CLOSING THOUGHTS THE GIANT IS AWAKE! By Robert Rose, Chief Strategy Advisor, CMI As we mentioned in the beginning In today’s modern business, everyone creates content — of this report, the pandemic has from the web team to the marketing automation/demand- awakened a sleeping giant (content gen team to the content marketing team, sales, agencies, marketing, that is). Our research points executives, even frontline account representatives. It’s to transformational shifts to make probably easier to count who DOESN’T create content- content marketing an ever more important part of the driven experiences for customers these days. integrated marketing mix. But we must realize that this explosive trend is actually the But what can go unnoticed is the dangers that lurk when awakened giant. And our attempts to slay the giant require we’re so close. There’s a wonderful scene in the movie us to develop a content marketing strategy. Without a Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade when the rich investor, strategy, an inconsistent voice and inability to measure Walter Donovan, is trying to convince Indy to go after the success make our failure imminent. Holy Grail. He says, “We’re on the verge of completing a quest that began almost two thousand years ago. We’re But don’t over-correct and let the ground fall out from just one step away.” underneath you. Indy responds, “That’s usually when the ground falls out from underneath your feet.” continued on next page 49