The document outlines six lessons that Patrick Cassidy of New Balance and Ian Fitzpatrick of Almighty have learned about making content more effective. The lessons are: 1) Build a culture that obsesses over the basics, 2) Treat outside communities as inside communities, 3) Find your organization's beginner's mind, 4) Be very valuable to a few rather than loosely relevant to many, 5) Tap what already exists in the culture around you, and 6) Build a proof of concept culture. The document emphasizes testing content to improve conversions, focusing on business goals, embracing small wins, and building relationships that are improvisational and accountable.

1. The (Retail) Content-Powered Organization
Patrick Cassidy, New Balance & Ian Fitzpatrick, Almighty
@patrickecassidy and @ianfitzpatrick
#FUTUREM

2. Hello, I’m Patrick Cassidy.
Global Digital Strategy, New Balance
@patrickecassidy

3. Hello, I’m Ian Fitzpatrick.
Chief Strategy Officer, Almighty
@ianfitzpatrick

4. Together, we’ve evolved from operating in one
(wholesale) channel to many.

5. Six lessons we’ve learned (together and from one another)
about making the content we develop more effective:

6. we are learning
Six lessons we’ve learned (together and from one another)
about making the content we develop more effective:

7. LESSON ONE:
Build a culture that obsesses
over the basics.

9. We have to be careful about talking to ourselves.
’Plush leather upper’ said no one, ever.

10. Don’t be above anything. As long as it fuels client
business results, be open to it.

11. LESSON TWO:
Treat outside communities as
inside communities

13. We have to think about engagement on a business
goal level. What kinds of interactions can we connect to
conversion, and what sorts of ongoing interactions will
that require of us?

14. Great content lives in the margins. Sometimes, our
best role is in helping to identify the interesting (and
interested) inside the organization.

15. LESSON THREE:
Find your organization’s
beginner’s mind.

17. Iterate doesn’t mean anything if we’re not prepared
to test. We can improve conversion if we are willing to do
the legwork to find out why people aren’t buying a product
(and then develop content to address it).

18. Don’t be a means agency. When you can be objective
about an approach, you’ll build better partnerships.

19. LESSON FOUR:
Be very valuable to a few rather
than loosely relevant to many.

21. We have to fight the urge to find scale in everything.
Determining how we’re going to measure the success of
content upfront is key to having small victories.

22. From scale limitations, content value. The cost
constraints of niche markets allow agencies to flex their
strategic and media thinking in exciting ways.

23. #Lil’Rambis

24. LESSON FIVE:
Tap what already exists in the
culture around you.

26. Resist the temptation to lead the way when there’s
an emerging crowd to join. This isn’t a call to do more
crowdsourcing, but rather a call to stay plugged into the
cultures in which your brand is immersed.

27. Don’t be precious about where ideas come from — be
diligent in shaping the where they end up. Embrace
the truth that ideas are fungible and value comes from
connecting them to business value.

28. LESSON SIX:
Build a proof of concept
culture.

30. Fight the urge to build consensus.
Grabbing a camera and chasing an opportunity is often the
best way to sell an idea that would die in committee.

31. Put skin in the game.
Build a relationship that doesn’t constantly hinge on
signed SOWs, so you can be part of the spontaneity.

32. SEEK RELATIONSHIPS THAT:
Are wide, not just deep
Lend themselves to improvisation
Share institutional knowledge
Are accountable for measurement
Obfuscate credit
Embrace small wins

33. Thank you. Questions?
@PATRICKECASSIDY
@IANFITZPATRICK