These 3 campaigns took content marketing to the next level
Their innovation in the content space earned recognition through Ragan Awards.
There’s much more to a successful content marketing campaign than simply telling a story. There are levels of nuance and creativity that allow the best efforts to stand tall above others, informing audiences of the intended message through innovative means.
We’ve selected three winners from the 2024 Ragan PR Daily Content Marketing Awards to showcase the process and tactics behind winning campaigns. We’re focusing on the best strategies and assets to emerge from the field for this edition of our awards showcase. Remember to fill out your application by the February 21 deadline to apply to next year’s edition of the awards.
Best Brand Journalism/Online Newsroom: Rowan University, Student Stories
The background: Any college or university will have plenty to say about how it’s the best place to learn (and spend your money). With a keen knowledge of how prospective students and parents can find some exuberant claims dubious at best, Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey decided to leave the storytelling up to the people who know the school the best — the students.
Rowan Blog is managed by the admissions department but leaves the storytelling up to student content creators. The written words, videos and photography found within the blog’s pages aim to convey a first-person perspective of what it’s like to be a student at Rowan. In addition to forming a valuable part of the school’s marketing strategy, the content team of 15 student workers also gained experience in the media world under the guidance of a full-time staff member who manages an editorial calendar.
The blog also has a customer service function. Much of the content helps answer common questions an incoming student might have about whether or not a dorm room has air conditioning or where they can park on campus — topics that might seem boring on the surface but can take on a livelier tone when a student answers them directly.
The blog is a success, with around 95,000 pageviews per year and 65,000 unique visitors. In addition, its photo repository of 26,000 pictures for use within the university’s marketing efforts earned over 6 million hits.
The takeaway: When you’ve got a story to tell, sometimes the messengers are the ones who live it every day. Firsthand experiences help an audience connect to the narrative.
Best Podcast: Nemours Children’s Health, Well Beyond Medicine Podcast
The background: The ultimate goal of Nemours Children’s Health is to strive for the best possible health outcomes for sick kids. But the work Nemours does goes far beyond just improving health — there’s a deeper commitment to bettering our society. In today’s world, there are few better ways of getting such a major message out there than through a podcast.
With help from its agency partner Ruckus, Nemours launched “Well Beyond Medicine” as a weekly interview and discussion show featuring both internal and external guests talking about the work Nemours does to make a difference in both healthcare and the larger world.
The podcast’s launch featured a dedicated website, slickly produced original intros and theme music, and an established set of two-way communication methods including email and newsletters to engage with new subscribers. In addition, an editorial calendar was drawn up to help the production team keep track of both guests and ensure that the content of the show aligned with Nemours’ mission and values.
“Well Beyond Medicine” launched on May 1, 2023, at the Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. The producers of the show created a “studio” experience in a truck that traveled to 26 industry events between October and December 2023. These events included both industry conferences and internal Nemours gatherings at offices around the United States.
From May 1 through the end of the year, the show earned 82,000 downloads, an average of over 7,000 per episode, in addition to 7,000 Apple Podcasts subscribers. The show also managed to reach ninth in the Apple Podcasts Health and Fitness category and third in the medicine subcategory.
The takeaway: Podcasts are a great way to reach far-flung audiences and show them what your organization does. But beyond that, it’s also a great way to go into depth and detail, and recording shows at on-site events can help generate the excitement that creates engaged listener bases.
Best Long Form Video: William Grant & Sons Inc., Quest for Craft
The background: A great bottle of whisky has a story to tell all on its own, between its origin, aging process and the love and effort that went into producing it. William Grant and Sons, one of the largest family-owned Scottish distillers in existence, wanted to emphasize the care that goes into creating each bottle of Balvenie whisky by contrasting it with the artistic processes of modern artists. With an eye toward both the quality of the whisky and the top-flight profiles of the guest lineup “Quest for Craft” found its niche.
Each episode of the series sees The Roots drummer Questlove and another celebrity discuss how they constantly improve their craft until they reach greatness. Buoyed by shares on Questlove’s personal social media pages which boast 3.7 million followers, “Quest for Craft” also earned many prominent media appearances, including a spot on “The TODAY Show: and pieces in both Rolling Stone and Variety.
“Quest for Craft” found success well beyond initial expectations, earning 130 million views in total. Additionally, the series managed to find sometimes-elusive success with longer-form videos, garnering 4.2 million views on videos longer than 15 minutes.
The takeaway: Think of the type of people that can best tell your story. Leveraging their networks and public profiles can help your efforts skyrocket.
Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time, he enjoys Philly sports and hosting trivia.
