WKLY by NXTLI - Storytelling at its best

Every week Jeroen tracks the news and developments within Content Marketing. In the Netherlands and abroad. Full of tips, trends and innovations. Critical and open, with an eye to the future within a fascinating world in which digital content has become indispensable.

This week: Barilla, SMS and Slacklining with Red Bull in Rotterdam.

Content of the week

More than 1 million people in four days saw the endearing video of Roger Federer surprising Zizou, a young tennis talent, along with Barilla. No sooner had I heard of Barilla. Turns out it is a pasta brand and after looking up the brand via Google, I recognized the packaging.

A sign of love

The connection between pasta and Roger Federer is somewhat indirect, although the tennis legend is bound to eat a lot of pasta. The connection between the brand story "A sign of love" and Roger Federer, however, is exactly spot on. Federer's high favor factor, his undisputed talent and a likeable, up-and-coming tennis talent who made a "pinky promise" with his hero five years ago are ingredients for a wonderful video.
Needless to say, I will reach for Barilla next time I am in the supermarket.

Insight of the Week

SMS is back! It may sound strange, but this very innovation from the 1990s is proving to be a successful addition to your marketing mix. Why?

Brands must constantly differentiate themselves from each other and try to keep communicating personally with their customer at the same time. At the same time, brands do not want to appear coercive; a risk that is always lurking.

It's about the Ping!

Every day we receive many notifications. Mail, Whatsapp, Instagram, SnapChat, TikTok and then the many pop-ups. But the sound of SMS? We don't hear those very often anymore.
The short attention span, for which brands struggle daily, is further fueled by the distinctive sound. Meanwhile, research shows that 55% of consumers appreciate SMS, and there are several cases where SMS achieved higher conversions than mail. Take advantage of it!

Activation of the week

Did you see him, too? Jaan Roose. Last Tuesday, Aug. 9, the highline athlete from Estonia walked a tightrope stretched between De Zalmhavenentoren and De Rotterdam, across the Maas: 625 meters long, at a height of 188 meters.

Red Bull does it again

We know the energy drink Red Bull, of course, from extreme sports. The marketing department is known for propagating their brand story through sensational activations. Preferably in the streets: as close to everyday life as possible: Cliff Diving in Paris, Fierste Ljepper in Haarlem, Street Football with Neymar Jr. and now Slacklining in Rotterdam.
It provides unforgettable and delicious content, and puts Red Bull back on the minds of many.

Digital content strategy with the NXTLI Dashboard

Jeroen Westermann is Content Strategist at NXTLI. With the NXTLI Dashboard, developed by NXTLI, we provide insight into the results of a brand, club, person or organization on its digital channels. We connect this with value and with commercial results. Based on this we create content strategies and develop digital campaigns that accelerate and optimize growth. Interested in how this can work for your organization? Contact me via email.  

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WKLY by NXTLI - Week 31

Every week Jeroen tracks the news and developments within Content Marketing. In the Netherlands and abroad. Full of tips, trends and innovations. Critical and open, with an eye to the future within a fascinating world in which digital content has become indispensable.

This week: Birthday mail, free content via WaterBear and the rise of BeReal.

Insight of the Week

This week was my birthday. Great for me, but also for brands, which thus have THE opportunity to capitalize on this! I am subscribed to many newsletters and several brands have my date of birth in their database. My thanks therefore go to Bol.com, Praxis, HypotheekVisie, De Wijnbeurs, Wijnvoordeel, Independer and the Australian Webjet for their congratulations and offers. All brands not yet doing anything with a birthday of their customers: start doing it! It is the most positive, friendly and relevant way to put every customer in the spotlight once a year.

Innovation of the week

This week I came in contact with Waterbear through an ad on Facebook. With the slogan "The first free video on demand platform dedicated to the future of our planet" combined with a beautiful trailer of a movie about child soldiers who had traded their guns for surfboards, my interest was piqued.

Content as vehicle, not end product

Immediately, though, my question was: how does WaterBear manage to provide this high-quality content for free? Simple: by working with partners and sharing their sustainable story through content, projects and initiatives. With this great content, WaterBear reaches new audiences and global reach. Through the website and app, users can then donate, sign petitions and download information about projects.
So the content acts as a vehicle, a starting point and to generate interest. The content is not the end product. This is a great example for other organizations. Look at how content can be used to tell your story, rather than using content to focus directly on conversion.

Trend of the week

I'm cheating a bit, because this week's trend has been going on for a bit longer than a week. The new social media network BeReal has been downloaded nearly 1 million times in the past few months.

How BeReal works. Every day, users are given two minutes at the same time to publish a photo. Without filters, with little time for edits or adjustments. Pure and real. In other words, "It's time to be real."

The new generation wants no trappings

And that fits exactly with the new generation. They know better than any other generation what it is like to be online all the time. And it is precisely this generation that teaches us something very important: be yourself, unfiltered and develop your own unique identity. Offline and online. Authenticity and purity; an angle many brands can capitalize on.

Digital content strategy with the NXTLI Dashboard

Jeroen Westermann is Content Strategist at NXTLI. With the NXTLI Dashboard, developed by NXTLI, we provide insight into the results of a brand, club, person or organization on its digital channels. We connect this with value and with commercial results. Based on this we create content strategies and develop digital campaigns that accelerate and optimize growth. Interested in how this can work for your organization? Get in touch with me via the contact form. 

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