The state of connectivity for marketers and creatives

- 1 - 2017 Widen Connectivity Report
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Widen
Connectivity
Report
The state of connectivity for marketers and creatives
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©2017 All Rights Reserved.

- 2 -2017 Widen Connectivity Report
Table of Contents
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Connectivity:
The state or extent of interdependence among people, objects, systems, information, and
places, and the nature of those relationships.
At Widen, we work to develop products, services, solutions, teams, and relationships that
drive connected experiences. Connectivity shines through in all we do because it’s integral
to who we are, where we’ve come from, and how we’re built.
Top 10 Findings 4
Research Participants 6
Part 1 8
Spotlight Interview: Bendyworks 15
Part 2 18
Spotlight Interview: ERDMAN 25
Part 3 28
Spotlight Interview: LinkedIn 34
Conclusion 38
Special Feature: The Explosion of Visual Content 40
Quantitative Research Results 46
Qualitative Research Results 50
Marketing and Creative Tools 53
References 54

About the report
Every day, we hear about a new app or solution that’s supposed to help marketers work
more efficiently and be more productive. But are the needs of the people using those
technologies evolving at the same rate? Do we really need one more tool?
The internet has enabled the tech madness. It’s woven into
our lives 24/7 – from what we do, to what we wear, to how
we make plans, get an education, track our health, and pay
bills. It connects people around the world, regardless of
lifestyle, income level, or language.
But the idea of “being connected” goes beyond the
mechanics of WiFi, mobile phones, and network protocols.
It satisfies fundamental human desires and fulfills both
professional and emotional needs. So what does that
mean to the creative and marketing world? People want
experiences that feel human, relatable, and validating.
As a content technology company, Widen develops software
solutions that help marketing and creative professionals
power their brands. We began examining “connectivity”
in an effort to better understand and serve our market.
That inquiry led to this research, which addresses the
following topics:
• How marketers and creatives define “being connected”
• What marketers and creatives want from a
connected community
• What challenges they face when connecting
marketing content
• Which tools marketers and creatives use to
stay connected
Our key research findings are presented in parts 1, 2, and 3
of the report.

71%of interview participants say they
feel calm, confident, or engaged
when they’re connected at work.
62% of online survey
respondents want to
maintain work connections
in person, but only 8%
feel being connected
means being together in a
physical space.
76%of interview participants indicate
that the most successful
collaboration happens in person.
83% of online
survey respondents
say being connected
to a professional
community is “very” or
“somewhat” important
to their career growth
and satisfaction.
Top10 findings
These are the top 10 findings from our research.
67%of interview participants suggest
that user inteface or usability
would make them loyal to one
tool over another.
86%of interview
participants indicate
they would prefer
a “happy medium”
between a very
integrated solution and
a mix of solutions.
(findings 1-6)

53% of online survey
respondents feel the best way to
achieve a feeling of connection
at work is by collaborating with
co-workers, yet only 7% feel
being connected means being
part of a team or group.
8%of online
survey respondents
say the best way to
achieve a feeling of
connection at work is
by learning new tools.
or techniques.
45%of online survey respondents
indicate that using social media
is not important to their job.
When asked which two pain points (of six) they experience most
in their daily marketing work, online survey respondents say:
Q: From the list below, what are the two
biggest pain points you experience in
your daily work as a marketer?
Finding files and documents
you need for your projects
Planning your marketing
content as a team
Keeping track of project review
and approval
Sharing content with others
who need it
Creating marketing content
in a timely way
27%
34%
24%
26%
28%
Measuring the effectiveness
of your content44%
(findings 7-10)

200 marketing, creative, and IT professionals responded to our online survey conducted
in April 2016. 21 marketing and creative professionals participated in one-on-one phone
interviews between May and July 2016. Our sample population includes:
Online survey respondents
Business Size
< 50 employees
51-1000 employees
> 1000 employees
27%
35%
38%
Roles
Creative
IT
Marketer
24%
21%
38%
17% Other Manager Role
Interview participants
Research participants
Business Size
< 50 employees
51-1000 employees
> 1000 employees
28%
39%
33%
Business Size
Industries represented
<50 employees
51-1000 employees
<1000 employees
27%
35%
38%
Roles
Creative
Marketer
14%
86%
19% Consulting
14% Creative Agencies
14% Software Technology
14% Food and Beverage
10% Financial Services
9% Consumer Goods
5% Internet
5% Biotech
5% Healthcare
5% Telecommunications

In the spotlight
This report highlights organizations that are doing
great things to connect people, internally and
externally. We hope their stories will inspire new
and meaningful ways of connecting.
19%
Consulting
14%
Creative
Agencies
14%
Software
Technology
14%
Food and
Beverage
10%
Financial
Services
5%
Internet
5%
Biotech
5%
Healthcare
5%
Telecomm
9%
Consumer
Goods
Industries represented

71%of research participants say they
feel calm, confident, or engaged
when they’re connected at work.
Part 1
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The human side
makes connectivity real
How do marketers and creatives define the idea of
“being connected”? This question was the catalyst
for the 2017 Widen Connectivity Report. On the
surface, it seems people have willingly traded in phone
conversations, written letters, and townhall meetings
for chat, email, social media, and online forums.
But our research indicates that connecting is more
about being human than being digital. We’re motivated
to connect by our desire to interact, to be understood,
and to enjoy relatable experiences. In fact, recent
studies show that the human brain is hardwired to
connect with other people.

When we asked online survey respondents,“What does
being connected mean to you?,” they were instructed
to rank the following answers by importance on a X-Y
scale. We calculated their average rankings:
Accessing information and knowing
what’s going on are about files,
documents, and dialogue. Yet there
is still a human element involved.
When we get information we need or
know what’s going on, we feel calm,
confident, and engaged. Connection
to information is fulfilling.
According to Dr. Matthew D.
Lieberman, Director of UCLA’s Social
Cognitive Neuroscience lab, wanting
to connect is a basic human desire.
Our brains are literally hardwired for
it. After two decades of research,
Lieberman concluded that staying
socially connected is a lifelong human
need, just like food and warmth.1
This social hardwiring is crucial to
understanding what Fidelity calls
“Generation C,” the growing subset of
the population that constantly
demands connectivity. Google
researchers describe it as “a mindset
defined by creation, curation,
connection, and community” rather
than a defined age range. Thus,
Gen C includes but isn’t exclusive
to millennials.2
Gen C may be the
first generation defined by behavior
rather than demographics. A key
characteristic is their need for social,
human connection within the many
technologies they embrace.
Technology connects us to data, news,
and each other, but it’s a slippery
slope. The more we rely on digital
tools, the less human our connections
become. Our well-being depends on
connections with others. Meaningful
social and emotional connections are
the secret to making people smarter,
happier, and more productive.
What does being connected mean?
“[When I’m connected]
I feel on top of my game
and plugged in personally.
Teams are working in sync.
And working in sync doesn’t
necessarily mean that you’re
getting along. It means
you’re able to identify how
to work well together; to
identify challenges and
solve them.”
- Greg Yates, Chief Marketing Officer
RICG Neuro-Creative Agency
“There’s a certain calm and
confidence people get
when connected. They
know they’re making the
right decisions for the right
reasons, and they don’t have
to second guess it.”
- Sam Mosier, Senior Manager of
Global Content Marketing,
Level 3 Communications
“
Being with others in a physical space
Being efficient in your work
Being part of a team or group
Accessing information
you need
Staying in touch with family
and friends
Knowing what’s going on/
staying current
Using new tools and technologies
2.9
5.1
3.2
4.0
4.5
4.9
3.0

Feeling connected
Across the board, our research participants report that different emotions are
at play when they feel connected versus when they don’t. Participants say they
experience positive feelings when connected: calm, engaged, in the know, like
they belong, confident, safe, validated, and happy. When disconnected, they
experience negative feelings: frustrated, out of the loop, overwhelmed, vulnerable,
alone, stressed out, and unsure about what’s happening.
Inclusion and adoption
Our interview participants say they’re more likely to adopt a new technology if
they’re somehow involved in – or connected to – the decision-making process
for the purchase. Their responses suggest that people are more likely to adopt
technology when they feel three forms of inclusiveness:
• Inclusiveness…across technologies: Support and/or training is provided
• Inclusiveness…across organizations and teams: Help silos break down and
cross-functional teams communicate
• Inclusiveness...across locations: Bridge the gap between different work
sites, cities, and countries
The challenge for marketers and creatives is to create or use tools that do what
they say (functionality), yet provide enjoyable, people experiences (humanness).
Technologies that lack a human element risk alienating people – not only
marketers, but customers and end consumers, too – at all digital touchpoints.
So what makes a technology enjoyable?
• An intuitive, frictionless, easy user experience. 67% of our interview
participants say that usability or user interface is the primary consideration
that would make them more loyal or connected to one work tool over another.
• A sense of partnership expressed through good support over chat, phone
calls, email, and content
• Familiarity and comfort – a resemblance to common, popular systems,
or systems they already use
• Mirrors a user’s preferred work style and processes
Artificial connections and semantic data
Our research participants also commented on technology that mimics human
connections. Today, marketers can translate purchasing habits and daily behaviors
into “semantic data” – information that allows machines to understand the
meaning of information and act on it. Put simply, machines can personalize offers
and content for individuals.
Experiences that neglect
the human element risk
alienating people.
of our interview particpants
suggest usability or user interface
67%
What considerations
makes you more loyal, or
connected, to one work
tool than another?

