To render a list of the content creation companies, first of all, we should distinguish between the content creators and the content creation platforms.
The social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, are of the greatest content publishers ever existed on the planet. However, they are not publishing their own content. They’ve just prepared a platform for the other people to help them – or tempt them! – to create and publish the content.
Putting the content creation platforms aside, still the rest of the content creating companies fall into two categories:
- The companies who are active in the field of content marketing
- The companies who are working in the other industries
The content marketing companies have to be great content creators if they are interested in leading their market. So it’s not so surprising if Content Marketing Institute, Contently, Hubspot, and Moz are providing us with a vast amount of content in their blogs.
By assuming that the ones who are looking for the leading content creation companies are not thinking about the great content marketers, seems that our list has to be created from the companies that are outside the content marketing field or at least, are not often considered as a player in this field.
Here’s a list of the leading content creation companies I believe would be instructive to be studied:
- Coca-Cola has been always great in creating and publishing content. We have always heard of the controversial ads and other stories about the Cola-Pepsi battle that has been helpful for both of them to get more distance from the all other carbonated soft drink brands available in the market. In 2012, Coca-Cola turned its corporate website into a digital magazine (Coca-Cola Journey). So it’s not a place for the company address and some banners and occasional news anymore. It’s a content rich magazine that can be read more frequently.
- Stanford and Harvard universities: For some of us, may it not be so sweet to consider universities as companies. However for anyone with some knowledge about the nature of the business, some of the universities such as Stanford and Harvard, are of the biggest educational companies ever existed. They create a massive amount of content and deliver it in various formats and models from paper to the digital version and from free to the high-price subscribed content. Part of the branding of these universities is done through their media which is under continuous care and development.
- Red Bull is famous for its content creation efforts. This brand tries to associate itself with breathtaking extreme sports. Just take a look at the Stratos Jump and how the Red Bull describes it: the most detailed documented jump ever! As you see, Red Bull is not investing on promoting the taste of its drink (or let’s say, the investment in side stories is much larger than the root product) and this is the reason that Red Bull is on the top of the most of the content creation companies lists.
- Apple is not always in the list of content creation companies. However everyone knows that they are great storytellers. The most excellent storyteller is the one who helps you to forget that you are listening to a story and even helps you to become part of the story and a new storyteller. Seems that Apple has been undeniably successful in this art.
- Colgate is another company worth a deeper study. Their volume of content may not be comparable to the other brands on the list. They have about 500 articles on their website. But this amount of articles has been helpful in promoting their brand and Colgate brand can be a role model for small and medium enterprises who are seeking to lead their market through content.
- Adobe is the other successful content creator brand. Adobe’s digital magazine called CMO is one the amazing and engaging magazines filled and fueled with fresh, helpful contents. Part of the content is related to the trends and news and the other – more important – part is the ever-green content that is published and republished in many other blogs, helping Adobe to maintain its brand position.
- Cisco is another leading company in content creation. Cisco’s documentary series called my networked life features inspiring stories about the people all around the world who have used technology as an enabler to bring their dreams into reality.
Sure there are many other companies that can be added to the above list. But I believe that the above list can be a good starting point.