GAME OF THRONES - Content Marketing Strategy Instigations

Game Of Thrones - one of the most successful all time HBO series does not take its success lightly and rest on its laurels.

There seem to be some hardcore strategic efforts into its season pre-launch.

Here's a strategic instigation from @wolfzhowl trying to de-code & retro-organize the approach behind their 2015 season pre-launch content marketing strategy efforts. #wolfSIGHTS

The deck primarily focusses on Game of Thrones, followed by an at best sketchy capture of the Indian Premier League of Cricket's (IPL's) efforts at pre-launch content marketing efforts for the 2015 season.

While the analysis of IPL has not been as robust as GoT, we have also studied the individual team efforts in detail (not included in this deck - for reasons of manicuring the length of the deck). Our biggest findings seem to be that IPL actually has pretty decent content - which is not well distributed and socialised enough. While better content assets can be developed indigenously and also from borrowing examples from GoT.

Note: GAME OF THRONES - content marketing strategy instigations is a thought-piece crafted as one of the 5 components of "The Howl". #TheHowl is a strategic instigations newsletter from @wolfzhowl shared with brand custodians every full moon.

If you desire to be on the mailing list, please send us a howl at intelligence@wolfzhowl.com

Published in: Marketing

GAME OF THRONES - Content Marketing Strategy Instigations from WolfzHowl Strategic instigation