“I think connecting to information
is different than connecting with
someone else. If I’m going to
access information about a strategy
document, I’ll use a work tool to
connect to it. But if I have a question
about the strategy, then I’ll go ask
someone on the team about it.
That’s the difference.”
- Corporate Vice President,
National life insurance company
“Connectivity is about having processes
or tools that give me information on
demand, as needed. For example,
when I need information about how
people are visiting our website. Are we
connecting to the right people from
our email distribution list? And what
does the data show they’re using our
information for? When I’m connected,
systems and tools are talking to each
other and I don’t have to babysit. Data
is coming at me in new ways to help me
make decisions.”
- Jenne Meyer, Ph.D., VP of Brand,
ERDMAN
“When you’re unfamiliar with a work
tool altogether, then support for that
tool is key. Who truly wants to partner
with your company? They’re the ones
who will get your business.”
- Marketing Director,
U.S. food service manufacturer
“To me, the single thing that is most
broadly underserved is user interface.
So many tools I use are built through
a developer’s eye and not through
the end user’s eye. When you really
understand what the user needs to
navigate through and the decisions
they need to make, then UX design is
much better positioned to succeed. If
developers are smart, they will reverse
engineer the experience from the get-go.
There’s often a disconnect between
the people designing the UX and the
person using it.”
- Sam Mosier, Senior Manager of Global Content Marketing,
“

The transformation of marketing
At their best, machines can produce
the feeling that someone understands
and relates to us even though they
don’t know us. Some of our research
participants wondered whether
artificial human connections are
convincing to consumers or not.
A modern, connected
marketing team
Marketers today must use technology,
data, and content to deliver
meaningful customer experiences.
This involves a sophisticated set
of processes that weren’t even
possible until very recently. Marketo,
a leading marketing automation
software company, presents the visual
summary below of how marketing was
defined 15-20 years ago versus now.3
This transformation has largely been
driven by a new buying process,
defined by changes in technology
and consumer behavior. Research
from Forrester suggests that
because consumers have so much
information available to them digitally,
they conduct more than half of their
research online before making an
offline purchase.4
Marketers need
to focus on new ways to be “found”
by their customers and then create
relevant and impactful content to
nurture customer relationships.
As the marketing industry has
changed how it connects with
consumers, the structure of teams
and departments has also adapted.
In many cases, marketing
departments are expanding, not
shrinking, as remote and virtual teams
become more prevalent.
Historically, business teams were more
siloed. Even recently, it was common
Source: Marketo. Lead Generation? https://www.marketo.com/lead-generation/
Represent the company
Finding customers
Represent the customer
Being found
Mass advertising
Demographic
1:1 Targeting
Behavioral
Point in time blasts
Few/isolated channels
Continuous relationships
Exploding/integrated channels
3rd party data (Nielsen)
Intuitive decision making
Owned, big data
Fact-based decision making
THEN & NOW
Mission
Customer
Intelligence
Mechanics
& Tactics
Measurement
Finding customers
Being found
Mass advertising
Demographic
1:1 Targeting
Behavioral
Exploding/integrated channels
Owned, big data
THEN & NOW
Mission
Customer
Intelligence
Mechanics
& Tactics
Measurement
Finding customers
Being found
Mass advertising
Demographic
1:1 Targeting
Behavioral
Exploding/integrated channe
Owned, big data
THEN & NOW
Mission
Customer
Intelligence
Mechanics
& Tactics
Measurement

“I work from a home office, so I’m
accessing email and work files from my
hard drive or our company server and
posting things to our intranet. I also
need to connect with clients, internal
staff members, and our sister company.
We have a million different tools that we
use, and each one plays into which part
of the company or which side of the
equation I’m working on. If I’m having
dialogue with a client, it’s primarily
email. If it’s internal, then it’s usually
file sharing mechanisms.”
- Director of Marketing,
Franchise marketing company
“I guess that’s the creepy-cool side
of marketing today. You can get at
all kinds of data to better understand
somebody and communicate with
them in a way that feels ultra personal
even when there’s no real human
relationship there.”
- Jake Athey, Director of Marketing,
Widen
“I’ve done packaging testing in a
virtual store where consumers put on
little headlamps and we asked, ‘Can
you find this product?’ And they do.
But something in my gut says, ‘Yeah,
but this isn’t in real life.’ It doesn’t
have their kid crying in a stroller, the
lights are perfect, and it’s not messy.
The trend is going towards virtual
testing from an efficiency and cost
standpoint, but it worries me that we’re
losing some of that human interaction.”
North American food and beverage company
“Keeping connected to the news of the
day through social media is good, but
in terms of deep connections, person
to person is still more relevant.”
- Senior Design Manager,
Global food and beverage manufacturer (focused in the
nutrition portfolio)
“

to have print and digital departments
operate separately. But as increased
productivity and other benefits of
connected teams have become visible,
the departmental barriers have started
to come down.
Marketing teams will continue
to change as social media, new
technologies, and global culture grows.
Emerging roles may include content
archivists, transcultural anthropologists,
truth engineers, mobile marketing
Jedis, social journalists, data scientists,
and community executives.5,6
Our research supports the notion
that wanting to connect influences
the selection of communication tools,
technology adoption strategies, and
team organizational structures.
Our data also demonstrates that the
human element in any connection
is what allows it to be authentic and
real. If we want our teammates and
customers to feel good about our
work, we can’t allow technology to
eclipse what is innately human in
our connections.
The modern marketing team
CREATIVE
A creative lead will direct everything related to the brand. They often work across many teams – including executive leadership
– and understand the nuances of project management.
MARKETING OPERATIONS
Marketers in operations regularly produce reports with key metrics on marketing and sales activity that inform strategy across
the company. Their work involves monitoring website traffic, SEO, marketing automation and CRM, and data analysis.
PRODUCT MARKETING
A product marketer crafts the marketing strategy for new product launches. Their daily activities overlap across several
departments or groups, and they interact regularly with teammates and partners.
DEMAND GENERATION / FIELD MARKETING
Demand generation marketers are responsible for understanding what activities increase customer volumes. Their goal is to
convert interested, qualified leads into successful customers.
CONTENT MARKETING
Content marketers write and produce different types of content (white papers, articles, reports, blog posts) to build company
reach, awareness, and leads. They need to be creative, pay attention to detail, and excel at project management.
Although no one team model fits every company, five roles connect across most modern marketing teams.
In many cases, marketing
departments are expanding,
not shrinking.
1
2
3
4
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Spotlight Interview - Bendyworks
n
Connectivity spotlight:
How transparency connects employees
and fosters a culture of trust
One of the reasons
I was excited about
the email series was the
opportunity to glean different
answers [from employees] and
give them to new employees,
so they’d have an idea of who we
are as a team and as individuals.”
- Brad Grzesiak, co-founder and CEO,
Bendyworks
“
Brad Grzesiak is the
CEO and co-founder of
Bendyworks, a Madison,
Wisconsin-based company that
designs, builds, and fixes digital
applications.
In May of 2016, Brad started an
internal email series with the goal
of connecting his employees. He
wanted to give them a voice and help
them get to know each other better.
The series consists of three emails
– sent weekly to employees – each
with a different focus. One is about
what employees are working on, one
is company-related, and one is more
personal in nature.

Here’s how and why Brad started the emails and the recent
positive change he’s seen in employees since they started
to engage.
Tell us about the “Know Your Company”
emails you’re doing at Bendyworks.
They are a set of emails that go out to all employees three
times a week. The first one goes out on Monday and it’s
a question about what you’re working on at the office.
The second one is a more company-related question –
something like, “Have you ever been afraid to suggest an
idea at work because you thought someone might shoot it
down?” That type of question.
The third one goes out on Friday, and is more of a personal
question to get to know people on an individual basis. A
question like, “Have you seen any good movies lately that
you recommend?” The submitters have the option to send a
response only to me, as the owner of these emails, but I’m
not sure anyone has actually ever done that. They share their
responses with everyone. But the option is there to privately
reply back to me.
Know Your Company is actually a service we pay for, so
all the responses get collated and at about the same time
as the next question goes out. The previous answers are
posted for everyone to see if they’d like.
Why did you start these emails?
We started because my business partner was using a
service in another group that basically did the same thing.
It sent out emails to all the group members so that they
could all get to know each other a bit better. It’s a little
different for a company getting to know its employees,
but it worked really well in the other group, so he suggested
we start doing it here.
Do you regularly evaluate your
employee’s responses?
I read through the summary emails every time they come
out, three times a week. It’s pretty quick. People are not
writing novels, which is good for reading time spent. Usually,
it’s just a sentence; sometimes it’s three or four, but most
often it’s just one.
Do you discuss these responses out loud
or are they only shared through the system?
We have not discussed them in any sort of structured way
other than introducing the emails when we first started.
How did you introduce the emails?
The Know Your Company website has a very good
onboarding process that talks about how to get your team’s
buy in. We followed that, which started with a week of
icebreaker questions to get people used to the idea first.
The CEO of Know Your Company is also very open.
She gives out her email address. If you ever want to email
her or video chat with her, she’s open to that. She’s also
recorded a number of videos that walk you through the
process, and they make those videos available to the
employees as well.
We started in May, so we’re still getting the hang of it.
We haven’t yet experienced the long-term effects of what it
might mean. It’s been more of the short-term stuff that we’re
experiencing so far.
Do you have a sense of what the emails have
done for employee moral?
It has improved. One of the reasons I was excited about
it when we started this was the opportunity to glean the
different answers and give them to new employees, so
they’d have an idea of who we are as a team and who we
are as individuals.
We haven’t had any new hires since we started, but I expect
that with our next hire we’ll be able to do that.
Do you feel like the Know Your Company
emails are reflective of your culture?
Yeah, I think it’s very reflective of us as a company. We try
to be a transparent company and, over the years, we’ve
learned that means practicing an effective way of openness
as opposed to an ineffective way of being open.
The ineffective way is basically saying to our employees,
“If you want to know something, just ask and we’ll tell you.”
It’s not very effective because oftentimes people don’t know
what to ask. And it sets up a power dynamic of having to
almost beg for information.

