New Data Reveals Marketers Admit to ‘Playing It Safe’ With Their Marketing Content For Fear of Being Cancelled

By PRNewswire On Aug 10, 2022

– New research has found that 92% of marketers are overly cautious and careful with their content marketing campaigns for fear of getting it wrong and being cancelled

– A further quarter (26%) are worried about significant consumer backlash

– Latest stats show that old fashioned ‘gut feel’ marketing still hugely present today, over data and insight-led campaigns

A new report published by the leader in AI-generated marketing content, Phrasee, has found that brand marketers are reverting to using safer language in their campaigns through fear of appearing tone deaf to the challenging economic and social issues faced by consumers today. The latest paper The 3 Cs of increasing content ROI (in uncertain times) questioned US brand and agency marketers* on their approach to content marketing and language in 2022, unearthing the specific challenges they are facing when it comes to creating compelling campaigns.

Fear-factor hugely present in 2022 brand marketing

Throughout the research, there was an overwhelming feeling of fear and concern, with 8 out of 10 (79%) marketers quite rightly cautious about ensuring their content uses relevant and appropriate brand messages. It was also the case that many are still often relying on ‘gut feel’ marketing and don’t have the tools in place to understand what language resonates best with their audience, demonstrated by a huge number (91%) of respondents admitting they are unable to measure return on investment (ROI) for their email marketing content.

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Clarity needed on what language delivers the highest levels of engagement

These insights showed that, even when marketers are making bolder moves with the language they use in their content, they are still unable to get a clear view of the immediate financial return that content marketing is delivering to their brands. In fact, almost half (42%) of US marketers aren’t confident that their content marketing is driving sufficient conversion rates. A further 64% of those surveyed were concerned that their marketing message may fall flat or be misunderstood by their target audiences.

Parry Malm, CEO of Phrasee, commented on the findings: “In the marketing world, words have the power to cement trust in your existing customer base and inspire action from new audiences. The message you use can make or break a business. Having a strong brand voice is critical to growth and – in many cases – survival, especially during a turbulent economic climate.”

He continued: “Understanding which words resonate and which ones fall flat can change from month to month – often day to day. In times of economic squeeze, marketers must adapt their approach to one that is more agile and allows them to unfreeze their messaging if needed. It’s this approach that will provide certainty of outcomes in terms of revenue growth and return on investment.”

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