The dos and don'ts of remixing content

Remixing content helps brands save time and cost and maximises ROI. While it is more often used in times of crisis like the one we are going through, remixing as a technique should be practised throughout a brand’s content marketing journey.

But remixing content is not everybody’s cup of tea. Brands fear that consumers might not like a remixed piece in comparison to the fresh and original content. If not done properly, it could be considered as lazy and repetitive work and end up facing trolls.

Shradha Agarwal

Shradha Agarwal, COO and Strategy Head, Grapes Digital, cautioned that when it comes to user-generated content, not all is positive. “It can lead to a content crisis if not managed smartly and ultimately hampers the digital presence of brands. Hence, it’s important to remix content thoughtfully and carefully, so that viewers don't find it repetitive and mundane,” she said.

Sajni Masturlal

There is a certain art and science involved in remixing content. Sajni Masturlal, Head of Content, Wakefit, suggested that if one plans in advance and does it creatively, it can bear great results.

Giving an example from Wakefit, Masturlal said, “When we shot with Vijay Raaz for our IPL campaign, we have made him say different things. Now, we can use the same video for IPL as well as a World Cup tournament. But we have to plan that in advance if we wish to repurpose some content. If that level of planning is not there, then it becomes really difficult.”

Payal Shah Karwa

According to Payal Shah Karwa, Content Director, The Word Jockey, sometimes brands need to think like the efficient homemaker who repurposes/remixes old household items, upcycles or recycles them into something more meaningful such as old aluminium suitcases transformed into a contemporary table or old shoes converted into a plant holder.

Shrutika Nagpal

Shrutika Nagpal, Creative Director, Scatter, told BuzzInContent that the shortcut way of repurposing content – changing the publish date on a Happy Mother’s Day post, for example—is not going to do you any favour. Repurposing needs to be as strategic as creation to ensure value can be increased. It needs to feature in your content plan from the get-go, rather than as an afterthought. “Simply reposting something you’ve earlier published just to get it to rank higher slows down discoverability because your piece needs to be crawled all over again,” she said. 

Karwa listed down three points that a content marketer must consider when remixing content:

1. Creativity: How well and differently they can package the same content in newer ways, maybe more innovative. For instance, old ads can be used as memes — a format that users love to use.
2. Engagement quotient:  The remixing of content should elicit engagement and response. For instance, convert an old story into a quiz that is based on the content idea of ‘remember this, and win’.
3. Formats: The remixing of content should use suitable content formats. For instance, a book can be converted into a podcast discussion, or an article can be repurposed into an Instagram Story.

Ambika Sharma

Ambika Sharma, Founder and MD, Pulp Strategy, believes that one should repurpose content enough so that it reaches multiple audiences and platforms, but not too much where you seem repetitive or stale. She said an important point one must consider while repurposing is speed. “If you are to repurpose then it should be planned not forced. If there is a piece of content that is valuable, then plan to convert this to other forms quickly and put it out there.”

How can brands decide which content piece is worth remixing?

Not all content can be refurbished. One has to carefully pick and choose content that can be repurposed with common sense and wit.

According to Karwa of The Word Jockey, one very important aspect brands must consider is whether the context of the content is appealing today or not. For instance, if Amul Butter repurposes their ads, it might not work, as they are mostly based on current affairs.

The second point she made is the shareability factor. “The marketers must self-question themselves: Is my piece of content value-driven or entertaining? Will people like to share it even today, though I have used it earlier? For instance, Durex can use some of their lockdown-driven content even today, with a little updating or remixing.”

Nagpal listed three points that brands must look into while picking out the content pieces to be remixed.

1. Pick out the evergreen pieces – the ones that have a longer shelf life. The Hows and the Whys for example. The questions people never stop asking.
2. Do the search for the best performing content and see if you can play around with one or more variables that make it what it is – the format, the platform, the tonality, the imagery, the targeting.
3. Ask yourself if you have something new to add to the piece. Maybe an update basis an interesting user feedback/reaction you received, or a new version of a product/service you had originally talked about, or simply an event in your industry/country that makes it all the more relevant. For example – a lot of our partner brands were advised to repurpose content about spending time at home when the lockdown was first implemented.

Nagpal added, “One of the best ways I’ve found to increase the inherent value of a content piece is to write it differently for another use case or target audience. For example, a home buyer’s guide would read very differently for a bachelor looking to get married versus an aged widow who wants a sweet spot to retire in.”

Manesh Swamy

Although Manesh Swamy, VP, Creative and Social, Logicserve Digital thinks there aren’t set rules as such. “I believe it's more of an experiment. You are figuring out the context and brand challenge, adding a new and creative touch to this content and understanding if the remixed content can be a part of the story seamlessly or drive home the brand message. All this takes a lot of time and a lot of experimentation for someone to be able to create a unique remix content.”

He said, “However, it's definitely worth a try, even if you fail a few times and have to redo the whole process till you can find that perfect combination of strategy, content and creativity. Nonetheless, just because some brands are trying it, one shouldn't ape it blindly. You should do it only if you want to do it and you feel that the content you remix is in sync with your brand values while being interesting for the audience.”

Agarwal of Grapes Digital said if a particular brand is focusing on the remix culture aspect, then they need to leverage trends, be open to experimentation, and enable fans/ influencers to be creative so they can have fun with your brand communication. “Video and music editing effects are available on various apps such as Moj, Instagram and you can give your simple and dull content a lot more fun,” she added.

Logicserve Digital’s Swamy concluded that in the end, it's all about experimenting, aligning brand values and keeping the content relatable and entertaining.