Instead, we found it more effective to reach out to
employees and either give that information or, in the case
of the emails, encourage them to participate more and be
a part of the company’s communication.
What outcomes have you seen so far?
While it’s new and I can’t really quantify hard data, I have
come across conversations that probably wouldn’t have
happened otherwise, specifically around the Friday question
– the one that allows employees to get to know each other
on a personal level. [I’ve learned about] things like books
people are reading or movies people watched recently.
The service provides questions for you to ask, if you want
them, but the service automatically asks recipient if they
have any other questions they’d like to add to the hopper,
too. Today’s question, which was a personal question, was
“Where do you want to retire?”
Do you think your employees are connecting
in new ways because of these emails?
Yes. The emails that are the most encouraging are the Friday
questions. Rather than what you’ve read or seen recently,
these are fun questions about things from the past.
For example, there’s one that almost everyone answered,
which was, “What’s your earliest memory?” That was fun to
go through. Another cringe-worthy one was, “What was your
favorite band 10 years ago?”
As I look through employee answers, I can see that some
questions are answered by only 20% of our company and
others by 80%-90%. Some are a bit more exciting for
people to answer, and others don’t resonate. That’s totally
fine; we set the expectation that it’s okay to not participate.
Do you see this evolving in the future?
It would be really interesting to have a similar setup with our
clients. As a service-based company, we have a few clients
at any given time. It would be great to get to know our client
stakeholders a bit better.
What advice would you give to other
organizations who want to implement
something like this at their company?
This is a service, and we were a bit hesitant at the beginning
to engage in it. We had a very different business model than
other companies using it. There’s an upfront fee for each
employee and it’s free after that for each employee.
So when you first start, depending on the size of the
company, it can be a pretty big cash outlay, but after
that you don’t have to pay any more until you add new
employees. And you get to hold on to the data forever.
The biggest obstacle was that sticker shock when we
started doing it, but the payoff has been worth it.
The ineffective way [of being transparent] is basically saying
to our employees, “If you want to know something, just ask
and we’ll tell you.” It’s not very effective because oftentimes people don’t know
what to ask. And it sets up a power dynamic of having to almost beg for information.
- Brad Grzesiak, Co-founder and CEO, Bendyworks
“

81%of our interview participants
say being collaborative means
the inclusion of many ideas,
perspectives, and disciplines.
62%of survey respondents want
to maintain work connections
in person over email, text, or
web/video conferencing.
Part 2
nn
Collaboration is a
core component
of connectivity
When we hear the word “collaboration,” most of us
think about working in a group. But our research
shows that collaboration for marketers and creatives
goes one step further. It means interacting with others
on a personal level to create something greater than
what we can build on our own.
Collaboration is freeing and drives forward movement.
It gives teams a common line of sight and promotes
camaraderie, respect, accountability, and productivity.

“Collaboration is when we
can work on something, a
joint effort together, where
we’re more than the sum of
our parts. And to me, that is
most pronounced when I can
do it in person. I happen to
believe there’s a real magic
that happens in the room
that gets lost when you do
it virtually.”
- Robert Rose, Chief Strategy Advisor,
Content Marketing Institute
“When you can’t see
expression and body
language, how can you tell
if people are energized or
if what you’ve presented is
clicking? If a presentation
went over well? Or if we’re
thinking things through
too much?”
Medical technology manufacturer
“
The best collaboration tends to happen in person
where you can see facial expressions, hear tone of
voice, and experience the energy of back and forth
dialogue. In-person collaboration evokes emotion
that’s often missing in virtual environments.
Our research identified collaboration as a defining characteristic of connectivity,
specifically in the workplace. 52% of our online survey respondents indicate
that the best way to achieve a sense of connection at work is to collaborate with
co-workers. When participants feel connected, they’re sharing information, ideas,
and opinions with their teammates.
The nature of collaboration deserves
extra attention. 81% of our interview
participants say being collaborative
means including many ideas,
perspectives, and disciplines in a
dialogue. They felt this consideration
of diverse viewpoints leads to more
creative ideas because it opens
the lines of communication, moves
projects and business forward, and
promotes free thinking. Notably, 76%
of interview participants believe that
the most successful collaboration
happens in person because body
language, tone, and facial expressions
are expressed and understood.
Other researchers have found this
preference for in-person connection.
In the Q1 2016 Randstad Workmonitor
survey, 89% of respondents (globally)
say a face-to-face meeting is the best
way to interact with someone.7
Working together, face to face,
eliminates delays from web
conferences and misinterpretations
from email. Sharing thoughts, feeding
off of others’ input, and building
something great together drives
momentum and consensus at a faster
pace than working separately. And
close proximity promotes respectful
dialogue, which our respondents felt
made their teams more functional
Face-to-face collaboration
of interview participants believe that the most successful
collaboration happens in person.
76%

Ultimately, connectivity has a lot to do with trust. From our research, we’ve
concluded that trust is the magic behind successful collaboration.
Interestingly, while 62% of survey respondents want to maintain work connections
in person, only 8% say being connected means being in a physical space with
others. This may point to something many interview participants stated: That
multi-phased collaboration could be especially effective. This approach would
involve things like:
• Sharing prep work online, in advance
• Establishing strategy and expectations in person
• Managing content execution via email or phone
How marketers and creatives collaborate at the office
From brief, spontaneous meetings throughout the week to short, scheduled
meetings on the calendar, our research participants are getting more benefit from
shorter and fewer meeting times. Uniting team members in the moment with brief
updates and dialogue provides an opportunity to work in sprints and problem
solve on the fly.
Stand-ups, huddles, and check-ins
A stand-up or huddle is a brief, scheduled time to “stand up” and share work
updates with your immediate team. Check-ins are unscheduled stops in people’s
offices. Both are opportunities for managers to say hi, see how things are
progressing, and keep projects on deadline.
54% of survey respondents say
by collaborating with co-workers
54%
7%
What is the best way to
achieve a feeling of
connection at work?
How important is
being connected to a
professional community?
56%
Somewhat
27%
Very
17%
Not at all
83%Say somewhat
or very important
Yet only 7% rank being part of
a team or group as a top way to
be connected.
In-person collaboration
evokes emotion and energy.

“Truly collaborative teams,
organizations, and ultimately
companies, are ones that are humble
enough to recognize that great ideas
can come from anywhere and then to
structure their teams accordingly so
that happens on a daily basis.”
- Mike Pilarz, Content Marketing Evangelist,
LinkedIn
“I like it when someone sends
information online before we have a
conversation – when thoughts are put
out there online and then we talk more
about them in person together. With
that kind of preparation, it’s easier to
come to a decision quickly. And we can
cut off any issues that arise in person.”
- Matt Helf, Digital Strategist
“We have short, taskforce meetings
to reiterate status and to understand
the project details. They really help us
stay connected at work. Our weekly
planning meeting is also critical
for projects to stay on track and for
the team to have transparency into
everything that everyone is doing.”
Global food and beverage manufacurer (focused in the
nutrition portfolio)
“We’re so overburdened with email
at the organization that we find it
works better to get everybody in the
room together and physically have
a conversation. Then we can email
or video conference later about the
project – once it’s been initiated and
discussed in person.”
- Brand Marketing Director,
North American apparel and fashion company
“

89%of respondents from Randstad’s 2016 global
report believe a face-to-face meeting is the best way to
interact with someone.
Taskforce, planning meetings
Planning and taskforce meetings are
scheduled blocks of time designed
to walk through tasks, deadlines,
responsibilities, and gaps in plans.
How marketers and creatives
collaborate outside the office
Our research suggests that small
groups and micro communities are
making a comeback. Communities are
important catalysts for collaboration.
Participants don’t want to be “sold
to” at larger networking events or
conferences. They want to learn
something new, share ideas in a
casual setting (with food and drinks),
and gain actionable practices they can
apply to their work.
Smaller, informal gatherings offer an
opportunity for authentic connections
to form quickly. Authentic connections
lead to trust, and trust leads to
community building. Our respondents
are involved in informal and formal
groups, both online and in person.
Informal peer meetups
Marketing and creative peers are
forming small groups on their own
time to discuss strategy, consumer
insights, current trends, and pressing
business topics. These groups
typically meet informally, off site,
with no schedule or formal agenda.
People are typically invited via their
professional network.
Our interview participants prefer
the small setting to formal meetups
because they can solve problems
together without feeling competitive.
Some interviewees referred to these
groups as their “peer lifelines” – the
people they count on to validate ideas
or provide supplement information.
They rely on that short list of experts
in professional and personal situations.
Professional, formalized
communities
Despite the trend toward informal
gatherings, our research indicates
that formal communities still provide
tremendous value. Both online or
through associations, our interview
participants join professional
communities to foster career growth
and knowledge sharing.
We asked survey respondents how
important being connected to a
professional community was to the
satisfaction and growth of their
careers. 83% feel it is very or
somewhat important.
In terms of what marketers and
creatives want from a vendor-led
What do marketers
want from a
vendor-led customer
community?
33%
22%
20%
13%
12%
Best practices
Easy outreach
Training
Customer interaction
1-on-1 vendor time
What do marketers
want from an online
community?
of our survey respondents
want expert-led sessions that
cover overcoming challenges
and solving problems.
54%

