Introducing the new storytellers: Contentful original content series

In marketing, when we think about “changemakers,” we often go to a fictional character, Don Draper, the brute advertising executive in AMC’s Mad Men who had an unrelenting desire to differentiate. Or, industry “Shero,” Dara Treseder, Forbes most influential CMO, who reacted creatively to Peloton’s HBO shocking product placement, with a commercial you’ll never forget. 

At Contentful, our marketing team has identified and chosen to highlight changemakers from some of the largest brands in the world. Organizations creating absolute spectacles for their consumers across digital experiences. Using the Contentful Composable Content Platform, these changemakers are strengthening  the performance of their companies.

Digital leaders and teams from Kraft Heinz, KFC, and Audible (with more on the way!) are the main characters in the new storytellers, Contentful’s latest original content. Their driving force? World-class digital experiences. 

Changemakers define the future of content

Humans are drawn to stories about how people get from place to place. In sports, in film, across industries, and in business — we’re all looking for a blueprint on how to transform ourselves, our teams, our companies. It’s not just Contentful technology that underpins these transformation stories, it’s the changemakers who are defining the future of content. 

In every great story, there is conflict. For our changemakers, their jobs were often made difficult by antiquated technology, expired ways of thinking, and tedious sameness across content strategies. The new storytellers have all faced adversity, and at some point, had to lean on creativity to problem solve. With content being the driving force behind business momentum, your organization needs people with ideas and talent to bring it all together — and perhaps new ways of working. 

This last spring we launched an exclusive ebook, “The Art and Science of Content,” in which we explain that managing, using, and reusing the content that’s created still requires capabilities designed to meet the needs of teams working in concert across platforms, channels, and stages of the customer journey. There are also multiple divisions, brands, geographies, and languages to take into account. The tooling that supports these needs has emerged as a new category the content industry at large calls “composable content.”

Brand excellence with a unified platform

In the forthcoming series, Contentful showcases individuals with big ambitions and clear plans for how their brand is consumed across digital platforms. They have realized that it’s not developer or marketer, it’s developer and marketer — coming together as one digital team to make transformation come to life. 

For Justin Thomas of Kraft Heinz, Abby McInerney and Nate Cook of Audible, and Ashely Travis of KFC Global, these New Storytellers are not phoning it in. They are breaking barriers, and embracing new ways of working to help their companies succeed. Heads are turning, awards are being won, and we are honored to share their stories. ❤️

Thomas, Head of Digital Experience at Kraft Heinz, is a thought-provoker, on a quest to bring Kraft Heinz into the “now.”  Looking beyond his own industry, he aspires to rank for experience design alongside companies like Nike, Amazon, and Disney. For Thomas, his business is the entertainment business. With agency partner Apply Digital and Contentful’s technology, Thomas is transforming a household brand into a digital storytelling powerhouse. 

McInerney, Senior Creative Director of Brand Creative, and Cook, Global Marketing Web Development of Audible, are molding aspirational ideas into captivating, imaginative digital content. They breathe life into authentic and emotionally charged stories that resonate worldwide. 

Audible offers the greatest range of audio content globally — stories that feed the imagination with new ideas, new perspectives, and new voices. These two brand and digital leaders want to create an immediate connection using inspirational experiences as soon as consumers land on the Audible page. The Contentful Composable Content Platform allows them to make those experiences a reality like never before.

Travis, Senior Director of Digital Experience and Product Growth at KFC, is evolving KFC’s heritage status to iconic. To achieve this, Travis and her team combine composable technology, strategic partnerships, and their infamous eats to captivate customers, new and old. The in-store, quick-serve experience, online orders, interactive kiosks, and creative marketing are all aspects that many know well, but the aim is to honor the brand’s heritage and evolve it to become a modern icon. 

From a simple recipe in Kentucky to a worldwide favorite, Kentucky Fried Chicken (the historical name) is a brand steeped in history. KFC’s brand journey combines classic flavors, modern convenience, and innovative marketing in a finger-lickin’-good story.

For these changemakers, success means launching digital experiences in weeks (not months), expanding into new countries, launching global campaigns with rap stars, providing seamless listening experiences across devices, and having fans love you so hard that they tattoo your brand on their body. 

A blueprint to inspire change

KFC, Audible, and Kraft Heinz are using Contentful to unveil immersive, rich, digital experiences, turning their audiences into sophisticated connoisseurs. They understand that a unified platform is a prerequisite for brand excellence. 

Over 4,000 brands trust Contentful to help deliver impactful experiences at scale. This year, we chose to create and deliver six high-impact episodes, starting with KFC, Audible, and Kraft Heinz — three powerhouse brands showing the way. Watch this space as we’ll be rolling them out sequentially over the next several months!

Stories now available:

1. Audible sparks listener imagination with Contentful

2. KFC builds finger-lickin’ good digital experiences with Contentful

Hungry for more? I encourage you to get inspired and consider how storytelling could empower you to be a changemaker in your own organization with the documentary we produced earlier this year, “The new art and science of storytelling: A look at the future of content.” 

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