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Bobby Lehew is the Chief Content Officer at commonsku. He is also the mastermind behind the Skucast podcast where he speaks about topics related to creativity, branding and content. He often features entrepreneurs who are building unique brands.
Swag.com: As a content marketer, you are tasked with creating things that offer value to readers, listeners and consumers of your work. How do you begin to define value for each of the projects you work on?
Bobby: It is important to answer the questions; Will this help our customers grow 10x? Will it help them move closer to their aspirational selves? It’s not merely about marginal improvements; it’s about radical revolution. And next question: Exactly how will this help them? Roger Martin, Prof Emeritus of Strategic Management at Rotman, said that strategy is focused on outcomes, what we will achieve, whereas planning is about what we need to do. For content strategy, we obsess over what will transform our customers, its customer centric; for planning, we obsess about how we (the content creators) will help them get there. Creativity > analysis.
What do you enjoy most about being a content marketer? What makes you excited to show up to work each day?
Infinite variety. At one time, content creators were reduced to one role: writers. Now, we’re podcast hosts, vloggers, event organizers. Our toolbox consists of the same language tools we’ve worked with for years, but what we build can be anything: interviews, essays, articles, video, short-form, long-form, stories, workshops, presentations. We have so many different forms to work with, so many avenues for creative expression, it’s the best time (ever) to be in content marketing. And with the advent of AI and the host of new tools on the horizon, it’s never been easier. Not easy. Easy(er).
How much of your time as a creator is spent researching and outlining your projects rather than physically writing, recording or otherwise “making content?”
Depends on the project. For instance, my interview with Cotopaxi founder Davis Smith covered a lot of terrain, but it was only 30 minutes. Davis was surprised, and It worked, but only because I put in the research time ahead of it. Same with my interview with Seth Godin on climate change. If I had to put a number to it, most content creators probably spend 75% of their time organizing, prepping, researching, thinking, or performing a myriad of admin functions to get content ready and about 20% of their time creating, but never mistake: it’s all content work. Kurt Vonnegut once sat with a table full of reporters and was asked when he finds time to write, and he replied, “I’m writing right now.” I’m no Vonnegut, but I kinda get what he means: Last night I was doing dishes when the outline for a new series dawned on me. Content never ceases. Gavin Mathieu at Supervsn taught me this great line, “never not creating.”
Do you see any parallels between digital content and physical gifts? What do branded swag and content marketing have in common?
Both are forms of creative expression. Both communicate value. Both tell a story. To me, swag is content, especially if we define content as something that inspires the receiver, then they are one-in-the-same. The great graphic designer Milton Glaser (I <3 NY creator) once said that design was meant “to inform and delight,” great swag has the same effect.
What is the best piece of swag you ever received?
It’s all about brand love, right? At the moment, it’s the New Yorker sweatshirt I’m wearing. When I received it, the quality was so amazing, I read through the fine print on the tags to see who made it. Being the promo nerd that I am, I found out it’s a company out of Colorado called Original Favorites that creates some of their apparel from GOTS-certified organic cotton. Being the content-obsessed creator that I am, I (naturally) reached out for an interview with the company. Another fave is my skucamp Brooklyn gear (our team creates amazing merch collections)!
What is the WORST piece of swag you’ve ever received?
A friend recently sent me an alarmingly bright red, garish can cooler from a band I love and made me promise I’d put it on my bookshelf like a piece of art, right between “Maugham and Murakami.” Problem is, I really dig the band, but hate the merch. Not because the merch is ineffective, but only because it’s too damn bright. That’s a really boring answer to your question, but it’s literally the worst (best) piece of swag I’ve received, and my friend knows it. Which makes it fun.
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