The possibilities of representing companies in their own media channels have grown immeasurably with the internet at the latest. From the online magazine to customer magazines to their own film productions, companies have a wide range of options to enhance their own image.
In this blog post you will find out which examples there are for corporate publishing, which goals you are pursuing with the presentation on the owned media channels and where the difference to content marketing lies.
What are the goals of corporate media?
Corporate publishing (also: corporate media) is one of the most important communication strategies of companies. The flood of information is constantly increasing as the importance of the internet increases. Those brands that score with high-quality content that offers readers real added value will stand out. It is precisely at this point that the different media used in corporate publishing come into their own.
Blogs, online magazines and short YouTube series have been added to the monthly customer magazines. As the number of potential communication channels grows, so do the opportunities for companies to win over customers. And that is exactly what Corporate Media achieves: By offering recipients use-oriented content, you deepen the relationship with the target group.
Corporate media always pursues the goal of presenting companies to the outside world, strengthening the brand image and creating a basis of trust for the target group. Although the measures can also generate increasing sales figures, the focus in corporate publishing is primarily on the editorial character.
What examples of corporate publishing are there?
With successful corporate publishing measures, you can prove your expertise within your industry. Create a lifestyle brand that meets the demands of the customers, and you also gain a high level of credibility through informative content.
The following examples show you which measures are best for reaching the desired stakeholders:
1. Corporate blog
Corporate blogs or company blogs combine product and brand. Most companies publish informative content about their products on their blog (content marketing). On the other hand, news or press releases from the company itself can also be found here.
The corporate blog is often set up as a subdomain to the main page, so the offer is often just a click away. However, the focus is on introducing the company and giving customers a glimpse behind the scenes.
The Daimler blog is considered a prominent example in Germany. Here, the automotive group presents future visions, employees and its position on topics such as sustainability.
2. Customer magazine and customer portal
The customer magazine reproduces the customer portal on paper. No matter whether analogue or digital: Both methods offer the target group a unique experience with the brand. However, this is not about promoting your own product or offer. In the spirit of corporate publishing, customer magazines — or digital online magazines — are used to publish journalistic and relevant articles.
An excellent example is provided by the Saturn magazine Turn On, in which the electronics salesman provides exciting insights into the industry. New products, interesting facts about technology and the latest news are made available to readers in editorially prepared articles.
3.Corporate Books
Corporate books (or company books) give readers a deep insight into the company. The history and development of a company are often in the foreground. However, it is also conceivable to take a closer look at the biography of the founder. Big companies like Apple or Tesla are mainly shaped by their personalities Steve Jobs and Elon Musk. With a corporate book, target groups get a particularly close connection to the company.
The book “Thank God it’s Monday! Design Thinking — How we are revolutionizing the world of work”. In the book, the creative agency Dark Horse Innovation from Berlin describes how their team created a new working environment by developing the design thinking method. Although the book is only indirectly about the company itself, it offers readers an exciting insight into agency life.
4. Corporate TV
Corporate TV includes all video and television formats that a company produces or has produced about itself. Internally, this form of corporate publishing is ideal for employee training, further education and employer branding. Externally, the video formats deliver exciting moving image formats to customers, dealers or suppliers.
Corporate TV offers can be ideally distributed via social media channels such as YouTube, TikTok or Instagram Video. Packaged as an interview, mini-series or documentary, companies have a wide range of options at their disposal.
5.Corporate audio
Very different formats are also conceivable under corporate audio. On the one hand, companies have the opportunity to position themselves with a very specific corporate sound, which contributes significantly to brand awareness. A popular example is the Coca-Cola Christmas song “Wonderful Dream”.
In addition, audio books or podcasts offer exciting potential for inspiring the target group with journalistic content.
The HubSpot podcast “The Digital Helpdesk” publishes interviews with well-known executives, influencers and founders every week. From SEO to remote work to AI — the range of topics is large and up-to-date. With the podcast, HubSpot has long since established itself as an expert in the marketing scene.
Corporate Publishing vs. Content Marketing: What’s the Difference?
Now that you’ve seen the many possibilities of corporate publishing, you’re probably wondering how exactly it differs from content marketing. Admittedly, both pursue the claim of providing valuable information and spreading it in different media.
As the name already suggests, however, content marketing has a strong connection to marketing per se. Corporate publishing, on the other hand, fulfills a more journalistic claim. It primarily pursues the goals of image building and loyalty to the target group. Content marketing, on the other hand, aims to generate leads and conversions.
However, it is also clear that the discipline of content marketing has developed from corporate publishing. The distinction is therefore in the detail and must be considered individually for each company.
Conclusion: Relevant, interesting and journalistically valuable — that is corporate publishing
Information is a valuable commodity in the age of the Internet, in which users can obtain information themselves anytime and anywhere. That’s why those offers that are edited and promise real added value will stand out from the crowd.
The possibilities for companies to use corporate media are complex. However, much more important when making a selection is to find the medium that reaches and inspires the target group.
