Content isn’t the new black. According to eMarketer, annual digital ad spending worldwide will reach $170 billion in 2020, up from $140 billion last year.

Making full use of content is becoming a necessity for brands, because consumers are no longer passive recipients of content or ads. Clients of digital advertising have begun to realize the importance of content marketing, and more and more people are doing it themselves.

According to Recharge 2016, mobile users of both the iPhone and Android smartphones will have watched an astounding 3.5 billion hours of video, up 87% from last year. In other words, content is set to become a major category in marketing.

Before considering whether a brand needs to invest in content, it is important to go beyond the traditional review of metrics, as it appears content is a mix of PR, SEO, conversion and consumer outreach.

So if video, stories, photos, articles, stickers, pins and hundreds of other types of mobile content have become a marketing standard, how can a brand creatively challenge and engage consumers through your content strategy?

Here are a few of the campaigns and stories that have made the brand-content front page in recent months.

From tiny town to TV show

There’s only one Wrote On Parade platform for children who need homes. Today, the project launched its first TV show, contributing a season to Nickelodeon. More than 200,000 children have now had their essays, essays and letters turned into TV episodes. For the most challenging submission to date, an adolescent girl, desperate to find a family for herself and her two siblings, received her own sitcom.

From a small community to the global stage

In 2006, an environmental campaign that turned around the Tiny Town of Legacy was one of the most outstanding online campaigns of the year. Part of the campaign inspired a website called AnnArbor.com/Legacy, which featured podcasts and videos exploring the history of Michigan. Five years later, AnnArbor.com/Legacy developed into a globally acclaimed site, with radio and print ads, outreach events, vlogs and more. In June of 2018, AnnArbor.com/Legacy launched a new radio commercial, and the entire campaign will be carried by Barstool Sports.

From drone footage to video game transformation

Ride on Shotgun: The story of Adidas Rapids has been seeing success in the esports community for its behind-the-scenes tale. In 2017, gamers won the right to visit Adidas Rapids’ Orlando training facility and create their own custom sneakers, creating a sold-out camp. Fans that want to immerse themselves in the story and experience the sneakers can do so at Adidas to Rapids by logging on to https://www.adidas.com/adid….

From unboxing to artful marketing

GoPro has defined the format for the ultimate outdoorsman for many years with its video — and GoPro TV is the next step in the evolution. This year, GoPro broke a rare trend, that of large brands going all-in with advertisers on NBC’s Rock Center with Brian Williams. GoPro went to Williams to talk about GoPro’s new UHD action cameras, which aired on TV on Jan. 27. GoPro’s in-the-field marketing through CMO Nick Woodman has helped showcase the GoPro branding far beyond what its product has done.

The people

Too often, brands use Facebook or Instagram to share their same message across platforms. These strategies don’t work as well as with their own local communities. Here are some examples of brands who have created strong community connections.