Brands as Publishers: Defining Church and State

Description

In the past five years, conversational marketing has become de rigeur for brands hoping to make an impact within the world of blogging and social conversation. Brands hire editorial teams to help curate the conversations already happening and to create new ones, whether on 360 publishing executions such as the American Express OPEN Forum or L'Oreal Makeup.com or smaller, more targeted campaigns on social platforms.

In this world where transparency is increasingly important to intelligent audiences, can brands achieve an authentic voice? Can bloggers and editors who participate maintain their reader trust while contributing to a branded conversation? Can brands truly create an atmosphere that is mutually beneficial for their goals as well as the needs of their readers?

We are bringing together independent voices, brand advocates and marketers to try to answer some of these questions and to explain how authenticity is, indeed, achievable.

Questions Answered

How does a brand maintain authenticity in a publishing program?
What is the role of a blogger in the world of content marketing?
Do audiences who read branded content know that it is driven by brand goals? Do they care?
What does success look like for a brand?
Do brands need traditional editorial supervision in order to achieve success?