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This week, thousands of content marketers from around the world flocked to San Diego to celebrate the popular practice, learn a lot, and have a little fun too.
Yes, it was Content Marketing World 2024 and we are happy to have connected with so many new and returning community members.
After CMI's Chief Strategy Advisor Robert Rose left the stage, we asked for his overview of THE event CMI ran.
Read on for his thoughts or watch this video from the event itself:
What is everyone talking about?
My experience in the Content Marketing World began with the Executive Forum. C-level executives gathered to discuss what content and marketing topics were keeping them up at night.
Of course we talked about AI. Most companies are still experimenting, but few have established a structured method for applying this groundbreaking new technology.
We also discussed the evolving role of marketing within the business and other fascinating trends, including the growing role of content and data science. We ended with a discussion about retaining talent in a challenging hiring environment.
All that and the main conference hadn't even started yet.
On the keynote stage Tuesday morning, Ethan Braden, vice president and chief marketing and communications officer at Texas A&M University, spoke about bringing emotion and time back into the practice of building great brands. Great brands don't come about by chance, he says. You need insight, a story, and positioning – and all of these things take time.
The wonderful Ann Handley spoke about “slowdowns,” the idea of slowing down to bring impactful creativity back into marketing. She also advocated letting people do the thinking.
And of course the final keynote presentation with Issa Rae should not be missed. The amazing content creator, actor, author and entrepreneur spoke with interviewer Aisha Harris, co-host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, and answered questions from the audience. The conversation covered their creative process and projects (including the role of marketing) and their media companies HOORAE, which develops content that pushes boundaries in storytelling and representation across media, and Ensemble, which connects diverse creators and influencers with brands that want to achieve their goals audience.
Let's go beyond average
In my keynote speech and workshop, I discussed the state of content and marketing in 2024. CMI's recent study found that 58% of marketers believe our work is only moderately successful – it's just average.
Why is this happening?
I see too many marketers constantly tinkering with tools to make things more efficient and losing their creative spark in the process.
We make marketing more efficient. But we also make it less joyful.
I ended Content Marketing World 2024 with one wish for the coming year: I hope you stop the endless tinkering and start doing something. Start creating big, creative moments. Stress about strategy. Take your time with the creative process. Master the slow work.
This is how you bring back humanity – and differentiate your marketing strategy.
Couldn't attend Content marketing world this year in person? Register for the Digital Pass to access on-demand session recordings of the live event until January 31, 2025. Use promo code BLOG100 to save $100.
MORE ADVICE FROM CMWORLD SPEAKERS:
Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute
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