“We have a team huddle every
afternoon for 30 minutes. There’s
not always a clear agenda; it’s just a
chance for us to connect and know
where our priorities are for the week.”
“I prefer to do a drive by at the office.
That’s when I just pop in someone’s
office to see how things are going.
I like a hands-on, spontaneous type of
environment where we can talk about
projects without having to schedule
a meeting.”
- Corporate Vice President,
National life insurance company
“I had weekly huddles right out in the
hallway of the open area. We also
had three-hour meetings where we
went through the strategic plans,
big initiatives, sales meetings, and
leadership meetings that my team
never got to see, so everybody felt
connected to the overall picture.”
“I have a couple of groups that I meet
with that are informal and made
up of creatives. One we call our
Creative Fight Club, because ‘we’re
not supposed to talk about it.’ We
get together and discuss projects
we’re working on and give each other
feedback. It’s nice to get an outside
perspective in an unstructured way.”
- John Bistalfo, Founder,
Bark Design
“

community, 32% of online survey
respondents look for sharing of best
practices, while 22% want easy
outreach anytime, and 20% want
training specific to their needs. 13%
are interested in interacting with other
customers, and 12% feel one-on-one
time with the vendor is important.
What does a community need to
offer to be worth a marketing or
creative professional’s time? 42% of
interview participants say they want
highly relevant content – learnings or
experiences that apply to their job in
the real world.
Online communities
These include Facebook professional
groups, industry groups, LinkedIn
groups, and online meet-ups.
Marketers join these communities by
invite. There is a sense of exclusivity,
but no real structure or timeframe.
From an online community, 54% of
our survey respondents say they are
interested in expert-led sessions that
cover how to overcome a challenge or
solve a problem.
Industry-related organizations
and associations
Organizations like the American
Marketing Association, the Business
Marketing Association, and other
trade-focused organizations provide
easy access to thought leaders,
industry experts, topical discussions,
and best practices. These communities
are open to anyone, but you often
must pay to attend or become a
member.
Our research demonstrates that
valuable connections often develop
through collaboration, which
takes many forms. These include
conversations, meetings, and events
that happen formally and informally,
in and out of the office, and often
involve meals, coffee, car rides, or
cocktails. Such experiences facilitate
communication, create the potential for
more creative work, and nurture peer
communities. Collaboration is most
effective in person because face-to-
face interactions produce trust.
Trust is the magic behind
successful collaboration.“I’m part of groups that
are professional in nature
and exclusive. They’re very
niche and not noisy.
A couple are professional
Facebook groups. One is
a speakers group with a
total of 110 people in it.
Every time I see somebody
post in that group, I go
there because I know
whatever’s there is going
to be worth my time.”
- Robert Rose, Chief Strategy Advisor,
“I’ve had some really
great conversations at
conferences where you
get good ideas from
people about different
things they’re doing.
Things you haven’t
tried and different ways
of doing them. Those
conversations are
fantastic.”
- Michol Banes, Marketing Manager,
Baker Tilly
“

Spotlight Interview - ERDMAN
nn
Making time to connect and create
Jenne Meyer is the vice president of brand at ERDMAN, a planning, design, and construction company
specializing in health care facilities. Each month, her marketing team dedicates time off site to simply being creative. They
leave the office and traditional meeting agendas behind, to find a place where they can work together, feel inspired to ideate,
and have fun. This time connecting as a team is called is a monthly co-lab. Here’s what they do at co-labs and Jenne’s advice
on how you can get started with one at your organization, too.
I prefer to start face-
to-face to make sure
everybody has the right
expectations and knows
what we’re doing and who we
have to work with. And when they
have questions along the way,
connect via email.”
ERDMAN
“

How did your monthly co-labs originate?
One time we talked in our meetings about how we could
formalize brainstorming time because oftentimes in
marketing, we’re so busy either doing something or putting
together a presentation that we forget to build in the creative
time we need.
I suggested we formalize it and talk through what it could
be. So it’s a team idea that happened in a meeting and I
just formalized it by putting it on the calendar. People agreed
it would be good to do these brainstorms once a month.
We’ve now been doing this since November of last year.
What happens in these co-labs?
It’s different every time. We take suggestions from everyone
on the team, so when we have a creative co-lab coming up,
we’ll ask if there’s something specific anyone wants to do.
Sometimes we’ll walk around the block. Sometimes we’ll go
to Starbucks. One time we were having a discussion about
color, so we all grabbed coffee and hung out in a paint store.
The location and the topic are very organic. And the location
sometimes depends on what the topic is. So when we were
having a debate about color, it made sense to go to a
paint store.
The goal is to give our team time away from the everyday
things to gain inspiration for brainstorming.
Who attends your co-labs? The creative team
or a variety of people?
The invite list is everybody in my department (marketing),
or who’s been in my department in the past, or who’s
somewhat connected to my department. The typical players
include the marketing communications lead, the market
research analyst, our graphic designer, and sometimes we
have guests – we call them marketing friends – who used to
be in our department and then moved on, but still join us.
There’s somebody in sales who often comes, an RFP and
events program manager, and a friend in IT operations that
sometimes joins.
Is there any output from the co-labs?
Again, it depends. We try to keep it very organic, so one
time somebody shared an idea about a video that one of
their friends put together. And the concept was so cool, we
actually turned around and created an animated video that
we could use in a conference that was inspired by the style
of the video that was shared.
The output was essentially some action items to follow up
on, who could do this, putting together some content, and
then we actually did a video.
For the color discussion, we had a bagful of paint chips
and then we presented our color recommendations to the
executives and basically came out with an agreed color
palette for our brand guidelines.
It’s very organic. We touch on a hot topic of the day,
something cool somebody once saw or did. Sometimes it
gets a little silly and perhaps we just go for coffee. There are
times when we don’t have a lot of structure. The last time
we ended up going to Smoothie King and watched YouTube
videos of cats having brain freeze, so it’s not always as
productive, but it’s a time we dedicate to stay creative and
goof off with a purpose, so to speak.
From a connectivity standpoint, do you feel
getting out of the office allows you all to
connect in a way that you aren’t able to do
otherwise?
Yes, we do. It’s interesting because we (ERDMAN) measure
our culture and our employee satisfaction quite a bit, and the
marketing team has the highest employee satisfaction rate
and the most ideal employee culture.
It’s constructive. The co-lab allows us to connect. It allows
us to share ideas. And to do it in different ways than we
might normally do otherwise.

It sounds very egalitarian, like anybody can come up with
an idea.
Yes. It’s funny. I think of it as a very specific leadership and
team building tactic. I’m not sure other people see it that
way. They just see it as, oh, the marketing team is up to
something again. And I’m okay with that quite honestly.
What tips or advice would you have for
teams who want to do this at their own
organization?
Give it enough structure that it becomes valuable without
turning it into another meeting with an agenda. So basically
the structure is setting up the time to do it once a month,
but keeping the organic element. That’s been really been
beneficial – to keep it creative versus just another meeting.
Don’t try and add something else into it.
I would also say let other people take over. The egalitarian
part of it is what drives some of the benefit, so if somebody
has an idea, let them run with it. You need enough structure
to make sure it happens, but not too much that it takes away
from the organic creativity that comes from it.
And last, I’d say keep it a separate meeting from other team
meetings you have. Every quarter we talk about our goals
and initiatives and how we’re doing. Then every week we
have a 15-minute huddle to talk about things that need to get
done that particular week. Don’t confuse a co-lab with other
things or it will inhibit the creativity.
Who owns it?
We all do. Somebody different can lead it each month and
check in to see what ideas everybody has. And people
will come to meetings. So another example. We were
launching our new website, and the marketing coordinator
said he needed everybody to bring a computer tablet and
mobile phone and go off site to test our website on different
platforms to see if it works. So we all went to Starbucks and
tested it, then came back to the office. The website worked.
So the ideas can come from anywhere.
The egalitarian part of it is what drives some of the benefit
as well, so if somebody has an idea, let them
run with it.”
- Jenne Meyer, Ph.D., VP of Brand, ERDMAN“

Part 3
nnn
Taking a break from
connectivity is necessary
to maintain balance
The average consumer has access to a multitude
of digital devices at every minute of any given day.
60% of our online survey respondents cite a
smartphone as the top device they use to stay
connected. We’re in bed with our mobile phones –
literally – so they’ve become the hub and center of
our lives. But to what end?
86%of our interview participants
would prefer a “happy medium”
between a very integrated
solution and a mix of solutions.

