Like the past several years, I once again contributed to the content marketing predictions collection# Joe Pulizzi and the CMI put together. This year, Marketo was the sponsor.

Since there is a 50-word restriction on entries, I kept mine short. My priorities for 2015:

Why would we predict when we can know? Look for evidence, then help bring to life the expressed and/or latent desires people have. Content’s value: it gives brands the ability to gain a nuanced understanding of their audiences through a simultaneous process of examining alternative story lines and engaging the remix culture of the Web.

From a brand-strategy side of this conversation it is really clear what the mandate is or should be: gaining a nuanced understanding of what works and then actually using those lessons to improve experiences.

Content that becomes the prototype you build in market that allows you to test hypotheses, collect data points, and make sense of the trends and themes that emerge. We can learn much and likely rapidly when we are paying attention.

Past predictions

Due to the complexity of problem solving in the networked age, I went "meta" in 2014:

What will separate the long remembered from the quickly forgotten will be the ability to connect all brand activities into a positive-sum experience. Winner brands will be Secretaries of Understanding, Champions of Network Smarts, and Meaningful Actions Agents who master the ability to draw relationships between relationships.

I focused more on the structure and framework of that experience in 2013:

Tablets, smartphones, laptops make up the buyer’s multi-device ecosystem. Responsive Web design meets the challenge of not knowing which screen the user prefers by providing an optimal viewing experience: easy reading and navigation with minimum resizing, panning, scrolling across a wide range of devices. 

Content needs to be structured in chunks that can be flowed into this architecture. Personalization addresses: 1) who I am – e.g., location, preferences; 2) what I’m doing – e.g., learning, buying.

I will be unpacking the three-year trajectory of my predictions in follow up posts and in the Maltoni Report in the new year.

You can find the full deck of 60 predictions here. 

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Valeria is an experienced listener. She designs service and product experiences to help businesses rediscover the value of promises and its effect on relationships and culture. She is also frequent speaker at conferences and companies on a variety of topics. Book her to speak here.