Transcript

1. What teaches us …about CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY Implications for pre-launch promotional strategy for television programming, episodic events, sports etc;
2. Content marketing …“is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience and ultimately to drive profitable customer action.”
3. WHY IS CONTENT MARKETING MORE EFFECTIVE THAN ADVERTISING?
4. “Advertising seeks your attention where as Content Marketing gets you involved and forces your action.”
5. A Strategic framework for effective content marketing … for the launch of a new season or sequel of any TV Show / reality series / sports event or movie
6. CONTENT STRATEGY - FRAMEWORK Brand Asset Audit Strategic Objective Content Development Content Distribution LISTENING (Social / Digital /TAM data / Conventional Research / CRM)
7. CONTENT STRATEGY - FRAMEWORK Brand Asset Audit Strategic Objective Content Development Content Distribution LISTENING (Social / Digital / TAM - DTH data / Conventional Research / CRM)
8. LISTENING (Social / Digital / TAM - DTH data / Conventional Research / CRM) Listening is often interpreted as social & digital only. However if you integrate all the digital & non-digital data available to you, it actually not only helps you monitor, but also pre-plan your content marketing strategy. • Can lead to evaluation (based on last years listening) of the brand’s assets that are most loved and hence prioritization of which ones to market , what is missing that needs to be developed & what do fans create and share that now can be integrated into your content development pan. • Listening (integrated type) can help you set your strategic content marketing objectives as well. (Example: is a specific segment not watching your TV program because of reason X, that they have stated on their social site?). • To state the obvious – listening is but obviously the corner stone for Content development as well as content distribution. It can even lead to a brilliant matrix of which type of content instigates the best response on what kind of digital / traditional platform.
9. CONTENT STRATEGY - FRAMEWORK Brand Asset Audit Strategic Objective Content Development Content Distribution LISTENING (Social / Digital / TAM - DTH data / Conventional Research / CRM)
10. Audit your brand’s past / present and future (possibilities), to mine content assets which can be developed, distributed and measured. Brand Asset Audit
11. CONTENT STRATEGY - FRAMEWORK Brand Asset Audit Strategic Objective Content Development Content Distribution LISTENING (Social / Digital / TAM - DTH data / Conventional Research / CRM)
12. • To increase TRPs • To build hype around the new season and create expectation • Gain viewership from new consumer segments apart from the current loyal fan base • Merchandise sale (if any) can be leveraged through content marketing • Any specific objectives (e.g. competition launching new seasons, new series / movies coming around the same time) can also be addressed. • Do we need to counter viewer exhaustion & instigate interest (for example – this IPL season in India is starting after 4 months of continuous cricket – spiked by the world cup of cricket) Strategic Objectives
13. CONTENT STRATEGY - FRAMEWORK Brand Asset Audit Strategic Objective Content Development Content Distribution LISTENING (Social / Digital / TAM - DTH data / Conventional Research / CRM)
14. Using the existing content assets, content pieces can be developed in order to achieve the specific strategic objectives. Owned Content: consists of articles, interviews, clips, videos, footage, pictures, etc. that can be developed using our existing content assets. Paid Content: consists of advertorials, articles and coverage that the brand pays other publications for create. Co-created Content: consists of content created in collaboration with brand partners Fan-created Content: holds the most value and is most effective in creating buzz. Loyal fans can either pro-actively create content, or be incentivized and egged by the brand to create content through contests, etc. Content Development
15. CONTENT STRATEGY - FRAMEWORK Brand Asset Audit Strategic Objective Content Development Content Distribution LISTENING (Social / Digital / TAM - DTH data / Conventional Research / CRM)
16. All the content needs to be anchored on a brand owned blog or website (your content head quarters), in order for it to be measurable, and for the brand to get proper feedback. Any fan generated content which is popular & trending, can often be spotted and featured back on the official content anchor (this further incentivizes the fan – as being featured on the official content anchor is a prize for loyalty by itself) Content Anchors (part of your content development & distribution consideration)
17. CONTENT STRATEGY - FRAMEWORK Brand Asset Audit Strategic Objective Content Development Content Distribution LISTENING (Social / Digital / TAM - DTH data / Conventional Research / CRM)