Connectivity can inspire greatness, but there are two
sides to the coin. We can be too connected...
...to technologies (too many tools and devices)
...to our teams (too many meetings and nothing gets done)
...to processes (too many processes defeats efficiency)
...to data (monitoring too often makes it difficult to measure)
To best connect with ourselves, our work, and our community, people need the
discipline to disconnect from their devices. We need down time to let our minds
wander, inspire creativity, and keep balance in our lives.
nnn
Mobile technology could be the modern
professional’s biggest blessing and
biggest curse. It can facilitate work
from anywhere, at anytime, bringing
efficiency to a range of workflows.
However, because these devices have
the capacity to connect around the
clock, they often blur the boundary
between work and downtime.
Sometimes people just need to
disconnect. As creativity expert
Gaia Grant writes, “Creative thinking
requires a relaxed state, the ability to
think through options at a slow pace,
and the openness to explore different
alternatives without fear.”8
So how have we become this
connected to our digital tools?
Perhaps people hope that more
technologies will deliver more
efficiencies. We asked our interview
participants to identify the greatest
challenges they experience with
their marketing content and the top
answers fell into three categories:
• Bandwidth to create content (43%)
• Creating valuable content (33%)
• Measuring the ROI of content (13%)
What if disconnecting is also essential
to addressing these challenges?
Our research participants cite several
pros and cons.
“For shutting out the world,
I literally need the discipline
to disconnect. Disconnecting
is taking the time to sit by
yourself and be comfortable
with yourself. It’s probably
the most important time
I spend because it’s when
I come up with anything
interesting I have to say.”
- Robert Rose, Chief Strategy Advisor
“From a content perspective,
it’s harder than ever to
stand out. Quality content
always wins, but there’s
the continued challenge
of quantity over quality.
To produce a high level of
quality content is a big time
and people investment.”
- Matt Helf, Digital Strategist
“
What is the greatest challenge you
experience with the marketing content
you need to get done?
33%
Creating content
that’s valuable
13%
Measuring
content ROI
43%Bandwidth to
create content

The pros of connecting
Connections make people and information more accessible
Our research participants value accessibility. Being connected allows us to
communicate with people and obtain files and documents we need – anywhere,
regardless of time zone or location.
Connections integrate systems, processes, and people
When technologies connect data and talk to each other, they can make systems,
people, and processes more efficient. 86% of our interview participants said they
would prefer a “happy medium” between a very integrated solution and a mix
of solutions, where things “feel connected” rather than actually integrate at an
operational level.
This means tools should sync with each other, but not necessarily as a single
solution from a single vendor. It’s the experience that participants want to feel
seamless. This could be accomplished through single sign-on, a similar looking UI,
or devices that sync (e.g., Dropbox on phone, desktop, and tablet).
Connections complete the big picture
It’s easy to get caught up in the daily tactics of our work, to become siloed
on a team, or to feel isolated in our individual checklists. Feeling connected to
the higher value of an organization helps people understand how those tactics
support top-level goals. Connection also encourages a sense of working together
for a greater good.
The cons of connecting
Connections can make people and information too accessible
The ability to connect 24/7 has placed an unrealistic expectation on marketers to
always be available. Knowing that we’re able to connect any time has enabled co-
workers, peers, customers, and vendors to push the boundaries of accessibility
and impose on personal bandwidth, time, and resources.
Preoccupation with connection can inhibit productivity
Too many communications, processes, and systems, can create a fear-driven
attachment to our digital tools. The fear of missing an email, tweet, post, or text
defeats our ability to stay on top of things. It can tap our resources (people and
time) and actually prevent us from getting work done.
Only 8% of online survey respondents say that being connected means learning
new tools or techniques. Marketers and creatives are already drowning in the flood
of tools available to them, yet more solutions and applications keep cropping up.
What is the top
device you use today
to stay connected?
20%
Laptop
60%
Smartphone
15%
Desktop
5% Tablet
People need down time to let their
mind wander and inspire creativity.
What does being
connected mean to you?
of our online survey respondents
say being connected means
learning new tools or techniques.
8%

“If your day is broken into
a 60-minute meeting,
then 30-minutes to work,
a 90-minute meeting,
and 60-minutes to work,
then three back-to-back
meetings, the brain doesn’t
have a chance to warm up.
I like the philosophy Google
has called Managers Versus
Makers. They’re advocating
for people to lock-in half day
chunks where they devote
a 4-hour block to creativity.
I’m all for that.”
LinkedIn
“Too many tools lead to
martech overload, which
is as overwhelming as not
enough martech. You’ve
got to find that balance.
Too many apps, tabs, and
disconnected data will
be about enough to drive
anyone to a point of feeling
paralyzed in their work.”
- Jake Athey, Director of Marketing,
Widen
“
Pros
CONNECTED
OR TOO
CONNECTED?
Cons

Too many connections
can confuse marketing
measurement
Marketers need to show how they
contribute to the company’s bottom
line, but tracking, analyzing, and too
much data too often isn’t the best
or most accurate way. We need to
establish goal-oriented metrics before
we try new things, and measure
against those goals.
The impact of constant
connection on self-reflection
and the Internet of Things
MIT professor Sherry Turkle suggests
that if we connect too much, or allow
the human aspects of our connections
(conversations, coffee dates, and
lunch meetings) to be eclipsed by
digital aspects (email, social media,
etc.), we set ourselves up for trouble.
Connectivity influences how we relate
to ourselves and to each other.9
The boundaries of connectivity are
likely to expand beyond human
beings. The internet is connecting
objects, places, and artificial beings
into one system. This “Internet of
Things” is bringing in a wave of
multichannel marketing opportunities
with significant implications for
customer experience.10
According to research from Gartner,
“Through a range of devices with IP
addresses – smart home products,
connected vehicles and wearable
technology – the Internet of Things
will be able to connect almost every
facet of a person’s life at home and
at work. These connections will
enable digital marketers, in particular,
to build valuable services tailored to
the individual’s context – where the
customer is or is going, what the
customer does or likes, and who
the customer knows. The Internet of
Things will give marketers multiple
opportunities to recognize and
even anticipate future wants and
needs, and gain advantages over
competitors.”11
Identifying a healthy boundary
between plugged-in and unplugged
will be an ongoing challenge for
marketing and creative professionals.
Our research respondents agreed
that although technology can create
efficiencies, too much technology
can negatively affect everything from
creative processes and measurement
strategies to human health and
happiness. No matter how digital
devices and tools will shape our lives
in years to come, unplugging will be
essential to nurturing our connections
at work and at home.
“
“One thing to note is that
we can be too connected.
It’s a problem. Our team has
access to internal analytics
in real time for our sales
and marketing programs,
and we can get in the habit
of checking them too often.
When we do that, it’s not
meaningful for our team.”
“Will we have a break?
Will we truly be able to take
a break mentally or will we
always be looking at the
screen in front of us?
There’s a danger to being
constantly connected.”
Global food and beverage manufacturer
(focused in the nutrition portfolio)

“I love the interconnectedness of
all my devices. I have my desktop,
laptop, and smartphone synced, so
the calendars interact. It’s amazing
that I can keep a professional and a
personal calendar, and my wife and
kids can see it, and they all know when
I’m traveling and when I’m not. It helps
keep your own business to dos, but
also integrates with the people who
matter most.”
- Victor Mills, President,
Connect Insights
“My emails and text messages can
pile up when I’m traveling, but then I
also tend to put things off that aren’t
mission critical when I’m away. For
those things that are mission critical,
I’m not distracted by anything else
while I’m on the road, so I can hyper
focus on what’s really important. If it’s
not a top three priority, it can wait until
I’m home.”
- Ashley Powell, Business Development Manager,
Bendyworks
“Marketers want right answers. I see
people a little scared sometimes until
they connect to all the information that
makes them comfortable. Sometimes
you just need to move. React, and if
you’re going to fail, then fail smartly
and quickly.”
“I make an effort not to get back to
clients over the weekend, if possible,
so there can be that personal space
that everybody seems to encroach on.
After 7:00 at night, I typically won’t
reply to an email. Sometimes, I wish
that people weren’t so constantly
connected.”
- John Bistalfo, Founder,
Bark Design
“

Spotlight Interview - LinkedIn
nnn
Content that solves your audience’s
problems can build a direct connection
Mike Pilarz is a content marketing evangelist at LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional
network with more than 450 million members in over 200 countries and territories around the globe. There, he leads
customer marketing and internal training programs that help LinkedIn clients become better content marketers.
Generally speaking,
content that tends to
be successful is content
that’s grounded in the
pain point or passion
of an audience. Success is
also being responsible about the
expertise within your company
and understanding how you can
leverage that expertise to solve
those pain points or deliver on
the passion of your audience.”
LinkedIn
“

