Why Search Guru Rob Garner Landed At iProspect

by @lauriesullivan, August 4, 2016

 

 

Rob Garner’s passion for content recently landed him at iProspect as director of content services for North America, where he will combine social and search media practices to turn the Dentsu agency into a content powerhouse for brands.

Garner likes to stay one step ahead of innovation. “Remember, I was a Google Glass Explorer,” he said, suggesting that the query results from the voice-driven interface demonstrated the importance of content. “It allowed you to see how search could return results in a different way.”

In the early days of his advertising career, Garner worked at TBWA\Chiat\Day, spent two years at Omnicom Group, dabbled at Hearst, and then jumped to iCrossing for nearly seven years before writing a book, Search and Social: The Definitive Guide to Real-Time Content Marketing. He also spent time at 3Q Digital, and Harte Hanks Company.

Now, at iProspect, he plans to look deeper into content architecture and mapping, which he believes remains a big missing piece in a brand’s content strategy. “It’s important to look at the way a site is built to build out content,” he said.

As director of content services for iProspect North America reporting to iProspect VP of Products and Services Collin Cornwell, Garner will focus on gaining audience-led content insights and strategies that provide a roadmap for the agency’s client. The idea is to help brands create targeted and measurable content that lives on their Web site and social media pages to help boost search engine optimization (SEO) and engage and grow brand fans.

“Think of brands as publishers,” Garner said. “I have been saying that for more than 10 years.”

Those who doubt the importance of content need only look at Time Warner’s 10% stake in Hulu’s video service. On Tuesday the company said it paid $583 million in cash, although The Wall Street Journal reports the deal is valued at $5.8 billion. Time Warner plans to make its channels like TNT, CNN, Cartoon Network, and Turner Classic Movies available on demand. Pure content.

 

MediaPost.com: Search Marketing Daily

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