Diane di Costanzo experiences the very best of two worlds in a novel content material advertising and marketing function.
As chief content material officer, vp/editorial director at Foundry 360, Dotdash Meredith’s branded content material division, she workout routines her brand-content technique muscle mass by overseeing about 30 conventional client-side applications at any time.
And as editor-in-chief of the editorially unbiased (and single sponsored supported) print and digital publications Millie Journal and PawPrint, she makes use of her journalism expertise every day.
This highly effective mixture of expertise works properly for Foundry 360, which experiences excessive consumer retention – some consumer relationships span 15 years and counting.
And all that success earned Diane the 2022 B2C Content material Marketer of the Yr title. Right here’s a have a look at what units her work aside.
Combining model #Content material and journalism expertise led to spectacular outcomes for Foundry 360 purchasers – and the B2C Content material Marketer of Yr title for Diane di Costanzo by way of @AnnGynn @CMIContent. Click on To Tweet
A content material strategy-forward method
“We develop into a kind of editorial division connected to purchasers however not embedded,” Diane says of the Foundry 360 enterprise mannequin. Foundry’s work doesn’t contain responding to manufacturers’ requests for proposals. As an alternative, it begins with brainstorming content material methods that would work for manufacturers.
In a break up from her conventional media background, Diane works hand in hand with the gross sales staff. Their mutual aim is to get the doorways opened for potential purchasers, to allow them to discuss content material. Then, they discuss what success seems like and what firm targets the content material ought to help.
“We create a well-organized understanding of what we wish to do and the way we’re going to measure it,” she says. “When you don’t measure it, it’s onerous for the consumer to rationalize, ‘Let’s do it once more,’ as a result of they haven’t been in a position to quantify what the content material did.”
When you don’t measure #Content material impression, it’s onerous for purchasers to comply with repeat a program, says Diane Di Costanzo by way of @AnnGynn and @CMIContent. Click on To Tweet
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Broad expertise and a deep content material bench
That concentrate on success – and understanding that content material isn’t a one-and-done factor – prompts most purchasers to proceed working with Foundry 360.
Although the Foundry 360 staff executes over two dozen content material applications at a time, the staff consists of solely six full-time folks. All of them function govt administrators who head up verticals, reminiscent of finance, well being and wellness, and medical science.
The remainder of the work will get carried out by freelancers. “We’re in a position to rent the precise proper particular person with the precise proper editorial skillset for any given venture,” Diane says, including about 50% of her job is discovering these proper folks.
In fact, the full-time workers additionally pitches in on different tasks after they have the bandwidth. “We don’t simply put on one hat,” Diane says.
A repeatable mannequin for achievement
Whereas the Foundry 360 staff invests time in figuring out what content material tasks would work properly for the manufacturers, it additionally creates tasks from a standard media perspective.
That’s attainable as a result of Foundry 360 operates beneath the Dotdash Meredith umbrella, the most important digital and print writer in america. (The publicly traded firm consists of iconic media manufacturers reminiscent of Folks, Higher Houses & Gardens, Actual Easy, Investopedia, and extra.)
Recognizing that the distinctive construction may benefit potential model purchasers, Diane expanded Foundry 360’s content material product line in 2020 with the launch of Millie, a print and digital content material program about girls and cash.
On the time, Meredith – later acquired by Dotdash – had offered the Cash Journal model, leaving the corporate with out a monetary editorial model. However their analysis confirmed many monetary corporations nonetheless had cash to spend money on buying audiences.
Ladies ceaselessly have been unnoticed of conversations round cash. (Lower than 50 years in the past, it was nonetheless authorized for an organization to require a person to co-sign for a girl to get a bank card.)
“There’s this cultural, societal, and historic context because it pertains to girls and cash. Our analysis got here collectively to say once you discuss to girls about cash. It’s a distinct dialog than once you discuss to males about cash,” Diane explains.
Meredith appreciated the sponsorship mannequin as a result of a consumer’s funding would come from a advertising and marketing finances and never its promoting spend. The latter might have been a risk to its conventional magazines that depend on advertiser help.
And, not like conventional magazines that should first create an editorial product to draw advertisers, a sponsor-based journal has an funding dedication earlier than it’s created.
Synchrony signed on as the only multi-year sponsor, receiving 4 pages of promoting in every 48-page journal. They’ve a 100% share of voice within the journal. In addition they profit from free distribution to over 1 million focused readers as Millie mailed in the identical bag as Actual Easy journal.
A sole multi-year sponsor will get 100% share of voice beneath the distinctive mannequin behind Millie Journal, led by 2022 B2C Content material Marketer of the Yr Diane Di Costanzo by way of @AnnGynn @CMIContent. Click on To Tweet
Repeating the profitable mannequin
Millie’s success led Diane to surprise what different manufacturers is likely to be eager about being the only sponsor for a brand new publication with vast distribution. The reply got here from a goal that had been on the gross sales radar for some time – Mars Petcare.
Mars owns the most important portfolio of particular person pet manufacturers. They wished to focus on the twin pet (cats and canines) viewers – an modern advertising and marketing thought since most giant manufacturers are inclined to silo the pet kind.
Mars signed on to sponsor PawPrint journal as shortly as Synchrony got here on board for Millie. In contrast to with Millie, although, Dotdash Meredith has a digital editorial pet model – Each day Paws. So PawPrint (the journal) and Each day Paws (the web site) act as companion content material retailers. PawPrint, like Millie, will get bagged with and mailed to over 1 million Actual Easy readers.
Whereas Mars shares its content material pointers (reminiscent of exhibiting pets in protected and humane settings) with Foundry 360, it doesn’t have a say within the editorial content material. And it will possibly’t if they need the Paw Print journal to be mailed with Actual Easy to over 1 million subscribers.
As an editorial journal, Actual Easy receives the decrease value periodical charge from the U.S. Postal Service. If it included a branded content material journal, it might now not qualify for that charge.
“It’s been nice for Mars. They’ve coupons and different presents (of their advertisements) in order that they will observe what occurs subsequent with the readers as a result of we wish to be certain what we’re driving is efficacious to them,” Diane says.
Surveys are a crucial device to measure viewers response. “It’s about as unvarnished an opinion as you may get as a result of nobody’s paying anyone to say something,” Diane says. And the surveys present that readers suppose PawPrint is nice, too.
“It’s simply been great to listen to that it’s so properly acquired, and it helps to know there may be love for this animal publication Mars Petcare is sponsoring.”
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Cowl picture by Joseph Kalinowski/Content material Advertising and marketing Institute
