Brand-driven content strategy complements user-centered design, and this workshop will help you get up to speed on why and how to implement it. We’ll conduct a hands-on exercise to prioritize communication goals and develop a message architecture—ideal whether you maintain content for the Web, mobile apps, social media, or offline experiences. From there, you’ll learn how to use a message architecture as the metric against which to measure content in a qualitative content audit. Then carry it into governance: We’ll explore the impact of a message architecture on editorial style guidelines and an editorial calendar—and see how that foundation can improve efficiency and client satisfaction throughout your projects. Discover how a brand-attributes card sort can help you identify potential pitfalls and points of disagreement while you improve organizational alignment through entire engagements. Trying to manage scope creep? What about seagulling stakeholders? And what content matters most, anyhow? These questions and other challenges drive content strategy, and the business issues beyond it. What if you need to empower a team, wrangle a client, and rally everyone around a common vocabulary for your primary navigation? No matter your title, it’s time to embrace content strategy, starting with the message architecture. Learn how to establish a hierarchy of communication goals with a hands-on exercise and the right questions to ask along the way to minimize distracting, off-brand features, like the blog no one has time to update. Discover how to bring brand-driven thinking through subsequent activities, like the content audit and content model. Explore the impact of the message architecture on “rubber meets the road” details in style, tone, and diction. Gain additional tools to keep your projects on track, on time, and on budget. Presented as a workshop at Confab Central, #ConfabCentral, in Minneapolis, June 7, 2017.

1. 1 | #ConfabCentral | @mbloomstein
BRAND-DRIVEN CONTENT STRATEGY:
CREATING A MESSAGE ARCHITECTURE
Margot Bloomstein
@mbloomstein
Confab Central June 7, 2017

2. 2 | #ConfabCentral | @mbloomstein
BRAND-DRIVEN CONTENT STRATEGY:
CREATING A MESSAGE ARCHITECTURE,
DEPLOYING IT IN THE CONTENT AUDIT AND
CONTENT MODEL, AND APPLYING IT IN THE
EDITORIAL STYLE GUIDE AND CALENDAR,
LIKE YOU DO

3. 3 | #ConfabCentral | @mbloomstein
Volume and variety are the enemies
of focus and consistency.
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9. If we want progress, we need
boundaries, expectations, and
guidelines.

10. “What do we need to say?”

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To say more, start by saying no.
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Content demands attention

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Because we all want the same thing,
but content keeps getting in the way.
(CC) http://www.flickr.com/photos/slworking
Content requires time

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Content dredges up politics
©Margot Bloomstein

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Good communication is the
product of tradeoffs and
opportunity costs.
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Tradeoffs pay off.
©Margot Bloomstein

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Content strategy lives
in the tradeoffs.

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What is content strategy?
Planning for the creation,
aggregation, and governance of
content that’s useful, usable,
and appropriate to an experience.

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Message
architecture
Content
audit
Content
types
Content
model
Editorial style
guidelines
and calendar

20. “But isn’t strategy expensive?”

21. “More like Apple”

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More like Apple’s message architecture
Confident but approachable; accessible
Simple
• Minimal detail
• Streamlined and anticipatory
Inviting, friendly
• Supportive but not fawning

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Message architecture
Cheeky
• Witty and fun
• Young without being childish
Customer oriented and responsive
• Approachable, friendly, and empowering
Helpful
• Accessible

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From: Little MOO | Print Robot <noreply@moo.com>
Subject: MOO | Order 0629312615 | Confirmed
Hello
I'm Little MOO - the bit of software that will be managing your order with
moo.com. It will shortly be sent to Big MOO, our print machine who will print it
for you in the next few days. I'll let you know when it's done and on its way to
you.
Remember, I'm just a bit of software. So, if you have any questions regarding
your order please first read our Frequently Asked Questions or contact customer
services (who are real people!)
Thanks,
Little MOO, Print Robot

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Cheeky
• Witty and fun
• Young without being childish
Customer-oriented, responsive
• Approachable and friendly
• Empowering
Helpful
• Accessible
Message architecture vs. brand values
Design
Innovation
Community
Excellence

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What’s a message architecture?
A hierarchy of communication goals
that reflects a common vocabulary

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What’s a message architecture?
A hierarchy of communication goals
that reflects a common vocabulary—
versus brand values, which are the
ethics a company espouses

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First things first.
Why add video testimonials, develop
help content, continue blogging, conduct
a content audit, or email customers…
if you don’t know what’s most important
to communicate?

32. If you don’t know
what to communicate,
how will you know if
you succeed?

33. what to communicate
when
where

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Serious, technical, and rigorous?
• Annual reports
• Articles on your site
• Articles on other sites
• Blogs
• Books
• Branded tools
• Case studies
• Digital magazines
• eBooks
• Email newsletters
• Facebook posts
• Games
• In-person events
• Infographics
• Licensed/syndicated
content
• LinkedIn posts
• Microsites
• Mobile apps
• Online presentations
• Podcasts
• Print magazines
• Print newsletters
• Research reports
• Twitter
• Videos
• Virtual conferences
• Webinars/webcasts
• Whitepapers
Excerpted from Content Marketing Institute & MarketingProfs Content Marketing Survey
Not all channels fit all goals.