18. All the content that is developed needs to be distributed effectively through multiple online channels like: Social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Whatsapp etc;) Blogs (Brand owned, fan blogs, etc.) Other mass blogs and platforms (e.g. mashable, huffington post, about.com, TOI.com, magazine and TV news blogs, etc.) Apps (brand created mobile apps, quizzes etc. in other gaming apps) Content Distribution
19. So the content marketing strategy frame work, in summary…
20. CONTENT STRATEGY - FRAMEWORK Brand Asset Audit Strategic Objective Content Development Content Distribution Brand’s past / present and future content possibilities TRPs, merchandise sales, creating a buzz and hype, etc. • Owned • Paid • Co-created • Fan Created Content Anchors: Website Blog Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram Pinterest Media Platforms (Media houses (TOI.com, etc.), Huffington post, mashable, etc.) LISTENING (Social / Digital / TAM - DTH data / Conventional Research / CRM)
21. This presentation does not touch upon either listening or distribution – due to the lack of data & its primary focus being brand asset audit & strategic objectives with focus on content development in particular…
22. Let’s look at the model of Digital content strategy… … for the launch of a new season or sequel of any TV Show / reality series or movie.
23. Identifying the CONTENT BUCKETS
24. Actor behind the CHARACTER CONTENT BUCKET : 1 Points to note: Articles like ‘Kit Harrington’s body’ or ‘Peter Dinklage’s high school days’ aim at creating a stronger bond between the fans and the lead characters of the show played by these individual actors.
25. Actor behind the CHARACTER CONTENT BUCKET : 1 Content that was simply relegated as brand trivia in the past, today, makes for interesting & insightful ammunition for digital content marketing strategy. Are you purposing your content right? Strategic Objective 1: To build the actors of GoT and showcase other aspects of them as individuals, in order to make these actors into major celebrities and create personal fan following. This enables GoT and HBO to premiumize their franchise even further by claiming to have a stalwart star cast. Strategic Objective 2: Once these actors have been established as celebrities, they then continue to feature them and drive content about them to get the fans of these individual actors to get further excited about the show, and fall in love with the characters their favorite actor is playing.
26. Introduction & Evolution of CHARACTERS CONTENT BUCKET : 2 Points to note: • GoT strategically releases news and videos of new character introductions and also, new actors entering the show. • Apart from this, there are articles on evolution of existing characters, how they grow, new looks etc. which increase curiosity among all views – readers and non-readers
27. Introduction & Evolution of CHARACTERS CONTENT BUCKET : 2 Strategic Objective 1: Introduction There is a large book reading population that is already aware of the storyline and characters in the new season. Hence, for this audience, GoT leaks the new cast of actors that will play the new characters, in order to get the book readers interested, by giving them a face which they can relate the characters to. Strategic Objective 2: Introduction For the non-book readers, the new character introductions and new actor introductions increases their curiosity about the new season and gets them talking about these, thereby creating a buzz. The introduction and leaks of new character also spark off conversations and debates between the book readers and non-book readers, with creation of a lot of spoilers and user generated content which adds to the buzz of GoT
28. FLASHBACKS CONTENT BUCKET : 3 Points to note: • GoT and HBO blog have a series of tutorials on the various facts of GoT that were shown in the previous seasons, but are complicated to understand and hence, may have been missed by many fans. • Tutorials on GoT languages, e.g. Dothraki, High Vlyrian expressions, etc. • All past episodes available on the official website.
29. Flashbacks CONTENT BUCKET : 3 Strategic Objective : There is a year’s gap between the previous season and the new season of GoT. And being a complex, imaginary world, fans and viewers would have forgotten a lot of details and occurrences shown in the previous seasons, which have implications in the new season. Hence, creating memory joggers for them and to keep them feeling the connection with the series is essential.
30. FACTOIDS CONTENT BUCKET : 4 Points to note: • GoT and HBO blog have a series of tutorials on the various facts of GoT that were shown in the previous seasons, but are complicated to understand and hence, may have been missed by many fans. • Tutorials on GoT languages, e.g. Dothraki, High Vlyrian expressions, etc. • A series of videos where the Author explains various complex facts of GoT
31. FACTOIDS CONTENT BUCKET : 4 Strategic Objective: Creating discernment among the non-book reader fans of the show. The non-book readers may find it difficult to follow every single detail and the thousands of fictional characters and words created for GoT. Hence, a series of Factoids have been created in order to make these fans feel more involved with the show, and to create discernment, whereby they feel superior and then show-off their GoT knowledge superiority in front of other viewers, generating curiosity among others too.
