Content is format agnostic

Authored by Khyati Shah, Brand and Marketing consultant

It’s the relevance of the content that drives the business not the format in which it is being served. Simply put business needs to stay dynamic in terms of catering to the audience in the format they receive the information, else the audience will latch on elsewhere

The classic case of Sony v/s Apple is an example of the format being the game changer for apple. Apple launched the iPod with the slogan “1,000 songs in your pocket”. The claim summarized unified integration of content and delivery.

Sony created the Walkman, the analogue predecessor to the iPod and also it is believed that Sony had the technology known how much before Apple. However Apple dominated new markets with the format that promised convenience (In his biography of Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson recounts a discussion with the Apple founder on this issue.)

The content of a magazine that’s dealing with the home interiors or housekeeping will continue to be relevant to the target group and that’s only multiplying since now we are in the era where ‘Jack of all’ is recognized than a ‘master of one’. Everyone wants to be everywhere and bite into a piece of information on the go. Avenue through which the target group is consuming the content has evolved. Influencer marketing is pretty much the modern version of word of mouth marketing and road shows have become insta stories. Print is probably being podcasted!

Lines are not blurring anymore, rather there are no lines. Instagram is used for business and LinkedIn is used for socializing. Often format is confused with the product. Eg, - A magazine is not the product it’s the content of magazine that’s relevant. The glossy pages and better print quality adds to the reading experience, but the content of the magazine drives the readers to subscription. Traditional businesses are struggling to stay relevant to the audience, this has been a topic of discussion since quite some time and more so in this pandemic. However, If we take a closer look, the way business has channelized its reach to the audience has changed. Big Basket and Grofers are pretty much selling the same thing as is the local grocery shop. But how they are reaching the audience has changed. The core of the product and service may still be very relevant, it is time to renovate the business model and make output or service a variable of the business.