Breaking Bad has taught us a lot of things throughout its plot twists and turns, character introduction and development – things we can (somewhat surprisingly) apply to content marketing, the current ‘hot topic’ with a huge range of often-contradictory approaches. Our extended (you have been warned) metaphor concentrates on the distribution of your meth content. You’ll need to already have some kind of content-creation system, whether that’s giving a backstage pass to show how your business, product or passion is created or by showing how the most boring jobs can actually be fascinating to people when packaged up well, you need to start using the content that’s already available to you, in various states of completeness, but is often overlooked on a day-to-day basis. Once you’ve got a few ideas for your content, these tips can help you get it out there. It’s not enough now to just put something up on your YouTube channel and hope people watch it -sadly it’s not that easy. These tips are by no means exhaustive or gospel, but they are written from practical experience and hopefully you’ll find them useful too. If you think we’ve missed something, or you disagree with anything (or maybe everything?) we’ve put out here, or you just want to give us your honest praise, feel free to get in touch with us on Twitter: Bought to you by @themarkcarroll @imjustmike @alexwillimott http://contentislikecrystalmeth.com All images belong to HBO. This is a prime example of what NOT to do (steal other people's content).

1. HOW TO COOK
CONTENT THE
BREAKING BAD
WAY
ContentIsLikeCrystalMeth.com

2. The more we create the more
we learn. Keep adapting and
expanding the operation…
Find other people who
can compliment your
skills and start working
together.
There are different way to get your
product out there, from friends to other
distributors
Reward those who are
honest and loyal – go out
and find new people.
Start trading fame for favours
and continue to become more
famous in the process.
Create
Collaborate
Distribution
Reward
Receive
Content
Is Like
Crystal
Meth
ContentIsLikeCrystalMeth.com

3. • Walt’s journey begins in a
rickety old camper van. It’s
the first meth lab, rundown
but mobile.
• Starting here they begin
production and testing, slowly
evolving their art and
eventually changing and
upgrading where they
produce.
Create
Making & breaking
ContentIsLikeCrystalMeth.com

4. • Reacting to the changing
landscape whether it be
technological or behavioural
•
• Try new things
• Quick and tight turn around
• Embracing beta launches
Create
Making & breaking
ContentIsLikeCrystalMeth.com

5. http://youtu.be/5RKbSi87J5Q
• Unique style
•
• Low quality
• Built around knowledge
• WOW factor
Nardwuar’s YouTube Channel
Nardwuar the Human Serviette

6. • Walt – a school chemistry teacher
• Jesse – a want to be street smart
young drop out
• Individually they lack the full range
of skills required to run the
operation. But together they
compliment and compensate one
another.
Collaborate
Finding the right people
ContentIsLikeCrystalMeth.com

7. Connect with specialists who can help
us create content
 Artists
 Film makers
 Photographers
 Musicians
Look for grass routes contacts. Those
who make a living from their passion,
give them a platform.
Collaborate
Finding the right people
ContentIsLikeCrystalMeth.com

8. Looking in the right places for new
talent and collaborations. Also,
being aware of trends in content.
Collaborate
Finding the right people
ContentIsLikeCrystalMeth.com

9. Building our own network Distribution partners Product hype
Distribute
Getting it out there

10. Neither Walt or Jesse are drug
dealers, they needs help when it
comes to hitting the street and
getting their product out there.
Distribute
Getting it out there
Building our own network
ContentIsLikeCrystalMeth.com

11. From content collaborations,
photo-shoots to social out reach.
Having a group of the right go to
people who will help us get our
content out there.
Distribute
Getting it out there
Building our own network
ContentIsLikeCrystalMeth.com

12. • Independent
•
• Turned to the experts
• Leveraged and rewarded
• Quick and easy, room for
everyone
Jamie Oliver FoodTube

13. Distribute
Getting it out there
Partners
ContentIsLikeCrystalMeth.com
Walt and Jesse realise
they’re going to struggle to
sell their product on a small
scale on the street, and
there are very few options
on the territory they can sell
in.

14. Sometimes you’ll need to roll in
the big guns if you want to be
seen on on a large scale, it can
really help speed things up.
Make sure you’ve got your
product right first.
Distribute
Getting it out there
Partners
ContentIsLikeCrystalMeth.com

15. • Be seen in the moment that
counts
• Reach mass quickly
• Content has to be right
OREO Superbowl

16. Distribution
Getting it out there
ContentIsLikeCrystalMeth.com
Product quality and hype
From season to season Walter’s
unique Meth with the blue hue
becomes more and more
popular, not just by those using it
but by those wanting to sell it and
also those looking to stop the
sales of it

17. Best in class content will instantly
become more appealing and
have more buzz whenever it is
released.
Distribution
Getting it out there
Product quality and hype
ContentIsLikeCrystalMeth.com

18. • Low quality, but simple and
entertaining
•
• Easy to learn, easy to replicate
• 30 seconds for anyone to
create
• Can get it wrong if you think
too much
Harlem Shake

19. Reward
Existing fans
ContentIsLikeCrystalMeth.com
In season 5, Mike stresses the
importance of staying loyal to
those employees who are now in
prison, by continuing to pay them,
despite the fact they are
obviously not working. This
loyalty comes at a large price, but
without it everything could be lost.

20. • Create more than the visual
content based on fan
behaviour or feedback
• Offline to feed back into online
– focus groups meet ups
• Don’t stand still - even if fans
like what we do, don’t just do
more of the same
ContentIsLikeCrystalMeth.com
Reward
Existing fans

21. Reward
Finding new fans
ContentIsLikeCrystalMeth.com
Skyler (Walt’s wife) is oblivious to
Walt’s drug-producing alter-ego
‘Heisenberg’ for the majority of the
early series, but when she does find
out, Walt has to win her over.

22. Reward
Finding new fans
• Talking to new people:
• Influencers
• Bloggers
• Potential fans
• ‘Cool by association’ groups
• Identify new networks through:
• Focus groups
• Brand advocates
• Online tools (Sysomos etc)
• Culture infest
• Using social platforms like fans do
ContentIsLikeCrystalMeth.com

24. Receive
Leveraging fame
ContentIsLikeCrystalMeth.com
Gustavo Fring is a respected
Albuquerque
restaurateur/philanthropist who
owns a successful chain of
chicken restaurants, Los Pollos
Hermanos. However, behind this
popular and friendly front is a
notorious drug-dealing King Pin.

25. • How?
• Outreach to niche publishers
• Build authority in smaller
networks
• Use niche/indie premieres as
base
• Sell-in over-indexed fan base
– value exchange
• Raise profile via wider social
channels
ContentIsLikeCrystalMeth.com
Receive
Leveraging fame

26. • Hopefully more than just
money.
• Cool by association
• Mutual respect and funding to
grow
• Clothing brands are very good
at this kind of collaboration
Fame can go both ways

27. The piggy bank
Planning for the unexpected is
impossible, but we can prepare.
We will put aside budget to allow us
to be more reactive, responsive and
relevant, and when something is
working, to really give it some
oomph
ContentIsLikeCrystalMeth.com

28. • React to change and try new things
• Collaborate – with the right people
• Get better at organic distribution
• Reward the loyal
• Leverage fame
Saul Goodman
Top 5 tips… (recap)
ContentIsLikeCrystalMeth.com

29. Mark Carroll | @themarkcarroll
Thingsisee.me
THANK YOU! Get in touch:
Mike Phillips | @imjustmike
Imjustmike.com
Contentislikecrystalmeth.com