32. Leaked Scenes & SPOILERS CONTENT BUCKET : 5 Points to note: • People are always more interested and excited by controversies. Leaked scenes and spoilers manage to create these controversies and get the fans pumped up and talk about the show generating interest among others and getting newer people to watch the series. • Spoilers are usually created by the readers of the books, and GoT has found a unique way of teasing and getting back at them, which is both loved and resented by the book readers and loved by the viewers.
33. Leaked Scenes & SPOILERS CONTENT BUCKET : 5 Strategic Objective: To create curiosity, hype and buzz This strategy works like the Gmail Beta strategy – Invite some and deny the rest to manipulate and pump the crowd. GoT leaked a sneak peak from the season 5, and sent this information to a few selected influencers. After a very limited time, they pulled it offline. This created a huge uproar, people could not watch it again and a lot of people could not watch it at all. Being denied the content, actually made people value it much more and wait for it with double the eagerness. Even major brands like Apple use this tactic of ‘leaking’ news and creating buzz.
34. PREVIEWS & Deleted Scenes CONTENT BUCKET : 6 Points to note: • People are always more interested and excited by controversies and leaked scenes and spoilers manage to create these controversies and get the fans pumped up and talk about the show generating interest among others and getting newer people to watch the series.
35. PREVIEWS & Deleted Scenes CONTENT BUCKET : 6 Strategic Insight: Deleted Scenes Content that was never aired, becomes an integral part of the content strategy. This can be used as a loyalists’ strategy because it makes them feel like they have seen the inside stuff, no one else has. It provokes commentary and keeps the interest alive. Strategic Insight: Previews Previews spark anticipation and fuel interest in existing fans of the TV shows, as well as generate curiosity among the book readers who may not have seen the TV series yet, by giving visuals to the readers’ imagination.
36. Pro Active Fan Created Content CONTENT BUCKET : 7 Points to note: • Fans of GoT pro-actively create blogs, fan-pages and content which is invaluable for GoT as it helps them get invaluable feedback and interact with a very active fan base. • Speculation and spoilers from conversations between viewers and readers, is a huge part of fan created content which the GoT makers use to their advantage by playing and teasing the fans… which the fans tend to love and get even more excited by.
37. Pro Active Fan Created Content CONTENT BUCKET : 7 Fan pages and fan blogs are a huge source of information and feedback for the GoT series. The huge fan base has several blogs and pages on which they write not just appreciation and their views about the show, but a huge part of the content is created by conversations between the readers and views, which sparks speculations and spoilers by the readers who have already read the books. This creates very interesting content, gives the makers a glimpse of what the fans are expecting and hence, how they can surprise them. Sometime, the GoT team has also interacted with the fans and people who create the spoilers by teasing them further and trying to confuse or mis-guide them. It is something the fans get even more excited and interested by.
38. Fan created content – through contests CONTENT BUCKET : 8 Points to note: • Instigating all the creative fans to create art, music, costumes, etc. that belong to the world of GoT, by holding a contest and incentivizing them, and in the process getting very high quality fan created content.
39. Fan created content – through contests CONTENT BUCKET : 8 Strategic Objective: To get the fans emotionally invested in the show and feel like a part of the show, while getting rich, high quality fan created content. When fans take the pains to create something from / for the show, they get emotionally involved with the show and no matter if they win or lose, they feel personally invested in the success of the show, thus making them all endorsers of the series. These can act as feedback, inspiration and even merchandise ideas for the GoT team.
40. GAMIFICATION CONTENT BUCKET : 9 Points to note: • Gaming apps, based on the GoT storyline, where you can be a character within the story – game • Several Apps about the GoT books, and the official guide app have maps, facts, glossary and quizzes, etc. to get the viewers and book readers both interested in the finer details of the story. • Some apps are official and a lot are created by 3rd parties.
