Content, Curated. – Issue #19

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It’s October, a notoriously spooky month mostly due to how quickly it creeps up on you. We’re also now one issue away from the big 20, which is also frightening because it really doesn’t feel that long ago that I started this newsletter.

Anyway, there’s plenty to get through in this issue and some absolute corkers.

I’m in the process of sorting out some sponsorship opportunities for the newsletter! If you’d like to get in front of over 900 highly engaged and intelligent content bods, drop me an email: markprtr@gmail.com 

Must-see Content 👀

Conterminous US Elevation Generalised by 500km² Hexagonal Tessellation ⛰️

It was almost a year ago to the day that my mind was being blown by the Grand Canyon, so it seemed rather apt to start things off with this piece. I gave up on trying to read the title aloud, but one of the Reddit comments summed it up nicely: “This is most of the US in bumpy bits and not-so-bumpy bits.” It really highlights how savage looking Western US is.

A Data-Led Theory to Generationally Divide Dance Floors 🕺

The Pudding once again reminding us why they’re the kings of content. This piece looks at which songs resonate well with different age groups, and could effectively ‘isolate’ certain groups from the others.

6 Fictional Homes Reimagined as Polly Pockets 🏠

This is probably my favourite piece from this issue for a few reasons. Firstly, it’s a very unique idea that I’ve personally never seen before. Secondly, it’s incredibly well executed (make sure to click through to see all the examples), and lastly, it’s super relevant to the site in question. It’s the absolute trifecta, and it’s very hard to hit all 3 of those with a campaign.

The Most Common Complainers 👿

Uswitch have done a deep dive around the complaints of popular tourist attractions in order to find out the most common names of complainers. Plot twist: it’s not Karen.

World Map Drawn from Memory 🧠

I spotted this piece on Reddit the other day, but after doing some digging it’s apparently been floating around since 2014. It reminded me of this absolutely iconic piece by Signs.com, and I think this kind of format still has a lot of legs if it was given a unique spin.

Animal Populations Visualised 🦁

I’ve featured campaigns similar to this before, such as these pixelated images depicting the same thing, but this is by far the best example I’ve seen. Redditor WhiteCheeks wrote a script that builds the face of an animal based on the population of the species, and it works much better than the aforementioned pixelated piece. This kind of thing is hard-hitting and emotive, and if I had the opportunity to 10x it I’d create a standalone page or site that visualised the current population, as well as the evolution over time. It would be great to apply an animated form of this method to a species that was on the brink of extinction, but has slowly experienced a resurgence and is no longer endangered. (Free idea!)

Discovered via Laura Brady 🕵️

The Best National Parks to Stargaze From 🌌

I bloody love space, and this is a really well executed piece that ranks the US national parks based on how good they are for stargazing. As per the Polly Pocket piece, it’s also super relevant to the site.

Has the Coronavirus Affected the Price of Pups? 🐕

This is an interesting idea that looks at the average cost of a dog over the course of the COVID19 pandemic. It turns out, lots of people have been looking for companionship in the form of a furry friend, and this has subsequently driven up the price. Thinking of getting a dog? Please remember there may be rescue dogs needing a home!

Discovered via Shaun Hill 🕵️

Minimalistic Book Covers 📚

I have pretty conflicted feelings a bit quizzes, but they do seem to work well if done right. This example by Emerald Waterways features minimalistic book covers of classic titles and is well executed.

Why Do Cats & Dogs…? 🐕

This is a really awesome looking piece that dives into the data around cat and dog related questions, such as ‘Why do dogs eat poop?’. It’s a great use of data and purrfectly presented.

Discovered via Katheryn Rhian Watson 🕵️

More Great Content…

PR Stunts

The below campaigns may not have been intentional PR stunts, however they did attract substantial attention from the media.

Canine Critics 2020 🐾

A dream job stunt with a slight twist? Canine Cottages are looking for 10 dogs to review some of their dog-friendly cottages, as well as lots of other goodies for your furry friend.

Social Distancing Teapot ☕

It’s nice to see something COVID related that isn’t depressing, and Yorkshire Tea really hit the nail on the head with this one. Their short video around the social distancing teapot is entertaining and not too tryhard like some similar campaigns.

Must-read Articles ☕

Below are some articles that are absolutely worthy of a read during your coffee break:

(Feels a little light here, if I’ve missed a corker email me: markprtr@gmail.com)

Must-follow Marketer 👑

Who: Shaun Hill, Head of Content at iProspect

Why: Shaun regularly shares awesome examples of content (hence his couple of mentions in this issue). He’s very clued up when it comes to Digital PR, and I enjoy his tweet threads on content and campaigns!

Drop him a follow.

To Conclude

That rounds off issue 19 of Content, Curated. The 100 subscribers milestone is rapidly approaching so please do share it if you enjoy the content!

If you’re not yet subscribed, feel free to do so in order to be notified of future issues, and follow me on Twitter.

Cheers,

Mark.

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