Woolworths receives global recognition for content marketing

Kate Fordyce, head of agency at Woolworths.

This time the retailer took home a Gold for Best Use of Social Media for B2C, a Gold for Best Content Campaign for their Christmas 2018 ‘Bring it Home’ campaign, and a Bronze for Best Content Team.

The awards have become a benchmark for the world’s most innovative and engaging content marketing programmes,” said Kate Fordyce, head of agency at Woolworths said the win is a massive achievement, competing alongside iconic global brands such as Waitrose, Tesco, Mercedes and Bentley. "The CMA judges said the standard of entries was exceptionally high this year, showcasing a powerful combination of the science and art of content marketing.”

Fordyce goes on to tell us more about the benefit of having an in-house creative agency, the team dynamics and what the recognition means to them…

Congratulations on the win and your previous win at the Content Council Pearl Impact Awards earlier this year. What does this global recognition mean to you?

Thank you! Global recognition is always a great affirmation of success. We benchmark ourselves against the best in the world, so international recognition is great to receive.

Tell us more about your team and why you believe you work well together.

Our team spans a number of business, marketing and creative disciplines, and our head of content, Cathy Lund is tasked with strategic oversight and integration. Consistently customer-led, the team share a combination of complementary skills, commitment to excellence and passion for our brand, which converts to world-class delivery.

What is the benefit of having an in-house creative agency.

A world-class team with a deep understanding of and passion for our customer, brand and business, coupled with dedication, focus and proximity, delivers strategic, operational and commercial advantage.

What other factors do you believe contributed to the agency’s success in this regard?

Besides impressive stamina and tenacity, the judges commended our team on "brilliant storytelling" that was fresh, personal, authentic and cut through the clutter.

What does it take, in your opinion, to succeed in the content marketing space specifically?

A clear understanding of commercial objective and metrics, of customer need and appetite, of the role and relevance of channel, of the difference between editorial and advertising, agility and a light touch.

Explain the science and art aspects of content marketing – why a balance is required.

The science of content marketing lies in the data, which informs the relevance of content and the optimisation of distribution, and the art lies in the ability to appeal and engage through compelling creative. Essential in isolation, potent in combination.

What are you working on at the moment? What can we expect in 2020?

The retail calendar is relentlessly future-focused, so our eyes are already over the horizon, looking forward to a new decade of creative engagement. You can expect more world-class creative content from our world-class content team!

Where does content marketing come into a brand’s marketing and communications?

Content marketing is central within our marketing and communications, driving both brand positioning and commercial delivery.

Comment on the current state of content marketing in SA and how this compares globally.

South Africa is more than holding its own with the rest of the world when it comes to the quality and effectiveness of the content campaigns we're producing. There is so much opportunity within this space and you will see the industry and its players go from strength to strength.

For more, follow Fordyce on Twitter and Woolworths at Woolworths.co.za or on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and/or YouTube.