41. GAMIFICATION CONTENT BUCKET : 9 Strategic Objective: To get fans involved in the story and feel like a part of the story. Once a fan gets involved in playing a game either as a character or even answering quizzes, he/she feels emotionally involved with the show, thus deepening the bond they have with GoT. Apart from the official apps and official game (paid app), there are many 3rd party apps (free apps) and games which are fan created, which try and leverage the GoT fan base for their benefit, but in the process end up benefitting GoT too.
42. Celebrity Fan Posts CONTENT BUCKET : 10 Points to note: • A lot of celebrities are GoT fans and their comments and tweets are used to influence and convert new viewers.
43. Celebrity Fan Posts CONTENT BUCKET : 10 Strategic Objective: To use the comments and tweets by celebrity fans endorsing GoT, to influence viewers and generate further interest. When a celebrity tweets out something, the huge fan base that he/she has, gets influenced or at least curious to see what it is that they are tweeting about. These tweets have been interestingly compiled into stories on publications and blogs like huffingtonpost.com, etc. just a few weeks before the launch of GoT, to showcase the kind of elite brand endorsers and fans that GoT has.
44. BEHIND the Scenes CONTENT BUCKET : 11 Points to note: • Scenes from the shoots, details of the costumes and the sets and even knowledge of the locations makes viewers and fans feel involved and connected with the show.
45. BEHIND the Scenes CONTENT BUCKET : 11 Strategic Objective: To build a connect with the audience and create buzz and hype about the ‘scale’ of the show. Seeing the events, the hard work and the scale ‘Behind the scenes’, makes viewers and fans appreciate the show / movie even more and they tend to build a stronger bond with the show. Showcasing the locations also makes the crowd local to those places, or people who have been to those places relate to the show very personally, then creating stronger relationships with fans.
46. AUTHOR Interviews CONTENT BUCKET : 12 Points to note: • A lot of celebrities are GoT fans and their comments and tweets are used to influence and convert new viewers.
47. AUTHOR Interviews CONTENT BUCKET : 12 Strategic Objective: To attract the book readers and get them to become fans of the TV series as well. A lot of the Game of Thrones book lovers, do not watch the TV series because they think there are too many alterations and deviations from the book. Hence, interviews and videos of George RR Martin, the author of the books, are leveraged in order to attract the book readers to watch the TV shows as well.
48. EVENTS News CONTENT BUCKET : 13 Points to note: • Red Carpet coverage, Premier of GoT, Exhibitions, etc. are used to crescendo the hype just before the season launch.
49. EVENTS News CONTENT BUCKET : 13 Strategic Objective: To take the excitement and buzz to a full fledged peak before the break of the new season. Peaking all the build-up till now.
50. So the content marketing strategy frame work, in summary…
51. Brand Audit Strategic Objective Content Development Content Distribution • Characters • Trailers • Books • Past seasons episodes • Celebrity author • Actors / celebs playing the characters • Costumes and sets • Language (Dothraki), house names and fantasical places. • Behind the scenes footage • Deleted / edited scenes footage • Targeting book readers, who are rejecters of TV series. •TRP increase • Increasing fan base • Create a massive hype and buzz around the launch of the new season • Merchandise sale • Owned  Spoilers and deleted scenes, Trailers  Dothraki language tutorial  Costumes and details  behind the scenes  Actor / director interviews  Author interviews  Character Biographies, inside stories that the TV series couldn’t capture. • Paid  Advertorials, stories (in other publications) • Co-created  co-created with other brands – don’t know for sure) • Fan Created  GoT’s biggest asset.  Pro-active fan created content. (apps, blogs, fan pages)  Contests & Gamification  Celebrity Fans – tweets, mentions, etc. Content Anchor: Official Blog, official website Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram Pinterest Media Platforms (Media houses and other blogs: Huffington post, mashable, scoopit.uk, about.com, etc.) Mobile apps and online quizzes and games LISTENING (We have not focused on the listening part for GoT since we do not have access to their data) Hence, the Game of thrones’ content strategy framework… Not comprehensive, due to the lack of access to data. Brand content assets: Brand content assets:
52. A quick look at IPL in contrast…
53. WHAT IS IPL 2015’s Digital Content Marketing Strategy for it’s pre- launch?
