Content development for aviation marketing is a company-wide affair, led by the marketing department but requiring consensus and support from the C-Suite and the engineering department.

The Altimeter Group recently published a research study entitled “Content: The New Marketing Equation.” The research methodology is based on qualitative interviews from marketers in 38 companies. Many of the brands are leading B2B and B2C companies, including:

•  Adobe Systems
• American Express
• AT&T
• Coca-Cola
• Ford Motor Company
• General Electric
• IBM
• Intel Corporation

The study findings indicated that marketers are unbalanced as they shift from outbound (push) to inbound (pull) marketing. Respondents indicated that they were struggling with the constant demand for content generation. This is a natural evolution considering that outbound marketing is more campaign-oriented than inbound marketing which requires copious amounts of content to continually attract and engage customers.

Their findings go on to indicate that organizations need to rebalance and evolve from advertisers to storytellers. Rebalancing requires realigning resources, budget allocations, department staffing, company culture, and agency and service providers to be more effective and prepared to meet changing consumer expectations.

Generating effective and sustainable content marketing requires more than hiring a writer. Successful content marketing must be integrated with strategic marketing strategies including advertising, and it must become a foundation of the company culture.

Here are 4 steps obstacles that aviation marketers must overcome: 

1. Understanding that content marketing is not free. Content marketing can reduce the media spend, but for content marketing to be effective, it requires investments in staff, production, and distribution resources.
2. Implementing cultural integration around content marketing. Rebalancing requires departmental integration and cultural shifts as well as education, training and new skill sets for staff beyond the marketing department.
3. Integrating content marketing with advertising. Placing all your eggs in one basket has its consequences. For optimal impact, content and advertising should be integrated – together the two can tell a richer brand story.
4. Avoiding bright shiny objects. Don’t let new technologies get in the way of strategy and marketing fundamentals.

What does the future hold for inbound content aviation marketing?

Altimeter Group concluded that over the next five years, content marketing will become part of the corporate culture led by the marketing department. Finding, producing, and disseminating both internal and external content to the organization will become a core marketing function. However, it will be led by cross-pollination from the C-suite, sales and product teams.

The following is a complete slide share of the Altimeter Group study, including Altimeter’s Content Marketing Maturity model: