Agencies and marketing teams in search of a high-impact, branded content marketing strategy would do well to reread the 1883 classic Pinocchio, says leading strategist Marthinus van Loggerenberg of FCB Cape Town. Like Carlo Collodi’s iconic boy puppet, Van Loggerenberg says, brands need to "prove themselves to be brave, truthful and unselfish". For the uninitiated, content marketing involves the "creation and sharing of online material [such as videos and social media posts] that does not explicitly promote a brand but is intended to stimulate interest in its products or services". In an increasingly competitive space where brands are, according to the marketing director of a leading fast-moving consumer goods company, "falling over themselves to tell stories and in many cases failing", Van Loggerenberg says: "The innate ability to create skilful stories that influence power around a brand’s value set and purpose leads to connection and resonance and engenders brand love." The criti...

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