The New Branding Strategy: Churn Out \'Content\'

The New Branding Strategy: Churn Out ‘Content’

Co-opting the tools of traditional journalism, brands from Red Bull to Ralph Lauren have refashioned themselves into content-creating machines

SO FAR THIS MORNING, I’ve scrolled past tweets from Taco Bell, GQ Magazine and Lowe’s Home Improvement; I’ve read an article about luxury luggage on the website of Ssense, a Montreal-based retailer; and I’ve “liked” Instagram posts by Belgian label Dries Van Noten and Patagonia. It’s not even 10 a.m., and I’ve already consumed a whopping dose of “content.” Content, these days, is the catchall term for all the media that we consume, both traditional and brand-generated. Tweets are content. Articles are content. Instagram posts are definitely content. Streaming TV shows or movies can also be considered content. “Somebody...