No cultural icon has mastered the art of multi-channel content strategy better than the zombie. Film, television, print, web, social, game console, app, second screen, ad nauseum — the zombie has moved with viral-like speed over the last three years to prove that while we might not know how to future proof our race against the zombie plague, the zombie already knows how to future proof its content presence.
When did the zombie become so adept at navigating all of these channels? How did the zombie know that this approach would be vital to its survival? Perhaps only World War Z author Max Brooks knows the answers.
This summer as I read Mr. Brooks’ book, watched the film about his book, looked forward to The Walking Dead in the fall, resisted urges to play new zombie video games, and witnessed another avalanche of zombie ads, I realized the full extent of this content plague that the CDC had started tracking in 2011.
Can I Become a Zombie Content Strategist?
You too can become a zombie content strategist! You might already be one — eyes glazed, head down in a meaningless content audit wondering if the life of a spreadsheet savant is really synonymous with the life of a swashbuckling strategist.
All you need to do is find a zombie and let it bite you. Soon enough you’ll be re-animating and eagerly, perhaps rabidly, selling your content strategy to unsuspecting brands across the globe.
Once you become a zombie content strategist, you’ll want to list out all of the content channels you or your client currently play in. You’ll want to list out all of the content you’ve created. Then you’ll want to see if the content you are creating is really suited for the channels you are targeting. You’ll make strategic decisions about where your content should go and where it shouldn’t. Maybe you’ll even find a new channel to infect (uh, like Instagram).
A Few Favorite Zombie Moments
The cinematic ads for video game Dead Island
The Walking Dead highway scene, season 2
World War Z Battle of Yonkers
