Brands that distribute content online have been urged to ensure they have a clear purpose and objective in mind.

According to Havas Media Group, 84 per cent of people expect brands to product content, such as podcasts.

However, 60 per cent believe much of it is poor, irrelevant and adds little value to their lives.

As a result, brands have been encouraged to think more carefully about what they want to achieve from each piece of content they put online.

Maria Garrido, Global Chief Insights and Analytics Officer at Havas Media Group, commented: “Brands get rose-tinted glasses about entertaining people and think that is all consumers want. What brands need to do is break down their content, take a step back and ask, for their industry, what the role of content is.”

For instance, she stated that while some brands produce content designed to inspire or educate, others might focus on entertaining, rewarding or informing their customers.

Ms Garrido said brands must therefore work out what approach is best for them, so they can ascertain “where the opportunities are and what they should not be focusing on at all.”

Havas Media Group went on to stress there is a strong link between the effectiveness of content and how meaningful a brand becomes to customers. This, in turn, can help a business perform more strongly.

“The core brands such as Google and Ikea that are perennially in our ranking are doing better,” Ms Garrido.

“There are certain brands in the global ranking now that weren’t last time so there is a shift from that standpoint but generally the gap is getting wider. And it comes down to personal benefits delivery.”

“That is what drives business results. This should serve as a wake-up call.”

60% of content created by brands is ‘just clutter’, Marketing Week