Chief Content Officers

I like this concept advanced by Bob Rumpza at PR News Online, and it syncs perfectly with my own experience. Compelling content is the long-term solution to what ails you -- whether it is a legacy journalism enterprise trying to transition into a networked world or a public relations/sports information/sports marketing person trying to have impact.

Good content=traffic

Traffic=advertisers

Advertisers=exchange of green rectangles for your services

Rumpza has several great takeaway quotes in this piece, starting with this one that should be bronzed on every college marketing person's desk:

"And consumers told us that when it comes to online advertising, they prefer content-rich articles and information compared to banner ads, or other online ad techniques."

This is at the heart of what I have been preaching for about a year: integrate your marketing messages into the content. Use "buy now" buttons, stories that explain promotions and giveaways, things that translate the old display advertising of the newspaper days into social exchange.

The other great passage is about the value of the content to the end user:

"As reputation management, marketing and brand-building have undergone transformation, the element that has survived untouched is the ability -- and necessity -- to tell a great story efficiently, yet eloquently, that stirs action and favorability among business people and consumers."

The bold is my emphasis.

Now before I hear back from a bunch of number crunchers that I'm just regurging a bunch of anecdotal to support my positions, I'd like to close by reminding you Rumpza's conclusions are supported by a national study looking into that oh-so-precious demo of the young, affluent and highly educated.

In other words, our sports' programs top boosters -- our alums.