Mike has observed first hand how search, social, and
mobile have disrupted the way marketers reach, engage,
and convert prospects and customers. His consultative
approach has helped many marketing professionals
transition into the world of content marketing. Here’s his
perspective on building an audience around content that
solves problems.
Can you talk about the importance of setting
goals in order to measure the effectiveness
of your content?
That’s a critical first step in launching or redefining any
content marketing program – thinking through what you
need to achieve as a business – before you even get to
marketing goals. Ask yourself things like, “What are the
priorities that keep the CEO up at night?” And, “How do we
as a marketing organization plan to help address them?”
Then finally, “Where are the breakdowns or the weaknesses
in our funnel?”
Thinking about what you need to achieve will help you
prioritize how to structure your content strategy.
How can marketers tell if their content is
successful? Do you have any examples you
can share?
Here at LinkedIn, our content marketing program is
focused on solving common pain points that matter to our
audiences. For our marketing customers, that manifests
itself through an ongoing series of eBooks, blog posts,
podcasts and a range of other content all aimed at common
challenges marketers face: strategic planning, creative
techniques, staffing, testing and optimizing marketing, etc.
As a result, 73% of our marketing qualified leads now come
directly from content.
There are countless other great examples. American Express
launched OPEN Forum to address the needs of the small
business community via content. It’s now become the single
largest source of new leads within that buying segment.
What key metrics should marketers look at to
measure their content and how often should
they measure?
It all starts by going back to your original objectives and
being crystal clear about what you’re trying to achieve,
whether that’s an increase in brand awareness, demand
generation, customer retention, etc. It sounds like such
basic advice, but it’s amazing how often that question
doesn’t get asked.
Are you launching a new product or a new brand, and the
main priority is simply joining the conversation to become
part of the consideration set? Or is the main problem that
you’ve been around longer and there might be a negative
perception of one of your products or brand overall? Or
are you starting to see people drop out of the funnel at the
opportunity stage? Honing in on what you’re actually solving
for is the only way you get at the metrics to look at.
Your metrics should then align back to those objectives.
What questions can help you
create a content feedback pipeline?
1. Ask your customer service team:
Of the calls you got this week, what were the top
four or five questions asked?
2. Ask your sales team:
What pain points and challenges are you hearing
from clients? These may not necessarily be related
to use of your product, but in terms of what they’re
trying to solve for as professionals.
3. Ask your marketing team:
What keywords are buyers and prospects using to
research your product or service? Which ones do
you have the expertise to deliver content on?

So, it goes beyond clicks and likes
and things like that?
Definitely. At the top of the funnel, you should be looking
at metrics like traffic, time on site, engagement in social
channels, etc. But you also need to translate those metrics
into true outcomes. Sophisticated content marketers are
measuring brand perception amongst email newsletter
subscribers, for example, vs. audiences that don’t
subscribe to their content. This gives you an opportunity to
demonstrate that your content made a positive impact at
the top of the funnel.
And if your goal is demand generation, take a look at what
percentage of your leads each month or quarter are coming
from content vs. other sources, the speed with which
content-sourced leads accelerate through the funnel, and the
customer lifetime value of those leads.
Think of it as a rent-to-own strategy, whether it’s LinkedIn,
Facebook, social channels, search, or any other channel
where you have an opportunity to reach an audience. You
want to use that to pull people into your funnel by getting
them to “subscribe” to your content. Ideally, you get your
hands on an email address, then you can go direct with
your content.
In terms of how often to measure: I can’t tell you everybody
should just be measuring quarterly. That’s not really going to
be helpful. The key is having the right metrics – ones that are
intelligently aligned to the goals you’re trying to solve for.
With vanity metrics that are out there, you’re going to have
an opportunity to measure things every single day – like likes
and follows. Those things are important, but the true bottom
line metrics we use in closed deals in the B2B world take a
while to generate.
When you’re talking about high-ticket price B2B solutions
and products, the sales cycles can often last a year and a
half or more, so you need the patience to realize that. The
top funnel metrics hopefully become leading indicators of a
bottom line, bottom funnel outcome, but again, that often
takes a while.
What questions do marketers want to start
asking their audiences in order to get the
feedback pipeline going?
Start by going to your customer service teams and saying,
“Of the calls you got this week, what were the top four or
five questions you got?” That’s a massively valuable input for
understanding what customers are trying to solve for.

question – “What are the pain points, what are the
challenges that you’re hearing from clients, not necessarily
related to use of our product, but in terms of what are
they trying to solve for as professionals?” That’s an often
overlooked but simple, easy source of rich data.
Then do some keyword research. See what keywords
buyers and prospects are using to research and that you
have the expertise to deliver content on.
Do the same thing with your sales team. Ask them the
same All of those things are great resources to help you
understand what your customers or clients are thinking
about and trying to solve for, and to help you shape content
that delivers on those topics.
What advice or tips would you give marketers
to get started creating good content?
Resist the temptation to chase after every shiny object,
whether that’s emerging media types, new channels or
techniques. Start with one or two content destinations -
maybe just a blog - and focus on consistently delivering
quality answers to the the pain points you hear from your
customers. Use the metrics we discussed above as a guide
to find out what’s working and what isn’t, then optimize.
Additionally, content marketing fails when marketers try to
transfer the same mindset, approach, and techniques from
traditional marketing over to content marketing. Traditional
marketing, especially traditional advertising, is really focused
on the brand. Content marketing only works if it’s entirely
focused on the audience where you think about what they’re
passionate about and how you can help them solve a
problem.
It’s also important to remember that content marketing
cannot be a campaign. Instead, it’s a slow, steady
progression of publishing, audience building and nurturing
those audiences into customers. If you think about the
traditional campaign-based marketing, you have these short
bursts of activity where you garner massive attention. But all
you’re really doing is temporarily renting that attention.
With content marketing, we have an opportunity to build our
own audience who doesn’t just tolerate hearing from us, but
actually opts in to hearing from us because we’re delivering
value by creating content they seek in the first place.
If you make the commitment to build an audience – and
there’s no limit to the size of the audience you can build –
then you don’t need to rent your audience’s attention. It’s
yours. You definitely have to continue to earn it by delivering
valuable content, but it’s yours to continue to deliver on.
Do a couple of pieces of content really well rather than ten pieces poorly or even
mediocre, because the reality is no one’s opening up their
LinkedIn feed or their inbox and saying, “Man, I wish I had
more content in here to sort through.”
- Mike Pilarz, Content Marketing Evangelist, LinkedIn
“

Where will connectivity go in the future?
A central dilemma of our connected world is the conflict between tech and touch.
Connecting is a physical human need, just like eating food or staying warm. Yet, many
analysts agree that we’re moving towards a ubiquitous digital connectivity that goes
beyond a network of laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
Inexpensive digital sensors and cloud computing will fuel the “Internet of Things” and
extend digital connectivity to previously analog tasks, processes, and service operations.12
68% of our interview participants see the future becoming more digital and more virtual.
However, they express a mixture of optimism and pessimism about this trajectory.
What does this mean for marketing and
creative professionals?
From the perspective of our research, the future of
connectivity entails more data, more authenticity, and more
community. Marketers will have to find the common ground
between digital and human experience.
Marketers will consult data to discern what messages and
experiences motivate people to use or not use their products
and services. At a strategic level, data will give marketers
and creatives the opportunity to put quality over quantity –
to focus on why we create content and define what “good”
content is. At a business level, data will improve how we
make decisions about budgets, resource allocation, and
technology stacks. And at a creative level, data will guide
our creative instincts towards more meaningful content. In
essence, data will complement human intelligence rather
than replace it.
Data aside, marketers will continue to face the challenges of
scale, noise, and relationship building. Ultimately, customers
must reciprocate our desire to connect. We need to deliver
experiences that stand out for their authenticity and power to
evoke thoughts, ideas, and feelings.
Marketing and creative professionals should expect
demand for micro-communities that support the end user or
consumer. Micro-communities are on the rise for the same
reason that micro breweries are in a golden age. Small, niche
experiences fulfill a need for social awareness, inspiration,
and a passionate following.
Closing thoughts
Every marketing initiative, brand position, or user experience
reflects the challenges, goals, and dreams of real people.
Digitization does not relieve marketers of their responsibility
to nurture connectivity and imbue commerce with meaning.
Technologies can support this mission as long as we
recognize their limitations.
Everyone wants life to be simple, but not necessarily easy.
The challenge of connecting and collaborating with each
other for the greater good is fulfilling. As Sherry Turkle
urged, let’s focus on ways “technology can lead us back to
our real lives, our own bodies, our own communities, our
own politics, our own planet.”13
Let’s embrace the inherent
goodness and power of connectivity.
Conclusion

“Did you know you can check in to
your hotel remotely from your phone?
I picked up my key at a kiosk and I
threw my key back in the slot when I
left. If I hadn’t gotten food, I wouldn’t
have seen a single person. Then the
hotel sent me a survey asking how my
stay and the interaction was with their
people. I couldn’t even answer how
the interaction was because I never
talked to anyone. For me that was sad.
You still need to sit and talk smart
with someone.”
U.S. food service manufacturer
“There are too many things out there
that are just bad for us as a society.
You can’t be plugged in all the time and
think you’re connected because you’re
looking at your phone all day long.
There are some things, like certain
apps that are cool, but they’re not
really helping you stay close to your
family, to see your friends. You can’t
replace human connection.”
“I think the amount of data will
increase and the struggle to do
something with it will only get harder.
There’s so much from a consumer
perspective that can be done for
message testing and brand testing.
Balancing that will become harder.
Optimizing the strategy and tactics will
be more important.”
ERDMAN
“By 2025, most homes are going to
have a robot. We’re moving to an era
of complete technology where there
might be 1.) a robot in the office or
people working with robot advisors,
2.) your phone might be connected
directly to your robot at home that
you interact with throughout the day,
and 3.) when you go home, you have a
personal relationship with your robot
because that’s where everything goes.”
- Greg Yates, Chief Marketing Officer|
RICG Neuro-Creative Agency
“

The explosion of visual content:
Marketing’s greatest creation and toughest challenge
Special
feature
20
17
n
n
n
n
n
n
The creation of visual content like photos, videos,
presentations, and graphics is at an all-time high.
Thanks to social media, smartphone cameras, cloud-based
applications, and consumers’ shorter attention spans, the
demand for great visuals will only rise in the years to come.

