Creating Content in Emerging Markets

The opportunity for content marketing in emerging market is as much about efficiency and legitimacy as it is about engagement.

In developed markets like the US there is a focus on content marketing influencing consumers to interact with the brand to shape perception. In emerging markets first-time purchasing makes the brand experience and setting brand expectations all the more important.

That is where an effective content strategy rather than just an effective piece of one-off content can be critical. Being efficient in delivering a sustained content campaign rather than reigniting interest is where content can differentiate a brand in emerging markets.

A McKinsey Quarterly article titled Building Brands in Emerging Markets notes three behaviours that marketers need to take note of:

• Harnessing the power of word of mouth is invaluable, as it seems to play a disproportionate role in the decision journeys of emerging-market consumers
• Getting brands into a consumer’s initial consideration set is even more important in emerging markets, because that phase of the journey appears to have an outsized impact on purchase decisions
• Companies need to place special emphasis on what happens when products reach the shelves of retailers, because the in-store phase of the consumer decision journey tends to be longer and more important in emerging markets than in developed ones

Brands in emerging markets need to influence word of mouth, make a good first impression and ensure they are tending the consumer’s decision journey. That means getting in front of the target audience with multiple touch points and ensuring that the consumer has an understanding of the brand before it comes time to make a purchasing decision.

What makes content strategy so effective is that by delivering a cohesive story over time and across online and offline properties, brands can be seeding their messaging and shaping these decision journeys. Lock-in the story, develop it with content and create awareness through populating multiple channels with a compelling narrative and ensure that first-time buyers feel they know the brand.

Advertising and PR don’t have the same kind of power to communicate with an audience or to build trust in the same way that direct communications through content can. Wrap social responsibility into the content a brand is creating and it can demonstrate a dedication to development to the emerging market audience.

The content opportunity in emerging markets is huge and the benefits of content fit the behaviours and conditions in emerging markets. The brands that develop strong content will be positioned to succeed and do so with budget efficiency.