The Confusion of Content Marketing : a study to clarify the key dimensions of content marketing

Abstract: Content marketing is a popular marketing strategy, which has increased significantly during the last years. The term content marketing is new but companies have been working with parts of the strategy for decades. The new digital era changed the communication from a one-way to a two-way communica- tion. Customers now have a demand for relevant content that is valuable for them. The purpose of this dissertation is to develop an understanding of this marketing strategy, and clarify the key dimensions that distinguish content marketing from other marketing strategies. This thesis rests on a realistic philosophy with an abductive approach. Based on previous research different definitions of the marketing strategy are used to develop a model of the key dimensions of content marketing. A qualitative data collection with semi-structured interviews is performed on seven participants in order to explore what is seen as important aspects, and to gather new insight about the unclear marketing strategy. The findings indicate a differentiation between companies, but there is a consensus of the most im- portant aspects. Findings of how the strategy is done results in a new model, and a new definition of the marketing strategy. Suggestions for further research include examining how companies measure con- tent marketing. The results contribute with a clarification and further description of what content marketing is, and the most important aspects to consider when working with the strategy. The results of this study are useful as a guideline for people starting to work with content marketing, with the aim to understand the market- ing strategy.