In many ways, visual content marketing has been a dream
come true for marketers. It has demonstrated that creative
work can drive sales, and it has positioned marketing as a
revenue generator instead of a cost center. But our research
shows there are also a number of challenges marketers and
creatives face specific to content.
When we asked our online survey respondents the top
challenges they face with their marketing content, they rank
them as follows:
EVERY TIME I GO LOOKING FOR
SOMETHING, IT’S A NIGHTMARE.
I FEEL LIKE I GO TO THE FOUNDERS
AND SAY “I NEED THIS TYPE OF
LOGO,” AND THEY DON’T KNOW
WHERE TO POINT ME. I’VE ACTUALLY
PULLED OUR LOGO OFF OF TWITTER
TO USE ON A LEGAL DOCUMENT.
- Ashley Powell, Business Development Manager,
Bendyworks
WITH THE GLOBAL NEEDS FOR
CLIENT ASSETS, IT’S IMPERATIVE
THAT THERE’S A CENTRAL, COMMON,
LIBRARY FOR ALL TO ACCESS. IT’S
BEST IF IT’S A CLOUD SOLUTION THAT
ALLOWS ACCESS REMOTELY FROM
ANY DEVICE.
- Digital Asset Management Specialist, Global Ad Agency
OUR CHALLENGE IS TO BUILD GOOD
CONTENT. AND TO GET THAT REALLY
GOOD CONTENT, WE CAN’T USE
GHOST WRITERS. THEY HAVE TO
KNOW THIS INDUSTRY.
- Michol Banes, Marketing Manager, Baker Tilly
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
of marketing content
needed for projects
Keeping track of project
approval and review
Planning marketing content
as a team
ina timely way
Sharing content with other
who need it
44% of online survey respondents
rank “Measuring the effectiveness of
your content” as one of their biggest
marketing challenges.
44% quote on pg.41
34% quote on pg.44

Our interview participants expanded on the barriers to
visual content marketing. Other challenges include:
• A lack of “bandwidth” (resources, time) to get work done
• Producing good content
• Juggling too many marketing activities without clarity
about why they’re being done
• A lack of skills (writers, designers) and industry expertise
in creating content
Putting out fires, getting teammates what they need,
and marathon meetings can derail big-picture marketing
initiatives. So how do marketing and creative professionals
find time to focus on the strategy that guides good
marketing? Again, it comes back to connecting in ways that
help us be our best and work our best.
Technology wishlist
When asked the open ended question, “Is there a
technology you wish you had, but haven’t found yet?”
our survey respondents replied unprompted:
• Assets and content in one place that is easy for
non-technical members of a team to understand
• Agile-like asset management allowing for both
localization and multiple brands
• Better asset retrieval
• Simple project tracking method
All of these point to a better way to manage and connect
marketing content. That is where digital asset management
(DAM) solutions can help. DAM is the management,
organization, and distribution of digital assets from a central
content hub. Most often these are visual assets like photos,
videos, and creative files.
FINDING THE RIGHT
MESSAGE FOR THE RIGHT
PERSON AT THE RIGHT
TIME IS TOUGH. AND THE
DEGREE OF GRANULARITY
IS GETTING FINER AND
FINER. THERE ARE GREATER
EXPECTATIONS ON THE SIDE
OF THE CONSUMER, AND
GREATER DEMANDS FOR
THE MARKETING FUNCTION
TO DELIVER ON THOSE
EXPECTATIONS.
- Sam Mosier, Senior Manager of Global Content Marketing,

Widen digital asset management stats over the past three years
As a provider of digital asset management solutions, Widen has a 68 year history of creating and managing assets for large
and small organizations around the world. Below is a snapshot of the assets we’ve managed in recent years.
2014
2016
2015
8.4m assets across all customer DAM sites
(336 customers)
107 API integrations with other customer tools
(e-commerce, CMS, CRM, etc)
19.3m assets across all customer DAM sites
(485 customers)
10m assets across all customer DAM sites
(419 customers)
33% of interview participants say “creating
valuable content” is one of the greatest challenges
they experience with their marketing content.

ONE GREAT ADVANTAGE OF CONTENT MARKETING,
OR DIGITAL MARKETING, IS THE ABILITY TO
ITERATE AND ADAPT ON-THE-FLY. ON THE DIGITAL
WEB, YOU CAN TEST A HEADLINE OR COLOR
SCHEME AND POTENTIALLY GET SIGNIFICANT
BEHAVIORAL DATA AND FEEDBACK IN A MATTER
OF DAYS, IF NOT HOURS. BUT YOU’RE ONLY ABLE
TO MAKE USE OF THAT IF YOUR TEAM AND YOUR
PROCESSES ARE STRUCTURED TO TAKE THAT
FEEDBACK AND APPLY IT.
- Mike Pilarz, Content Marketing Evangelist, LinkedIn
“34% of online survey respondents
rank “Finding the files and
documents you need” as one of
their biggest marketing challenges.
44% quote on pg.41
34% quote on pg.44

effective, quality content thanks to a wider range of
DAM analytics that track the efficacy of marketing
communications. And by taking a more active role in
multichannel distribution, DAM will make content delivery
faster and easier.
DAM plays a dynamic role in enriching human connections.
As we move towards a world that unifies the device in your
hand, the watch on your wrist, the shoes on your feet,
and the eyeglasses on your face, the notion of channels
loses relevance. In this highly-connected world, marketers
will need technology that serves as the central source
of truth for all visual content. DAM is that mission-critical
technology.
Where is DAM going in the future?
DAM should power the content behind every brand and
marketing experience. In the future, DAM will blend into
the background of the technology ecosystem. People will
interact with a DAM system through platform portals or
integrations with their chosen business tools. They may
also interact with DAM assets through their phones, watch,
eyeglasses, and cars. DAM will become more plug and play
than it is currently.
We also expect DAM to address three
ongoing challenges in content marketing:
efficiency, quality, and delivery. DAM will
continue to streamline marketing and creative activities and
automate work processes. We’ll see marketers create more
Specifically, we can expect:
A convergence with marketing resource management (MRM), content marketing, web content management (WCM),
marketing automation, digital marketing hubs, and other content-fueled marketing technologies powering
the customer experience.
Portfolios of martech
tools that simplify
integration and
extension of content,
tracked across multiple
points of distribution
Higher expectations
for solutions that can
scale with speed and
cost effectiveness
Connected metadata and
measurement of content
performance across teams,
systems, and customer
touch points
Solutions that facilitate
the complete content
lifecycle, from planning
to publishing with a
central content hub
Continued fragmentation
and acquisition of
DAM and content
management solutions
More differentiation
on service, consulting,
training, and relationships

Quantitative
research results
Q: What is the top device you use today to
stay connected?
Smart phone
Tablet
Laptop
Desktop
61%
5%
20%
15%
Q: What is the best way for you to achieve
a feeling of connection at work?
Access information or content
needed for your projects
Stay on top of industry
trends and news
Learn new tools, techniques,
or skills
Collaborate with
co-workers53%
21%
18%
8%
Q: How do you most prefer to maintain
work connections?
Email
Web/video conference
Phone call
Text
4%
4%
4%
In person
26%
62%
Q: If possible, how integrated would you
like your solutions to be?
A wide mix, with the best tool/solution
for each of your work needs
Very integrated
Happy medium
31%
26%
43%

Q: What does “being connected”
mean to you?
Accessing information
you need
Being with others
in a physical space
Staying in touch with family
and friends
Knowing what’s going on/
Staying current
Using new tools and technologies
Being efficient in your work
Being part of a team or group
8%
31%
2%
8%
21%
22%
8%
Q: From the list below, what are the two
biggest pain points you experience in
your daily work as a marketer?
you need for your projects
Planning your marketing
content as a team
Keeping track of project review
and approval
Sharing content with others
who need it
in a timely way
27%
34%
24%
26%
28%
of your content44%
Q: As a marketer, what would you want
from a vendor-led customer community?
Sharing of best practices
Training from your vendor
specific to your needs
Interaction with other
customers
One-on-one time with
your vendor
Easy outreach, anytime
31%
21%
12%
22%
13%
Q: How would you like service support to
provide answers to you about the tools
you use?
12% Website
8% Other
4% In app message
45% Email
31% Chat

