Custom Publishing vs. Marketing Services: You Decide!

Interesting post here from Bill Mickey at Folio magazine about the custom publishing industry. The article is targeted to publishers and media professionals, so much of this isn’t relevant to marketers. That said, there are a couple key points here that should be highlighted that pertains to all businesses using targeted content as a marketing strategy.

"…custom publishing, as a term, has lost its
relevance," states Mickey, who argues that the preferred term publishers use is marketing services.

I’ve always said that I’m not a huge fan of the term custom publishing, and opt for content marketing instead. But marketing services? The term "marketing services" is so broad and, frankly, pretty meaningless. But mostly, it discounts the true value that publishers bring to the table – the keen ability to deliver valuable, relevant and compelling content to a defined audience. Does "marketing services" say that?

I talk to publishers on a daily basis, and I’ve never talked to one that refers to their core competency or description as "marketing services." According to the article, CMP recently reorganized and renamed their custom division as Marketing Services. I love Bill’s writing, but I’m not sure that’s enough to make it the preferred term. Are more publishers going this direction? For marketers sake, I hope not.

Most media professionals are beginning to position their organizations as marketing services companies, which I completely agree with. Marketing, consulting and content services should and may be the majority of revenue streams at traditional media companies within five years. But does defining it as marketing services discount the value that these publishers bring to the table for content marketers?

"’We’re in the business of providing marketing solutions, so
there is no off-the-shelf program anymore,’ says Chris Schraft,
president, Time Inc. Content Solutions. ‘The answer to every question,
if you’re a custom publisher, is no longer custom publishing. It’s now
about understanding the client’s business objectives, their target
consumer and then looking at how customized content expressed in a
variety of formats and across a variety of platforms can really deliver
on those objectives.’"

I need help with this one. The last sentence from the quote is a decent definition of content marketing/custom publishing…but it’s used in this context as something different or new. Custom publishing has always been about understanding client needs, creating buyer personas, targeting those buyers with great and consistent content, and using all the platforms available. This has been the same for as long as I’ve been in the business. The difference is the availability of new and affordable technology solutions to target customers and the huge change in buyer behavior due to the Internet and the democratization of content (thanks Google). The problem with the term "custom publishing" is the perception that it is print-focused. The concept, though, is still the same.

In all honesty, I like the article, but it really comes from the perspective of a traditional publisher with a custom division more than a "pure bred custom publisher."  Traditional publishers, although improving, tend to use custom as leverage to the other programs they sell. For example, they may really want to sell you a print and online display program, so they’ll lead with a custom content plan that leverages the print and online assets they have. It’s been done for years and is pretty common place.

This trend is definitely changing, but I doubt that any pure content marketing providers would use anything like "marketing services" as a name for what they do, or the industry they are in.  If you know of any, let me know.

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