35. 35 | #ConfabCentral | @mbloomstein
Engaged, fun, and relevant?
• Annual reports
• Articles on your site
• Articles on other sites
• Blogs
• Books
• Branded tools
• Case studies
• Digital magazines
• eBooks
• Email newsletters
• Facebook posts
• Games
• In-person events
• Infographics
• Licensed/syndicated
content
• LinkedIn posts
• Microsites
• Mobile apps
• Online presentations
• Podcasts
• Print magazines
• Print newsletters
• Research reports
• Twitter
• Videos
• Virtual conferences
• Webinars/webcasts
• Whitepapers
Excerpted from Content Marketing Institute & MarketingProfs Content Marketing Survey
Not all channels fit all goals.

36. What are your company’s primary
communication goals?
What channels do you use now?
Why?
What channels could better meet your
goals?

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©The Lettered Lane

38. How could we prove this is a car not
like anything else out there? It’s a small
car, but it’s premium. You get a Porsche
911 ride for a fifth of the cost. It’s got
history… but in Europe.
You need to give people content to give
them history.”

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A little thing with big impact.

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Message architecture
Premium technology
• Assertive; ready to perform as a driver’s car
• Proactive and supportive of spontaneity
Classic design
• Experienced and savvy
Cheekiness
• Smart, “punny,” hip
• Fun, gleeful

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If these emails are boring you
and you don’t mind missing out
on all the lip-smackin’ stuff
we’ll be sending in the future,
simply send a message to owner-
unsubscribe@insiders.miniusa.com
and include “Unsubscribe” and
your favorite fruit in the
subject field.

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Message architecture drives content
Nomenclature
Calls to action
Content types
Sentence structure
Diction

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Message architecture drives design
Photographic angles
Background colors
Headline typography
Density of information

47. Content strategy
can create harmony
from cross-channel
cacophony.

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What’s a message architecture?
A hierarchy of communication goals
that reflects a common vocabulary

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What’s a message architecture?
A hierarchy of communication goals
that reflects a common vocabulary—
concrete, shared terminology,
not abstract concepts

50. “welcoming but elite”

51. “traditional but cool”

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©Warby Parker

53. Words are valuable,
but meaningless
without context and
priority.

54. Your turn:
Encourage tradeoffs
that pay off

55. • Engage in a tangible way
• Encourage conversation
“What do you mean?
“Are these concepts synonymous?”
• Identify pain points and debate:
“How can we be strategic and tactical?”
• Force prioritization
• Encourage ownership
• Prevent seagulling

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• Who we are
• Who we’re not
• Who we’d like to be
Go with your gut!
Step 1: categorize

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Who we are  Who we’d like to be
Be aspirational. What needs to change?
Step 2: filter

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• Form groups: what goes together?
• Prioritize the goals or groups
• Tell the story of those aspirations
Step 3: group and prioritize

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• Follow up on hesitation and grimaces
• Let participants resolve their own questions
• Expose nuances in meaning & connotation
“So ‘traditional’ but not ‘conservative’—why?”
“You hesitated adding ‘modern.’ How come?”
“Are ‘strategic’ and ‘tactical’ opposites?”
Dig in to ensure clarity

60. ©The Lettered Lane

61. • Choose content types to manifest the
message architecture
• Gain standards for a qualitative audit
• Prioritize CMS changes and metadata to
support content types
• Reallocate budget and resources across
channels

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Welcoming people, accessible place
• Approachable, casual vibe; not standing on ceremony
• Witty, warm, and engaging
Gracious
• Polished and elegant
• Anticipatory and helpful
Sincere and distinct
• Maintaining authenticity
Easy and efficient
• Modern and innovative in technology
• Facilitating and efficient
Message architecture

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• Welcoming people, accessible place
• Gracious
• Sincere and distinct
• Easy and efficient
Does it uphold the message architecture?
If not, what do you recommend?
Message architecture  audit

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©The Lettered Lane

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Premium
• Lindt embodies quality, in product, marketing, & company interactions
• Approachable: Quality indulgences are more accessible
• Trusted in brand and quality
Empowering
• Entrepreneurial: Innovating, championing individuals and successes
• Market driving: strategic and proactive
• Professional and consistent through experience and being responsive
Community-minded
• Engaged with the Lindt family
• Customer-oriented
• Socially conscious
Message architecture

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Elegant layout and typography
• Spread-to-spread sightlines and flow
• Wider borders
• Layered background images
• Italic titles with initial drop caps

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Imagery of individual impact
• People engaged with product and service—
not just product or just results of service
• Diversity of role, gender, ethnicity, and age

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Accessible, informative copy
• First-person plural
• Frequent rhetorical asides
• Shorter sentences
• Clear, concrete explanations

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Editorial calendar “schedules”
the message architecture

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Message
architecture
Content
audit
Content
types
Content
model
Editorial style
guidelines
and calendar

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But first things first:
Understand what you need to
communicate—and why.

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Thank you!
Margot Bloomstein | @mbloomstein
margot@appropriateinc.com
Content Strategy at Work: http://amzn.to/CSatWork
BrandSort: http://cards.appropriateinc.com
Talks: http://slideshare.net/mbloomstein
All photography © Margot Bloomstein unless noted.
Screen grabs property of their respective owners.