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The purchase funnel is dead. Brands killed it with their content.

CROWD DNA X MEDIUM RARE • STORYATION • SUDDENLY

 
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The way people make decisions is now much more complicated. It’s no longer a linear path from awareness to purchase – and it differs from individual to individual.

Many factors have contributed to the purchase funnel’s demise – but content sits front and centre in both cause and effect.

And, as our exciting new research study reveals, content now resides at the epicentre of a new cyclical purchase journey.

Our purpose

If you’re producing content, you’re constantly measuring its impact. But metrics don’t tell us how audiences feel about your content.

Do your customers even know what brand content is? Do they value it? What does it tell them about your brand? How does it make them think about your brand? How does it inspire action?

Our research is aimed at better understanding why – by uncovering the powerful human stories that demonstrate how brand content connects and what this means for brands.

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Methodology

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Phase 2

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Our headline results

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Delivering an Emotional ROI

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Driving discovery

Consumers know what you are up to

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Everyone's a stylist

Consumer sentiment of Australian content marketing

Consumer sentiment of Australian content marketing

Consumer trends - optimism under pressure

OPTIMISM UNDER PRESSURE

Despite uncertainty, people remain optimistic, hopeful and motivated by what’s next; and are looking to Brand Content to help them achieve their goals.

Consumer trends connecte communities

CONNECTED COMMUNITIES

The growth of Fandom demonstrates a shift in power – from passively “following” (brands, influencers, etc) to active participation – further fuelled by the COVID experience.

Consumer trends - the binge economy

THE BINGE ECONOMY

The rise of streaming services and endless scrolling means that a consumer can spend a weekend consuming media barely noticing traditional advertising. The consumer decides where and when they participate with media and messaging – the Binge Economy drives the Attention Economy.

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How your content can meet consumer expectations

Don’t waste my time: meet my needs and make me feel something

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1. Show your humanity

 

72%

of respondents appreciate it when brands speak to them as humans and not just potential consumers. 

Audiences are seeking more multi-dimensional, rich and nuanced understanding of brands. Consumers are becoming more idiosyncratic, nuanced, invested, engaged and passionate – and they expect to be acknowledged by brands in the same way.

Australian Branded Content Study

2. Don’t talk at me: reciprocate

 

Consumers expect a reciprocal relationship if a brand is to achieve preference status – there is an expectation of a true value exchange.

1 in 2

respondents feel that staying connected to a brand through content makes them feel like they are
part of a community.

Australian Branded Content Study

3. Focus on ‘serving’ me over ‘selling’ to me

 

73%

 agree: ‘I feel more positively toward a brand that provides valuable content to me’

 

“I think consumers are more clued in when they are being manipulated by a brand… we like to be in control of what content we interact with and how we interact with it.”  

ANNA, 36, NSW

Content Marketing Study

4. Allow me to discover by myself

 

By meeting these  expectations, brand content becomes the new discovery tool

70%

agree that brand content helps them discover new brands and products…

5. Provide me with regular, relevant content

 

73%

 expect the brands they like to provide them with relevant content.

3 in 4

consumers engage with brand content at least weekly – this rises to 90% for 18-24s.

Content Marketing Study

6. Just make sure it’s great

Only a third of consumers believe brands are truly meeting their content needs.

There is still room to improve brand content to speak more directly to consumers.

 

Content marketing appeal content marketing study

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The emotional ROI of content

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Branded Content ROI study Australia

COMMUNITY, ENCOURAGEMENT, SOCIAL VALIDATION

Almost

1 in 2

believe that staying connected to brands via communication channels”makes me feel like I am part of a community”.

Branded Content ROI study Australia

CONFIDENCE, EMPOWERMENT, INSPIRATION, CURIOSITY, GUIDANCE, ENERGY, INVIGORATION, MOTIVATION

1 in 5

believe that a brand adds value to their everyday lives after
engaging with brand content

Branded Content ROI study Australia

SELF-IMPROVEMENT, ACHIEVEMENT, PRIDE

70%

are proud to support a brand that aligns with their values and beliefs

71%

feel a sense of accomplishment when a brand provides the best deals, offers and added value

WATCH: HOW BRANDED CONTENT EMPOWERS

“I’ve got that awareness of ‘oh, okay, this is the difference between brand content and advertising’ – this is someone trying to sell me something, and this is someone trying to TELL me something and not necessarily SELL me something straight away… the information is more just for me…”

ULTIMATELY BRAND CONTENT…

Empowers me

My choice, my need, my time

 

Validates me

Belonging, accomplishment, pride

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The purchase funnel is dead.

How content connects the new purchase journeys.

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Content sits at the centre of the new purchase cycle

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ACTIVE DISCOVERY

Consumers proactively seek out content on a product, category, topic or brand.

Brand content provides anticipation & excitement.

Branded content study Australia

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agree that brand content makes it easier to decide what brands/products to buy.

Branded Content Study Australia

84%

of consumers took some form of action (buy, share, follow, save) after engaging with a recent piece of brand content.

The most common action at

34%

was ‘purchasing a product’ as a direct result of content.

This figure rises to

39%

for those consuming brand content at least once a day.

WATCH: HOW BRANDED CONTENT CONVERTS

“The Spaceship content was so good I couldn’t resist telling my friends about it… And I actually got my partner to open a savings account with them…”

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The value of brand content

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Delivering an Emotional ROIBrand content empowers the consumer to engage with brands on their own terms and lifts their sense of esteem (in both self & brand) with powerful returns on brand preference.

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