54. CONTENT STRATEGY – IPL2015 Pre-launch Brand Audit Strategic Objective Content Development • IPL teams • International cricket stars • New and up- coming local cricket players • Past seasons of IPL • Practice session footage of different teams • Events footage of different teams over the years • Team owners who are stars • Cricket Statistics of past many decades • Owned  Snippets of the past  Player / team owner interviews  Dressing room sneak peek  Practice session sneak peek  Promos and ads • Paid  Advertorials & Press releases • Co-created  IPL has brand partners like Pepsi, Hotstar, CEAT tyres, individual teams, etc.  Most co-created content, contests, etc. are during the season… not in the pre-launch phase – why? • Fan Created  Fan created content is limited to tweets, contests, fan polls, etc. during the season… Why nothing pre-launch? (see GoT)  Celebrity fans are leveraged by individual teams during the matches, in stadium. Why not earlier to create pre- launch content and buzz? Content Anchors: Website • TRP increase • Ticket sale • Merchandise sale • Get the fan base energized: Just finished the World Cup and over 4 months of back- to-back cricket seasons… need to counter fatigue even among the viewers
55. Cricket Stars •Interviews •Fun facts •Personal lives •New and upcoming local boys •Photos •Birthday Wishes • Auction Info • Announcements • Schedule • Statistics IPL events and footage: • Team events • Promos • Best moments from past seasons • Dressing room and practice session moments • Photo and video archive IPL celebrity owners: • Team owner interviews IPL News: CONTENT BUCKETS: Existing Content map
56. CRICKET STARS
57. CRICKET STARS
58. CRICKET STARS
59. IPL News
60. IPL News
61. IPL Events & Footage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KpBgUNpfUk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzGbRLQtbZk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZrq_ygvTRA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TpRYB0P4Hk Promos & Ads
62. IPL Events & Footage Everything on the IPL website – not distributed well on social media
63. CONTENT STRATEGY – IPL2015 Pre-launch In summary
64. Brand Audit Strategic Objective Content Development • IPL teams • International cricket stars • New and up- coming local cricket players • Past seasons of IPL • Practice session footage of different teams • Events footage of different teams over the years • Team owners who are stars • Cricket Statistics of past many decades • Owned  Snippets of the past  Player / team owner interviews  Dressing room sneak peek  Practice session sneak peek  Promos and ads • Paid  Advertorials & Press releases • Co-created  IPL has brand partners like Pepsi, CEAT tyres, Hotstar, individual teams, etc.  Most co-created content, contests, etc. are during the season… not in the pre-launch phase – why? • Fan Created  Fan created content is limited to tweets, contests, fan polls, etc. during the season… Why nothing pre-launch? (see GoT)  Celebrity fans are leveraged by individual teams during the matches, in stadium. Why not earlier to create pre-launch content and buzz? Content Anchors: Website No Official Blog? • TRP increase • Ticket sale • Merchandise sale • Get the fan base energized: Just finished the World Cup and over 4 months of back- to-back cricket seasons… need to counter fatigue even among the viewers Content Distribution Biggest weakness for IPL2015 Pre-launch. Content from the website not distributed well, nor leveraged, except on the facebook page – that too very minimally. Media Platforms (Media houses and other Blogs: TOI.com, Huffington post, mashable, scoopit.uk, about.com, etc. – Not targeted.)
65. IPL, seems to have a lot of content (& Even more Content Possibilities) but has failed to see the importance of building a pre-launch buzz by properly distributing it on social media…
66. Cricket Stars •Interviews •Fun facts •Personal lives •New and upcoming local boys •Photos •Birthday Wishes •In-team relationships of international rivals •Relationships between Team India players playing in different IPL teams • Auction Info • Announcements • Schedule • Statistics IPL events and existing footage: • Team events • Promos • Best moments from past seasons • Controversial match moments • Sledging in-match moments • Dressing room videos • Practice sessions moments IPL celebrity owners: • Team owner interviews • Team owners preparing IPL News: Fan created pre-launch Content: • Contests for fan created IPL art • Celebrity fans: Which bollywood celebrity is supporting whom? How? What are their plans? IPL fashion: ( To get the huge women’s fan base engaged) • IPL fashion tips • Fitness and sports wear tips for women • What should one wear to the stadium? • Crickets’ fashion quotient Gamification & Kids • IPL online games • IPL comic strips More content development possibilities for IPL2015:
67. IPL, seems to have a lot of content (& Even more Content Possibilities) but has failed to see the importance of building a pre-launch buzz by properly distributing it on social media…
68. NO Pre-launch content marketing initiatives – still showing 2014 activities! 3 days before the IPL, and still showing last year’s posts!
69. IPL season 8 has not focused enough on #EXHAUSTION Australia tour, ICC World Cup and Now IPL. Its been 4 months back to back cricket and even fans might be exhausted. So IPL should be much more active on all social media to keep them engaged.
70. While the individual IPL teams seem to have done a better job, even they have started the pre-season content marketing initiative too late and not comprehensive enough.
71. Howl… Strategic Instigations for brands

The world

Saturday, April 18, 2015