The Owned Media Observer

Being an executive member of the grocery and retail giant has its privileges -- specifically a print and online publication that's filled with recipes, health advice, tech tips and feature interviews.  In this episode I explore:  The balance Costco Connection strikes between true editorial and flat-out PR What's missing from the mix, and where Costco Connection could be improved Ideas from Costco Connection other content marketers to adapt and apply Links:  https://www.costco.com/costco-connection-online-edition.html https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/24/business/costco-connection-magazine-retail/index.html http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/245123/costcos-surprisingly-large-circulation-magazine.html

More than 20 international editions. More than 12,000 pieces of content published in the first year. Available in 14 different languages. The scale at which Coke developed its digital magazine may be unprecedented. But what has it actually been saying, and how well does it resonate since the project began in 2012?  Links in this episode:  https://www.prweek.com/article/1277996/coca-cola-extends-content-strategy-unbottled-blog https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160913005914/en/Coca-Cola-Journey%E2%84%A2-Takes-Storytelling-Road https://contently.com/2014/01/29/one-year-later-is-coca-cola-journey-a-success/ https://www.coca-colacompany.com/ https://digiday.com/marketing/whats-next-cokes-branded-content-site-journey/ https://www.coca-colajourney.com.pk/ https://www.coca-colajourney.co.nz/ https://www.coca-cola.co.uk/ https://www.coca-colaindia.com/

First came 'Arriving Now,' aimed at riders attending New York Fashion Week in 2015. Then there was 'Momentum,' which offered content exclusively for its drivers. Most recently was 'Vehicle,' a digital magazine that focused on Washington in Seattle. It doesn't appear to have been updated since its launch two years ago, but remains a fascinating study in how the startup that ignited the sharing economy has been trying to change the narrative.  Links in this episode:  https://www.thedailybeast.com/yep-uber-now-has-its-own-magazine https://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Uber-rolls-out-Vehicle-a-magazine-that-shares-13044304.php https://www.thedailybeast.com/yep-uber-now-has-its-own-magazine https://www.scribd.com/doc/257417698/Momentum-Magazine-Issue-1 https://www.vehicle-magazine.com/

In the beginning there was HUSH magazine, but after initially backing away from the idea of its own publication, California Closets decided to do a sort of renovation, or rebuild. The result is Ideas Of Order, now in only its third issue in three years. Get a sense of why a closet company needs more than a catalog, and come away with ideas about beauty, confidence and joy.  Links in this episode:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-7996315/Martha-Stewart-creates-exclusive-line-chic-organizational-solutions-entire-home.html https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43431/the-idea-of-order-at-key-west https://www.behance.net/gallery/18725471/Hush-Magazine https://businessofhome.com/articles/california-closets-debuts-a-magazine-and-it-s-beautiful https://www.ideasoforder.com/digital-issue/ https://www.ideasoforder.com/features/short-form/the-astonishing-wonder-of-effervescent-joy/

It was a highly ambitious goal: to find and curate what's best about contemporary literature on the web and bring it into one place. Similar projects had already failed. Yet Grove Atlantic, in partnership with the magazine Electric Literature, has pulled off something extraordinary. If you work in marketing for an industry that's facing disruption, find out how one of the most analogue forms of communication is making a home for itself on the Internet.  Links in this episode:  https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2013/03/16/strike-start-founding-new-york-review/ https://www.wsj.com/articles/literary-hub-is-a-new-home-for-book-lovers-1423169915 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2015/03/17/literary-hub-wants-to-bring-together-everything-literary-on-the-internet/ https://lithub.com/ https://lithub.com/the-graveyard-talks-back-arundhati-roy-on-fiction-in-the-time-of-fake-news/

Its home delivery service may be no more, but the startup now owned by grocery firm Albertson's should look at continuing Plated's culinary content hub, which has all the right ingredients to build and sustain a community of foodies. And even if you're in a completely different kind of market, I offer some perspective on how you could apply Plated's approach to connecting and building relationships with customers.  Links In This Episode:  https://www.supermarketnews.com/deli/albertsons-has-new-plans-plated https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/plated-celebrates-mothers-day-with-special-holiday-menu-2017-05-02 https://blog.blueapron.com/the-secret-story-of-soil/ https://www.plated.com/morsel/ https://www.plated.com/morsel/asmr-video/ https://www.plated.com/morsel/table-inspiration-sandy-chilewich/ https://www.plated.com/morsel/tips-dating-food-lover/ https://www.plated.com/morsel/sweet-vs-savory/ https://www.plated.com/morsel/what-is-white-chocolate/

Away is best known for its chic but affordable luggage -- or at least it was, until a news story revealed a toxic work culture that stemmed from its controversial CEO.  In another part of the company, though, sits Here Magazine -- an owned media property that uses some standard elements of the genre but offers some very personal takes on them. And there are some ways the content marketing reflects the brand in ways I never expected.  Links In This Episode: https://www.theverge.com/2019/12/5/20995453/away-luggage-ceo-steph-korey-toxic-work-environment-travel-inclusion https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/13/business/steph-korey-away.html  https://medium.com/authority-magazine/female-disruptors-steph-korey-and-jen-rubio-are-shaking-up-how-we-look-at-travel-618cbcf7e2bb https://www.fastcompany.com/40590583/up-up-and-away-the-luggage-upstart-taking-on-industry-giants https://www.awaytravel.com/ca/en/airplanemode https://leanluxe.com/scoop-aways-new-brand-extension-a-quarterly-travel-magazine-called-here/ https://twitter.com/away/status/885514302349856769?lang=en https://www.fastcompany.com/40590583/up-up-and-away-the-luggage-upstart-taking-on-industry-giants https://www.heremagazine.com/articles/paris-mallorca-travel-anxiety

It was already being bold and innovative by entering the world of "robo-advisors," but Wealthsimple has become as noticeable for its storytelling as for some of its other business moves. Wealthsimple Magazine, which evolved from a blog called Grow, has created several major content pillars, the best known of which -- Money Diaries -- contains human-centered narratives that will outlast their use in helping build affinity with customers. Believe me, this episode will be worth listening to.  Links in this episode: https://www.wealthsimple.com/en-ca/magazine/introducing-the-new-wealthsimple https://www.wealthsimple.com/en-ca/magazine https://www.fastcompany.com/40484278/how-wealthsimple-uses-star-power-to-break-through-money-anxiety

It's published by a venture capital firm but the quality of its editorial-style writing and editing has drawn flattering comparisons with the Harvard Business Review. Learn about a publication that's stayed true to its mission for seven years, despite operating in one of the most disruptive areas of business -- and setting a high bar not only for other content marketing teams, but other business magazines.  Links in the episode:  https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/elite-200-innovative-startups-selected-in-premier-global-competition-for-emerging-companies-that-bend-the-arc-of-human-potential-300986502.html https://firstround.com/review/ https://techcrunch.com/2013/06/28/first-round-capital-debuts-original-content-and-knowledge-hub-for-startups-review/ https://firstround.com/review/ https://www.animalz.co/blog/content-lessons-from-camille-ricketts/ https://openviewpartners.com/blog/#.XiEM5VNKgXq https://managingeditor.com/2-person-team-first-round-review-consistently-turns-top-notch-content/ https://shaneschick.com/