Content & Commerce: Vitamin for corporate publishing

In the print sector, everything has been there before. There were catalogs, tomes full of offers, prices and order numbers. Later, people came up with the idea of telling a story about each product. Storytelling was the way to stand out from the competition. The Sharper Image, Praktikus and Manufaktum were well-known trendsetters. The print products fluttered into mailboxes every month or four times a year.

In the age of the internet, everything is different: the letterbox of yesteryear is now a computer, smartphone or tablet. Catalogs have turned into countless online stores with millions and millions of products. And the trendsetters today are those providers who try to offer visitors added value with content & commerce or editorial shopping. These include Mini Magazine, Selects from American Express and Migros Magazine.

People - Shop - Community

One of the pioneers of the three magic Cs - content, commerce, community - is the Zurich agency Crafft. "Our clients have high expectations," says partner Michael Rütti, "they want a credible presence that convinces and inspires - and generates as much turnover as possible at the same time. " The possibilities are indeed tempting: "Thanks to the Internet, content is available around the clock," says Rütti, "every day, every hour, every minute and every second there is an opportunity to add, update or link to new content." In order to avoid communicating haphazardly in all directions, another important C should not be lost sight of: corporate identity. Because: "The cleaner the brand image, the more effective the communication measures."

What the CP professionals in the Crafft office understand by Content & Commerce is best illustrated by a comprehensive dialog platform that Crafft is currently developing for a Swiss company. According to partner Cédric Tribolet, this is made up of three parts: "People, Shop and Community". And will go live in summer 2012.

People like you and me

The first part will portray people who have something to do with the product. "We won't be showing actors or models like in traditional advertising," says Tribolet, "but people like you and me who come across as completely authentic." In the second part, the products are presented in an appealing and sometimes entertaining way. "A high level of credibility, quality and topicality are important here," emphasizes Tribolet. Finally, the third section is reserved for discussions, blogs and social media. The aim here is to create a loyal community in constant exchange with the target groups, which also sometimes tackles controversial topics.

"More and more people are gathering information online, shopping online and maintaining their social contacts online. That's why you have to offer more than just an online store to survive in the market today," Tribolet continues. The "CP-Barometer Fall 2011 - Content & Commerce" confirms this statement. Based on surveys and many examples, the study shows how content enriches shopping portals and ensures traffic, customer loyalty and increased sales.

Good forecasts for the future

According to the industry barometer, almost two thirds of respondents recognize great potential in corporate publishing. More than half of those surveyed consider editorial shopping to be a good alternative to traditional advertising. 75 percent are also convinced that journalistic content is an effective sales driver. According to the CP-Barometer, editorial shopping has even greater potential in the future thanks to mobile devices. Good predictions for the communication specialists on Zurich's Hohlstrasse. With their expertise, they complete the magic formula: with a C for Crafft. Roy Spring

Information:
www.crafft.ch
www.facebook.com/crafft.ch
Michael Rütti
[email protected]