Q: How important to your job is using
social media?
18%
38%
45%
Very much
Somewhat
Not at all
Q: What is your company size?
< 50 employees
51-1000 employees
> 1000 employees
27%
35%
38%
Q: Where are you located?
6%
12%
17%
8%
New England
Middle Atlantic
East North Central
West North Central
South Atlantic
East South Central
West South Central
Mountain
Pacific
16%
4%
9%
10%
19%
Q: Which tools do you use each day
at work?
Email marketing
Online communication tools
Marketing automation
File syncing and sharing
applications
Customer relationship
management
Digital asset management
Content management
Project management
Social media
Web CMS platform
48%
73%
11%
29%
19%
28%
40%
12%
38%
41%

Q: How important is being connected to a
professional community for your career
growth and satisfaction?
Very
Somewhat
Not at all
27%
55%
18%
Q: What would an online community from a
vendor need to offer you, as a customer,
to be worth your time?
Regularly scheduled online discussions
(e.g., once a quarter)
Facilitation of problems/
solutions, led by experts
Networking with other
customers in the community
A separate in-person
component
54%
9%
22%
15%
Q: Is there a technology you wish you had, but haven’t found yet? (open-ended question)
• A simpler-to-use, web-based meeting software with whiteboard
• CRM system with customizable checklists that can be used as a template
• More interconnection between different methods of marketing
• Instant virtual connectivity
• Media buying software for both prurient and broadcast and digital
• Automatic transcription and indexing of recorded meetings and hearings
• Assets and content in one place, and easy for non-technical members of a team to understand
• Agile-like asset management allowing for both localization and multiple brands
• Better assets retrieval
• Better task management
• Simple project tracking method
• One platform all manners of conveyance
• Low-cost platform to manage all social media content with analytics that will show ROI
• X-ray glasses
• More integrated systems between marketing, social media, retail sales, and client management
• Outreach and connection to future client markets
• Locate project information quickly
• Assign a score to a campaign on a variety of elements so we can track and compare campaigns over time
• Cloud font library to easily share font files between campus computers
• Weekly marketing to current and prospective customers that sends them relative information
• Voice command system
• Touchscreen simple easy to use
• A scheduling/planning tool that can generate the outputs I need without a lot of human editing

Qualitative
research results
65%
Q: What does it mean to you to be connected? Q: How do you feel when you’re connected at work?
of interview participants indicate it
means shared information and effective
communication among teammates.
of interview participants feel at ease,
a sense of belonging, good, calm,
confident or engaged.
Other responses include:
• Access to work information
(emails, files, intranet)
• Access to market trends
or information
• Access to customer information
(Are we connecting to the right people?
How do they perceive us?)
Because they experience:
• Shared objectives
• Shared wins and losses
• Transparency, visibility, and no silos
• Shared flow or forward movement with
teammates
71%
Q: How much overlap do you experience in your
personal and work connections?
Q: What is the greatest challenge you experience with
the marketing content you need to get done?
of interview participants say there is a definitve overlap
between their personal and work connections.
of interview participants indicate their greatest
problem is bandwidth or time/resources.
• Frequent or definite overlap in
technology (social media, email, etc.)
• Very small overlap or deliberate effort to
keep them separate
• Producing valuable, timely, and
accurate content
• Measuring ROI with quality data
48% 43%

Q: What considerations make you more loyal,
or connected, to one work tool than another?
Q: How do you prefer to collaborate with others? Q: Is there ever any resistance from your team when
adding new technologies to your mix?
Q: What does it mean to be collaborative in your work?
of interview participants suggest that usability or user
interface would make them more loyal to a work tool.
of interview participants say they prefer to
collaborate in person. of interview participants say they find resistantance to
new processes or workflows because they currently
have too many technologies.
of interview participants say being collaborative means the
inclusion of many ideas, perspectives, and/or disiciplines.
• Strong customer support
• Feels familiar, is similar to tools they
use all the time
• A mix – e.g., in person up front,
followed by digital collaboration.
Or in person for internal work and
digital collaboration for client work.
• Depends on whether the technology
helps them do their job better. If it
does, they won’t get resistance. If it
doesn’t, there is more resistance.
• No, they have an open/willing team
• Effective communication/keeping
everyone informed
• Clarity on roles and responsibilities
67%
76%
35%
81%

Q: A range of work tools are used to execute the
marketing and creative content we create
everyday. How integrated would you like
these tools to be: very integrated (a single
solution), a wide mix of solutions, or a happy
medium somewhere in between?
Q: Is there a software tool you wish you had,
but haven’t found yet? What does that
tool need to do?
Q: What do you see as the future of connectivity?
Q: What things does a connected, professional
community need to offer in order to be
worth your time?
of interview participants say a happy medium
between very integrated and a wide mix of solutions.
of interview participants say a project management
tool with sophisticated features.
of interview participants say it will become more digital
and more virtual.
of interview participants say highly relevant content,
specific to their job.
• A single solution
• A DAM solution that integrates with a
range of other processes and tools
• A tool to manage information overload.
Something that gathers, organizes, and
synthesizes relevant content and data.
• A tool to create, manage, modularize,
and distribute content
• Scary, creepy, data
• Less human interaction
• Dialing back as a reaction to too much
personalization
• Networking, relationship building,
or face time
• A culture of genuine collaboration
where there are no sales pitches
• Solutions-oriented content to help
them ovecome issues or challenges
86%
24%
68%
42%

Outlook email Grammarly Crowdsourcing tools Skype for Business
Basecamp Pro Editor Video conferencing Syncing connections
Google Docs Acrobat Contently Whiteboards/chart pads
Intranet SharePoint Marketo Sprout Social
TimeFlux Java Eloqua Wistia
Act Em-sphere Tying tactics back to sales Yammer
Salesforce Filemaker Microsoft Dynamics OneDrive
GoToMeeting IBM Notes Evernote Web conferences
Hightail / YouSendIt A/B testing Big whiteboards Box
Dropbox Slack GZ Starcom
Skype Smartsheet Montly creative co-labs WeTransfer
WhassUp iMessage Adobe Analytics Technomic
LinkedIn Harvest WebDAM Pivotal Tracker
Google Analytics Trello Spredfast HipChat
NinjaCat Pinterest Data.com
TimeFox Google Docs - Kanban Huddle
Asana NewsCred Instant message
Google Chat HubSpot Digital asset management
If you’re looking for tools to add to your mix or hoping to consolidate existing tools by
combining several into one, then we’ve got a great list for you. Below are the top tools our
research participants are using to automate workflows, open the lines of communication,
share brand assets and creative files, and keep projects on track.
Marketing & creative tools
You can also check out StormID’s great list of the hottest online marketing tools for 2016.

1. Maria Popova. (November 2013). The science of why our brains are wired to connect. Brainpickings.
https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/11/08/social-why-our-brains-are-wired-to-connect-lieberman/
2. Amit Lodha. (2015). Generation C: Investing in the connected generation. Fidelity.
https://www.fidelityinternational.com/middle-east/news-insight/21-century-themes/connected-generation.page
3. Marketo. Lead generation? https://www.marketo.com/lead-generation/
4. Forrester. (May 25, 2015). Myth busting 101: insights into the b2b buyer journey. http://blogs.forrester.com/lori_wizdo
5. Forbes: On Marketing. (2013). 10 surprising marketing job titles for the next 10 years. http://www.forbes.com/sites/
onmarketing/2013/01/02/10-surprising-marketing-job-titles-for-the-next-10-years/#121a09b44469
6. Papandrea, D. (August 2016). Hire for 4 uncommon content marketing roles. Content Marketing Institute.
http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2016/08/uncommon-marketing-roles/
7. Randstad. (March 2016). Global report Randstad Workmonitor wave 1, 2016. www.randstad.com/
8. Grant, A., Grant, G. (2012). Who killed creativity…and how can we get it back? Wrightbooks.
http://www.whokilledcreativity.com/
9. Sherry Turkle. (February 2012). Connected, but alone? TED.
https://www.ted.com/talks/sherry_turkle_alone_together?language=en
10. Gartner. (October 2014). How digital marketers will take advantage of the internet of things. http://www.gartner.com/
document/2886219?ref=solrResearch&refval=172234812&qid=d427eeccf321e9f1fe40eeda75310750
11. Gartner. (August 2016). Prepare your multichannel marketing for the internet of things.
http://www.gartner.com/document/3396617?ref=solrAll&refval=172235593&qid=5feee427c3ef9016fe04942aaec74a30
12. Iansiti, M., Lakhani, k. (November 2014). Digital ubiquity: how connections, sensors, and data are revolutionizing
business. Harvard Business Review.
https://hbr.org/2014/11/digital-ubiquity-how-connections-sensors-and-data-are-revolutionizing-business
13. Sherry Turkle. (February 2012). Connected, but alone? TED.
https://www.ted.com/talks/sherry_turkle_alone_together?language=en
References

Widen Enterprises
6911 Mangrove Lane
Madison, WI 53713
P: 608-222-1296
E: marketing@widen.com
www.widen.com
About Widen
Widen is a content technology company. That means we
develop solutions for marketers who need to connect their
visual content – like photos, videos, graphics, and creative
files – for greater visibility and sharing. Organizations of any
size can use our DAM solution, the Widen Collective, to
power their content from a central source of truth and sync
it with the other systems they use every day.
Our solutions are trusted by hundreds of thousands of
users worldwide like Roche, Trek, Cornell University, New
Orleans Tourism Marketing, The Atlanta Falcons, Red Gold
Tomatoes, and Yankee Candle. Learn more about Widen at
www.widen.com.

The state of connectivity for marketers and creatives

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