Yahoo’s latest thought leadership research, Return on Inspiration, focuses on what are the key influencers that drive impact through Content Marketing – and consequently, how should we look to both create great content and measure it. This was the biggest study of its kind in EMEA and incorporated: Marketing Society expert interviews on Content Marketing to frame the challenge Focus groups and online blogs with consumers to explore in some detail what optimal content marketing looks like Semiotics analysis, to understand how visual clues can lead to inspiration and finally a 4 market advanced statistical analysis to found out what content marketing brand attributes drive ROI

1. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
Return On Inspiration
New World Content Marketing

2. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
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Today’s presentation contains information
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Confidentiality & Privacy

3. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
The paradox of brand storytelling
Source: SmartInsights European Poll: http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/content-marketing-in-europe-data
The Content Marketing Challenge: The Solution:
What are the factors that drive the best content
marketing experiences?
1
Marketers who believe in the power
of content marketing97%
Create a measurement model to calculate the ROI
value of content marketing
3
Their company’s adoption of
content marketing has been poor71%
Create a ‘how to’ around delivering the
best content marketing for marketers
2
Have found it difficult to measure
the ROI of content marketing71%

4. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
An EMEA-wide industry approach
4

5. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
How we explored content
5
Phase 1
Gathering ideas and
concepts to test
Understand
the C-suite
view of 25
UK brands
Marketing
Society
Event
A view of CM
in today’s
media
landscape
Expert
Interviews
Academic
perspectives,
concepts of
‘engagement’
Desk
Research
Phase 2
Developing a best
practice framework
Consumer
view from
across
Europe
Digital
Communities
Visual and
graphical
clues to
engagement
Semiotic
Analysis
In-depth
views from
three UK
groups
Consumer
Groups
Phase 3
Establishing key drivers
of content marketing
Visual and
graphical
clues to
engagement
Semiotic
Analysis
4,000 person,
multi-market
quant
Online
Survey

6. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
A wealth of differing executions
6

7. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
Inspiring Content Marketing
The CMO Perspective

8. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
Creation of the content opportunity
Old World rules of broadcast and interruption
have become less relevant
Content Marketing becomes the
most credible vehicle for facilitating this
New World brand – consumer relationship
Brands
No longer hold all the
power, must be
responsive to consumer
demands
Consumers
Expect brands to be more
open, transparent, and
accessible and care about
them more

9. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
Industry guidance required
“We need to understand what our
measures actually mean – as a
global marketing team we can get
excited about 3 million likes on
Facebook, but often they’re
actually being derogatory towards
the brand. We need to understand
if they’re promoters and what
they’re actually saying”
What are the
rules of play?
Isn’t much
activity is
happening
‘off-piste’?
Is it about
CR, Sales, or
CRM? All of the
above?What role does
it play in the
overall marketing
toolkit?
Content
Marketing

10. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
Evolution of the purchase funnel
Relationship Building
Tactical Sales Push
Brand Building
News &
Personal Saliency
Consideration
Preference
Purchase
Awareness
Tradition Marketer’s Purchase Funnel
Current View
Content Marketing Cycle
Future view – loyalty benefit

11. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
Content consumption’s New World Order
‘I find
content’
Old
World
‘Content
finds me’
New
World
Content
consumed in
fixed silos.
Interruption-
tolerance
‘advertising’
relationship.
Light digital.
Older, 35+.
Resists content
marketing.
Lower levels of
engagement.
Constant feed of
relevant content
flows to them.
Happy to accept
sponsored content
in return for
aggregation
services.
Heavy digital.
Younger, 16-34.
Open to content
marketing.
Higher levels of
engagement.
News
Music
Connection
Interests
Visuals
Humour
News
Connection
Visuals
Music
Interests
Humour
Source: Qualitative Research

12. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
Q32. Thinking about an average day, how much time do you spend..? Watching online video, reading online content, streaming music?
Base: Older world - Less than 1 hr (n=2077), Transitioning - 1-4 hrs (n=1476), New world - 4+ hrs (n=516)
New World is the opportunity
35%
New
World
2+ hours
23%
Old
World
Under one hour
42%
1-2 hours
Transitioning
Online content
consumption per day

13. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
43% 56% 77%
31% 41% 68%These ads feel like brands
put me first
CONSUMER-CENTRIC
Questions: Q29_6,Q29_9, Q29_10, Q29_5, Q29_8.
Base: Older world (n=473-573), Transitioning (n=934-1068), New world (n=864-1009)
New World receptive to brand messaging
New
World
2+ hours
Old
World
Under one hour 1-2 hours
Transitioning
Online content
consumption per day
These ads feel more personal
39% 54% 77%
More likely to pay attention
MORE EFFECTIVE
These ads make me feel
more positive
43% 54% 79%

14. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
Questions: Q16, Q13, Q14, Q15.
Base: Older world (n=448-930), Transitioning (n=936-1686), New world (n=968-1193)
..and get Content Marketing
53% 59% 66%
AWARENESS
Aware it is content marketing
New
World
2+ hours
Old
World
Under one hour 1-2 hours
Transitioning
Online content
consumption per day
Find it enjoyable
Likely to share it
Find it appealing
EXPERIENCE
69% 73% 81%
70% 73% 80%
43% 51% 71%

15. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
Questions: Q7_1, Q7_3, Q11_2.
Base: Older world (n=245-297), Transitioning (n=539-628), New world (n=683-773)
…and get Content Marketing
56% 63% 82%I believe what it is saying
25% 32% 61%It helps me to improve my
everyday life
50% 55% 74%It doesn’t have a hidden agenda
New
World
2+ hours
Old
World
Under one hour 1-2 hours
Transitioning
Online content
consumption per day

16. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
Q9_2, Q9_1
Base: Older world (n=605-635), Transitioning (n=1074-1154), New world (n=973-1005)
Content as a vehicle for inspiration
40% 49% 76%It inspires me to try new things
40% 47% 73%Opens my eyes to new
perspectives and ideas
New
World
2+ hours
Old
World
Under one hour 1-2 hours
Transitioning
Online content
consumption per day

17. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
Content Marketing
The Model of Success

18. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
Which factors drive content impact?
We showed 1,000 consumers a set of
best-in-class content marketing and
asked them a number of questions about
different aspects of it.
Purchase
Intention
Brand
Affinity
Advocacy
We took this data and used a statistical
tool called CHAID to model out which
aspects are most likely to drive:

19. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
It doesn’t
have a
hidden
agenda
I believe
what it is
saying
It is
something to
talk about
It is topical
Shows me
new ways
of doing
things
It helps me
improve my
everyday
life
It is sincere
It provides
plenty of
useful info
It evokes
strong
feelings
Open my
eyes to new
perspectives
It makes
me feel
closer to
the brand
It’s a fresh
take
It interests
me
I would
return to it
in the future
Inspires me
to try new
things
Memorable
It looks
beautiful
Catches my
attention
Which factors drive content impact?
19
It helps me
learn new
things
Content
Marketing

20. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
Purchase Intention
More likely to purchase
Brand Affinity
Feel more positive about brand
Advocacy
More likely to share
20
Inspiration. The primary influencer.
20
+ inspires me
to try new things
Baseline
Potential
multiplier effect 1.84 1.75 1.76
37%
68%
36%
63%
41%
72%
+ inspires me
to try new things
+ inspires me
to try new things

21. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
Purchase Intention
More likely to purchase
Brand Affinity
Feel more positive about brand
Advocacy
More likely to share
21
Inspiration. The primary influencer.
21
+ Feel closer to
the brand
+ Evokes a
strong feeling
Inspires me to
try new things
x1.84
x2.16
x2.29
+ Feel closer to
the brand
+ Open to new
possibilities
Inspires me to
try new things
x1.75
x1.97
x2.14
+ Improves my
everyday life
+ Something to
talk about
Inspires me to
try new things
x1.76
x1.98
x2.14
…combines well with factors
that drive emotions
…combines well with factors
that drive novelty and
emotions
…combines well with factors
that drive talkability and
utility

22. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
The Creative Consumer
22
‘In 2015 Consumers will care less
about what they have or buy and
more about what they can do or
create…
Reducing if not eliminating the
barriers to the creation of high-
quality output will be the key to
delighting aspirational consumers
everywhere.’
Trendwatching 2015 trends

23. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
All brands have potential to inspire
ConsumerBenefits
BrandApplicability
Creative New
Ideas
Established
Brands
Knowledge
& Utility
New
Brands
Inspiration

24. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
The Six Steps to Inspiring Content
Best Practice

25. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
The 6 steps to inspiring content
1.
Your Aesthetic,
Your Content
2.
Knowledge
Empowers
4.
Show Positive
Intent
5.
No Trust,
No Inspiration
6.
Keep
Entertainment
Simple
3.
Tell Real,
Compelling
Stories

26. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
1. Your Aesthetic, Your Content
Client
Tourism Board
Execution
Content bringing to life the
beauty of the UK countryside
• High-thought aesthetics
• Coded to say ‘this content is
designed for you personally’:
• Content journey starts and
ends with the consumer
(brand incidental)
London, 16-24
“The beautiful scenic pictures make
you want to read on and see what
else there is to offer.”

27. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
1. Your Aesthetic, Your Content
Client
Global Appliance Brand
Execution
Beautiful video recipes filmed
from a first person perspective
• Described as slick, modern,
professional & fresh
• Content seen as professional
and inspiring
Female 35+, London
‘The imagery left your mouth
watering with what they were
cooking’
“Appeal”
+7 on avg
“Beautiful”
+11 on avg
61% 67%

28. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
“Useful
information”
+10 on avg
Client
Home Furnishings Brand
Execution
A project to make French homes
and lives more sustainable
2. Knowledge Empowers
“Teaches me
new things”
+11 on avg
• Regarded as informative and
useful.
• Consumers are educated on
recycling and energy concepts.
45% 46%

29. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
Client
Bottled Water Brand
Execution
Users take part in an interactive
adventure game
3. Tell Real, Compelling Stories
29
“Engaging”
+6 on avg
• Engagement through quizzes
and videos of other people
attempting to complete the
course
• Course was authentic
32%

30. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
Signal Society-positive
• Transparency and corporate responsibility are
centre-stage
• If the reader is not first - then society at large
needs to be
London, 16-24
“It was my absolute
favourite due to how
implicit the selling
was…
it was so
informative…about
prison life, with
statistics and true
stories”
Client
Retail Brand
4. Show Positive Intent
Signal Reader-positive
• New World order rules are that the reader
comes first
• Brand/publisher intent shines through
• Trust and credibility essential
Semiotic Cues
Client
Retail Brand

31. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
5. No Trust, No Inspiration
Consumers who say they
trust the content are at
least 3x more likely
to share it, or feel
positively towards
the brand.
Brand
affinity
Active
engagement
Share
Trust
#1 Platform
#2 Placement
#3 Source

32. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
Client
Automotive Brand
Execution
Online magazine with cultural
content that inspires the brand
6. Keep It Simple
“Appeal”
+17on avg
“Entertaining”
+11 on avg
• Content is explorable and
varied
• Users find content inspiring
and influential
27% 43%
16-24
“If the content is entertaining or interesting
enough I will share it with my friends. Also it
really helps if it is not too sales focused.”

33. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
Return On Inspiration
These six steps…
1. Your Aesthetic, Your Content
2. Knowledge Empowers
3. Tell Real, Compelling Stories
4. Show Positive Intent
5. No Trust, No Inspiration
6. Keep It Simple
Purchase
Intention
Brand
Affinity Advocacy
x1.84 x1.75 x1.76
…drive marketing impact

34. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
Yahoo
Content
Marketing
Evaluator
A statistical understanding
of what good looks like for
Content Marketing
In-built for all future
campaign evaluations
Industry norms over time
Make inspiration your goal
Yahoo
Revenue
Calculator
Pilot opportunity for 3 brands
Pre -campaign tool to forecast
potential revenue
Built out using Inspiration EU4 data
+ Tumblr Analytics

35. Yahoo 2015. Confidential & Proprietary.
New World Content Marketing
Return On Inspiration