Content Marketing Analysis: A Case Study of Sperry's Strategies

This report provides an analysis of Sperry's content marketing strategies, focusing on their 'Odysseys Await' campaign aimed at attracting millennials. The analysis critiques the campaign's effectiveness, examining factors such as audience targeting, social media platform selection, and brand perception. The report further explores brand repositioning tactics and offers steps for developing a successful content marketing strategy, including planning, audience definition, storytelling, channel selection, and measurement. The conclusion highlights the significance of content marketing in today's competitive landscape and its role in enhancing sales and profits. The report uses references from various sources, including academic journals and online publications, to support its analysis of Sperry's marketing endeavors.

CONTENT MARKETING AT
SPERRY

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
1..............................................................................................................................................1
2..............................................................................................................................................1
3..............................................................................................................................................2
4..............................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
Content marketing is the strategic marketing approach which focuses on creating and
developing the valuable content with an aim to attract large number of buyers towards the
corporation (Content marketing, 2016). In the present report, content marketing done by famous
American boat shoe making company named as Sperry will be analysed.
1.
The Sperry's ‘Odysseys Await’ campaign is analysed critically. The main objective of
this campaign is to attract new and existing millennials towards the product. In order to get entry
into respective campaign, millennials have to write an essay in which they have to tell about
what adventure they would like to do during the trip and which Sperry model they would bring
with them. The essay which company will found more effective will be posted by firm in social
media platform (Pulizzi, 2013). Here, individual who writes an effective story will be rewarded
by the firm. The Odysseys Await’ campaign launched by the firm has got mixed reaction from
the buyers. The main objective of firm behind launching the respective campaign is to attract all
types of millennials irrespective of their social class or financial background. But, the campaign
has got just opposite reaction to that.
In this regard, it is to be evaluated that customers of firm have perceived that Sperry's
shoe meant for the elite youth only. In addition to this, customers have also perceived that shoe
can use only for one type of adventure which is boating. Thus, this is being regarded as the major
disadvantage associated with the respective campaign. In addition to this, the odyssey stories of
millennials were posted by firm in online platform. Through this way, it has grabbed the
attention of many people which is being regarded as one of the aims of firm associated with
respective campaign. But, final outcome of respective campaign will be more effective if
management of Sperry's makes the right selection of online platform for the odyssey story
posting (Lieb, 2011).
2.
There are number of factors assessed which need to be considered by the manager of
Sperry while targeting the millennials. The detailed explanation about them is depicted in below: Getting information about specific social platform which is used by millennials more
often: While doing content marketing, it is essential for the firm that it should make the
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selection of right online platform which is being visited by its targeted customers. This is
because, if it is not done in this circumstance, then it will become difficult for the
organization with regard to achieve its objective of targeting the large number of
customers towards the enterprise in an effectual way (Rose and Pulizzi, 2011). The given
thing is not followed by Sperry and it is the reason by which it has not achieved the result
through odysseys campaign which was expected by it.
 Information that they want from the product advertisement: It is another factor which
needs to be considered by cited firm while targeting the respective buyers. In this context,
it is assessed that some millennials are interested in getting information about the price of
product. However, some buyers want information about the features of product. Thus, it
is required by the corporation that it should consider all the given aspects while framing
its advertisement (Holliman and Rowley, 2014).
3.
Brand re-positioning is the activity which allows manager of organisation with regard to
change the status of brand in the eyes of its respective buyers. In accordance with the given
context, there are number of factors assessed which need to be considered by manager of Sperry
when making efforts with regard to reposition its brand. To assess the demands of buyers thoroughly: It is being required by the manager that it
must assess the demands of its buyers thoroughly. Here, on the basis of given type of
activity only, manager of firm should make the selection of specific tactic with an aim to
reposition its brand in an effectual manner. For example, Sperry has assessed that its
buyers are relating its shoe with the boating adventure. Here, buyers are perceiving that
shoes are only meant to use for boating adventure. Thus, firm should formulate its brand
repositioning tactic in such manner which will change the respective perception of
customers regarding Sperry boat shoe (Harad, 2013).
 Changing the content: Content of advertisement must also be changed thoroughly. Here,
by complying with the given type of activity only, an appropriate brand repositioning
tactic will be formulated by the cited firm.
4.
There are following steps assessed which Sperry should follow in order to develop an
appropriate content marketing tactic. Detailed explanation of the same is depicted in below:
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 Planning: The process starts with planning in which plans are prepared regarding ways to
perform content marketing. Here, in the given case, Sperry has used Odyssey campaign
with an aim to do content marketing. Defining audience: Here, after preparing plan, manager of firm will have to clearly define
its audience. This is because that on the basis of targeted customers only, content of the
firm product will be mold. For example, targeted customers of Sperry are millennials
which like adventurous activity. Thus, the given thing is followed by firm in the
campaign also (Ho and Dempsey, 2010). Story: Here, story regarding the product should be formulated on the basis of targeted
customers. Channel: In the next phase, manager of firm will make the selection of specific channel
with the help of which it will distribute its content among the respective buyers. This
needs to be considered by the corporation on the basis of needs and demands of buyers.
For example, if Sperry has assessed that its customers visit Facebook more often than any
other website, then in this situation corporation should use the respective channel.
 Measurement: In the last phase, manager of firm should measure that whether it has
achieved success through content marketing strategy in the form of sales or not (O’Brien,
2012).
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be said that content marketing is a new form of marketing
which has gained the attention of many firms in today's competitive scenario. Here, the given
method is playing critical role in increasing the sales and profits of enterprises in an effectual
way.
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REFERENCES
Content marketing. 2016. [Online]. Available through: <http://www.i-scoop.eu/content-
marketing/>. [Accessed on 23rd February 2016].
Harad, K. C., 2013. Content marketing strategies to educate and entertain. Journal of Financial
Planning. 26(3). pp.18-20.
Ho, J. Y. and Dempsey, M., 2010. Viral marketing: Motivations to forward online content.
Journal of Business Research. 63(9). pp.1000-1006.
Holliman, G. and Rowley, J., 2014. Business to business digital content marketing: marketers’
perceptions of best practice. Journal of research in interactive marketing. 8(4). pp.269-
293.
Lieb, R., 2011. Content marketing: Think like a publisher-How to use content to market online
and in social media. Que Publishing.
O’Brien, J., 2012. How Red Bull takes content marketing to the extreme. Mashable. 19.
Pulizzi, J., 2013. Epic content marketing: how to tell a different story, break through the clutter,
and win more customers by marketing less. McGraw Hill Professional.
Rose, R. and Pulizzi, J., 2011. Managing Content Marketing: The Real-World Guide for
Creating Passionate Subscribers to Your Brand. CMI Books.
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