Eight Best Content Marketing Examples to Inspire You

With content marketing, you can attract and engage your target audience by creating and sharing relevant articles, videos, social media posts, e-books, and infographics. This strategy helps you establish your expertise, build trust, and promote brand awareness.¹

Most brands use content marketing, but some have mastered the art of developing exceptional content marketing campaigns. The best content strategy examples are highly effective and engaging. By analyzing them, you can learn what resonates with audiences. This post explores eight of the best content marketing campaigns.

Red Bull has invested heavily in content marketing for their energy drinks. The company's approach is extreme, focusing on action-packed sports and expensive event sponsorships, but Red Bull understands its target audience and how to engage people. Whether sponsoring extreme sports events, creating viral videos, or launching a record label, the company consistently produces high-quality content that connects to its audience's sense of adventure and aligns with its slogan, "Red Bull gives you wings."²

Much of Red Bull's content marketing largely centers around extreme sports. For example, one ad features Felix Baumgartner’s skydive from near space, and another highlights Red Bull Racing. The company also produces documentaries, short films, and athlete-focused stories to ensure a steady stream of highly engaging content, and the results have been profound. Red Bull's YouTube channel has 17.2 million subscribers, and Red Bull-sponsored events consistently draw massive global audiences. Through revolutionary content marketing, Red Bull has created a strong brand identity and customer loyalty, cementing its position as a lifestyle brand associated with adventure and excitement.²

HubSpot is a trusted source of information for content marketing professionals at all levels. If you search online for content creation or marketing, you'll find at least one HubSpot article among the top 10 results.³ Its target audience differs significantly from Red Bull’s, as does their approach. While Red Bull works to attract people who enjoy action sports and high adventure, HubSpot's content marketing strategy is designed to attract business professionals. The company uses inbound marketing to draw customers, designing curated content for people looking for solutions.³

This strategy pulls potential customers toward the HubSpot brand rather than pushing products at them. The company's educational content meets the needs of its target audience and establishes the brand as an authority in the industry. The HubSpot blog is the company's biggest marketing asset, covering topics from marketing and sales to customer service. Although the blog is central to the brand's success, the company also offers valuable content via newsletters, videos, podcasts, and social media. HubSpot's marketing campaign is effective because it speaks specifically to its audience's pain points.³

GoPro sells action cameras for people to document their adventures, and its content marketing centers around user-generated content (UGC). The company encourages its customers to create and share their experiences using GoPro products. GoPro created the "Million Dollar Challenge," an annual contest in which customers can submit their best videos shot with GoPro cameras and possibly win a share of one million dollars.

This brilliant initiative encourages customers to purchase the latest GoPro models while generating high-quality content for the brand's marketing campaigns.⁴ GoPro includes UGC in official marketing materials, from social media posts to TV commercials. With over 43,000 submissions, these videos are the foundation of the company's UGC strategy. By bringing their customers into their content marketing, GoPro has created a strong sense of community and brand loyalty.⁴

Like GoPro, Airbnb's content marketing leverages UGC. However, Airbnb is focused on storytelling. The company encourages hosts to show off their beautiful homes and guests to share their experiences at Airbnb rentals. These authentic stories have built a sense of community.⁵

Airbnb highlights guest experiences and local culture through blogs, videos, and social media posts. For example, in the "Cooking on Airbnb" campaign, guests share family recipes with local hosts, fostering cultural exchange. Airbnb also posts engaging videos to promote unique experiences, such as spending a night in a Barbie dreamhouse. Through visual storytelling and UGC, Airbnb created a community built on relatable, real-life narratives and shared human experiences that have allowed Airbnb to become a market leader with 7.7 million property listings and $2.2 billion in revenue.⁵

Launched over a century ago, Coca-Cola is the world’s most popular soda, which illustrates its ability to engage consumers across the globe.⁶ The Coca-Cola brand remains competitive because its marketing strategy continuously evolves. The company uses creative advertising and innovative tactics to attract and engage customers.

One of Coca-Cola's best content marketing campaigns, "Share a Coke," replaced the brand's logo on bottles with popular first names and encouraged customers to share a Coke with friends and family. Using the hashtag #ShareaCoke, customers could engage with the campaign by sharing photos of their personalized Coke bottles on social media platforms or creating personalized Coke bottles via the company's website.^6,7

This combination of storytelling and UGC helped Coca-Cola appeal to younger audiences while increasing engagement, social media interactions, and sales. Coke is by far the most popular soda in the U.S., with 19.2% of the market share, far surpassing its closest contender, Dr. Pepper, which has 8.34%.⁸ Coca-Cola’s enduring success stems from its ability to adapt to consumer needs, create emotional connections with customers, and continuously innovate its marketing strategies.⁶

Nike creates meaningful stories and powerful visuals that connect deeply with consumers and sell the emotional benefits of its products. This "emotional branding" uses compelling narratives of heroes who overcome hardship because they never give up the fight. In each story, Nike's tagline "Just Do It" conveys a message of perseverance and triumph.⁹

Nike's content strategy includes collaboration with high-profile athletes and influencers, and its social media platforms are rich with UGC and audience interaction.⁹ Nike isn’t afraid to be creative or incorporate new technology in their digital marketing strategy. This daring approach has helped the company become the world's top apparel brand, currently valued at over $31 billion.¹⁰ For example, the "Nike x Fortnite: Airphoria" campaign merged gaming with fashion to reach a younger demographic through innovative experiences. The campaign lets players of the popular video game Fortnite virtually purchase products from Nike's popular Air Max line for gameplay.⁹

Dollar Shave Club captured consumer attention in 2012 with its initial video, "Our Blades Are F-ing Great," promoting the value and convenience of their razors and personal grooming products. This humorous message featuring the company's founder, Michael Dubin, launched Dollar Shave Club's innovative viral video strategy, effectively communicating its unique selling proposition while resonating with a wide audience.¹¹

Dollar Shave Club uses humor to make its content highly engaging and shareable. When the initial video went viral with nearly 27 million views on YouTube, the company received 12,000 orders and increased its brand recognition by 200%.¹¹ With this success, Dollar Shave Club disrupted the shaving industry, directly competing with established brands, such as Gillette.¹¹

Founded in 1932, LEGO is another iconic brand that has deftly navigated the ever-changing marketing landscape. Their plastic construction bricks appeal to nostalgic adults as well as children. Therefore, to build strong brand loyalty and remain relevant, LEGO focuses on understanding its customer base and embracing digital content.¹²

LEGO's marketing initiatives emphasize UGC, interactive campaigns, and engaging social media content. The company encourages its fanbase to share their LEGO creations through platforms like LEGO Ideas, on which users can submit designs to be considered for production. This interactive campaign led to successful products, such as the top-selling "Women of NASA" LEGO.¹² LEGO's wildly popular YouTube channel has over 18 million subscribers and showcases the company's engaging video content.¹³ Together, these initiatives helped LEGO maintain its position as a titan in the toy industry.

Marketing platforms and technology come and go, but the fundamental nature of marketing—connecting with a target audience—is as relevant now as it was when brands like Coca-Cola and LEGO were founded. In Santa Clara University’s Online Master of Science in Marketing program , you’ll learn modern marketing techniques and gain inspiration from some of the most innovative minds in Silicon Valley. You’ll also learn the timeless art of understanding and communicating with consumers. Contact one of our admissions outreach advisors today to learn more.