Marketing has always played a crucial role in business operations, but with the advancement of technology and changes in consumer behavior, its function is subtly shifting. Marketing transformation can be understood from four aspects, commonly known as the 4Ps: product, price, place, and promotion. Upon closer examination, the product remains the same, and the price, tied to the product, hasn't changed much either. In essence, with the advent of the internet and the gradual maturation of China's marketing system, the focus of marketing has shifted from channel control to content dissemination. Channel domination, terminal success, and deep distribution were once common strategies and goals in China's marketing circles, but now they seem less effective. Why is that? What should enterprises focus on in the future? These questions lead us to today's discussion. Let's first briefly analyze why marketing used to be channel-dominated.
In the past, the common marketing strategy was big advertising plus channel control. Regardless of product quality, companies would advertise on CCTV and local TV stations, then use a massive sales organization to distribute the product to places where consumers could buy it, and the product would naturally sell.
Channel control was highly valued by Chinese enterprises for two reasons: first, to compete with foreign rivals, Chinese companies couldn't match them in brand and product quality, but they were more familiar with channels and the actual marketing environment in China, so controlling channels was their advantage. Second, due to information asymmetry and supply not meeting demand, as long as the product was produced and reached places where consumers could buy it, sales would naturally follow.
Examples like health product advertising plus channels, Wahaha's joint sales system, and Chinese home appliance companies' deep distribution all thrived because they mastered channel control. However, the advent of the internet has broken the boundaries of time and space, eliminated information asymmetry, and dealt a huge blow to traditional Chinese marketing channels. Nowadays, a common dilemma for enterprises is that they invest great effort in channels, but consumers don't respond to the product, finding it outdated or not matching their aesthetic standards, and they have more choices. Consumers spend a lot of time online—watching TV, playing games, shopping, and chatting. Before making a purchase, they search the internet for product quality and reviews, then decide. This change presents both a crisis and an opportunity for enterprises. The crisis is that marketing has become harder; previously, spending on advertising and hiring people to distribute channels would sell products, but now it doesn't work. For enterprises, the opportunity is that wherever consumers spend their time, that's where your focus should be, and your resources should be directed accordingly. This is why content marketing is the most powerful marketing weapon in today's era. At this point, you might argue that OPPO and VIVO have achieved success through strong offline channels and advertising, right?
But if you think carefully, you'll realize that OPPO and VIVO are actually skilled at content marketing. Look at their strategies: they use popular young celebrities as brand ambassadors and sponsor major entertainment shows. Isn't all that aimed at getting closer to the younger generation? Aren't their marketing strategies close to their target consumers? Wherever my consumers are, my strategy must follow. Content marketing today is not just a communication strategy; more importantly, in the internet ecosystem, it's about how your enterprise and products are perceived by people. That's the key point in content marketing. Specific content marketing strategies can be implemented from three aspects: product contentification, channel contentification, and communication contentification. 1 Product contentification: What does your product look like? Today's requirements for products are higher than before. Why? Because the power of word-of-mouth is more prominent. If your product is good and distinctive, even without much advertising, core fans can spread the word to many others—this is common in the internet ecosystem. Conversely, if you spend a lot on advertising but the product doesn't effectively solve pain points, consumers will be dissatisfied and spread negative reviews online, which can be a huge blow to you. The most basic aspect of product contentification is ensuring product quality. "Good wine needs no bush" seemed unreliable in the past, but in online marketing, it's indeed true. 2 Channel contentification: Previously, channels had a physical function—placing products in front of consumers for purchase. Now, channels need to have an emotional attribute. Many enterprises are investing in offline channels not only because of the dividends but also because offline channels haven't been well executed in the past. Who says offline channels are only for displaying products? Could they have other possibilities, like for play or experience? In the future, a major transformation in offline channels will be from physical to emotional attributes. Creating content and fun in offline channels will be the direction for channel development in the coming period. 3 Communication contentification: Not everything communicated can be considered content. Here, we define content as information that consumers are willing to accept and that effectively influences their purchasing decisions. We can see that many traditional enterprises have a clear shortcoming in their transformation: they are aloof, distant from consumers, and their content communication is very serious. For example, many companies have established official websites and public accounts, but they are filled with industry news and leaders' speeches, with little relevance to users. With such an attitude and content, how can consumers be receptive? If what you produce doesn't bring you closer to consumers, and your target customers are unwilling to read or share it, then such content is useless and ineffective for communication. Product contentification, channel contentification, and communication contentification—doing these solidly will naturally expand channels, upgrade channels from functional to emotional attributes, and stop disseminating irrelevant information. These are the key points for successful content marketing. Conclusion In the era of survival, the mission of marketers was to claim territory and dominate channels; in times of peace, the mission is to capture consumers' minds. Of course, the ultimate goal is sales. Wherever consumers spend their time and energy, that's where our strategies should be directed. Source: Marketing Inn -END-