, from Meena...

by Kim Fox edited by chris.huston 4/8/2014 4:01:43 PM
If brands are putting such a high value on storytelling now, could news organizations be undervaluing the opportunities in storytelling for the digital age?

by Meena 4/8/2014 4:01:46 PM
@Meena: Some news orgs do better than others -- NYT, the Guardian, etc. Most of them are flummoxed when it comes to storytelling.

by Steve Smith 4/8/2014 4:03:15 PM
@Meena News organizations absolutely value opportunities for storytelling in the digital age. The difference comes between reporting news and leveraging it on behalf of a third party.

by April.Umminger 4/8/2014 4:03:39 PM
@Meena I think good news organisations do understand storytelling. That maybe understanding the narrative of a running news story or using blogs etc to provide commentary, insight etc around a big issue

by Jon Bernstein 4/8/2014 4:03:58 PM
Great storytelling also needs a strategy – a plan for what the story is going to say today, and recommended rules of engagement that support strategic content pillars and drive an overarching brand narrative. -- April Umminger

by chris.huston 4/8/2014 4:03:59 PM
@Meena: News organizations do undervalue the opportunity to tell brand-relevant stories. The way a news organization tells a story is different than how a brand might want to tell it. They have different objectives. Both are valid.

by Chris Hogg 4/8/2014 4:04:05 PM
@Meena and all those Steve mentioned are moving quickly into content marketing with some very interesting propositions, like Guardian Labs

by Justin.Pearse 4/8/2014 4:04:15 PM
@Justin: So is Harvard Business Review.

by Steve Smith 4/8/2014 4:05:04 PM
How do you think brand journalism will effect the future of real newsroom journalism and thorough investigative reporting?

by Reggie edited by Kim Fox 4/8/2014 4:05:07 PM
@Reggie in many ways it's supporting it as content marketing becomes another way publishers shore up declining revenues and support their 'real' journalism!

by Justin.Pearse 4/8/2014 4:06:25 PM
@Reggie: Newsroom journalism and branded content are different businesses. Branded content should not impact the quality of investigative journalism we've all come to expect and appreciate from news organizations.

by Chris Hogg 4/8/2014 4:06:36 PM
@Reggie Having come from USA Today and the Washington Post, I don't think that it will. There is still a strong separation between church and state in top tier media outlets, and the blurring of those lines will not come anytime soon. ...Unless there is a scandal related to brand journalism.

by April.Umminger 4/8/2014 4:06:39 PM
@Reggie I think the real newsroom has its challenges, regardless of brand journalism. The challenge for real newsrooms is funding expensive forms of journalism, including investigations. I guess you could argue if existing publishers embrace brand journalism that could fund the expensive stuff.

by Jon Bernstein 4/8/2014 4:07:09 PM
@Reggie: I'm a big believer in the need for quality newsroom journalism and investigative reporting. News orgs could learn a thing or two about agility and digital storytelling from brand journalism. I think you see this already in orgs like the Texas Tribune down here.

by Steve Smith 4/8/2014 4:07:22 PM
@April although it's getting dangerously close. I'm involved with the IAB UK's efforts to introduce self regulation for content marketing to prevent any such scandals, which we've seen over the years with so many new forms of digital marketing, which will I think be important.

by Justin.Pearse 4/8/2014 4:08:21 PM
This has been a great chat, thanks very much to our amazing panel and to everyone who submitted questions. We'll be posting a roundup tomorrow -- be sure to look for more live chats from ScribbleLive in the future.

by Stephen Zorio 4/8/2014 4:09:01 PM
Thanks for the interesting chat, and for inviting /newsrooms to take part.

by Chris Hogg 4/8/2014 4:09:32 PM
Thanks everyone! Goodbye!

by Steve Smith 4/8/2014 4:09:42 PM
Very interesting and lots of fun!

by Justin.Pearse 4/8/2014 4:09:50 PM
Thanks for reading and participating!

by Jon Bernstein 4/8/2014 4:09:59 PM
Thanks all for the great conversation -- good times!

by April.Umminger 4/8/2014 4:10:06 PM

Branded Newsrooms: What Matters, What Doesn't and How They Work

Join us at 11am EST on Tuesday, April 8, as we host a chat with brand newsroom experts.

How Red Bull Takes Content Marketing to the Extreme

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