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BRAKE FOR USERS:

CONTENT STRATEGY
FOR SLOW EXPERIENCES
Margot Bloomstein
@mbloomstein
An Event Apart
#AEAHCD July 20, 2020
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We never stopped.
We never stopped.

The puns weren’t effective.

We never stopped.

The puns weren’t effective.

They weren’t the right content

at the right time.
The right content isn’t
necessarily more content.
The right content is right for right now:

the context,
audience, and
mindset.
The right content has a point:

entertainment,
education,
empowerment.

It drives confident decisions.

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Test Track, Epcot

© Scott A. Miller for Chevrolet

These people are waiting
in a line.
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These people are delighting
in a line:
they’re engaged,
anticipating,
discovering,
creating memories.

They’re in the moment.

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Content affects both our experience

and our perception of an experience.
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Is it enough just to speed up?
Do people make better decisions
if they’re snap decisions?
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Efficient isn’t always effective.

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Efficient isn’t always effective.

Users say frustrating activities take
forever.

But are slow activities inherently

frustrating?
© Charlotte & Kristian Septimius Krogh
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Users can value slow experiences:

they’re engaged,
anticipating,
creating memories.
They discover, learn, and focus.
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Why do this?

• Encourage exploration & discovery

• Drive more confident decisions
• Help users focus
• Foster trust
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Content strategy is planning for the

creation, delivery, and governance of
useful, usable, brand-appropriate
content.
How do you slow down users?

1. Editorial style and structures

“Choosing a lens can be a
daunting task for all of the
reasons mentioned above,
so I pulled together some info
from my own experiences,
as well as those of other
Crutchfield shutterbugs.”
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“Springtime shaded belays at the creek,

predawn starts in the Canadian Rockies
and hut tours in the High Sierra:
Anywhere brisk, the Down Sweater
delivers featherweight, superbly
compressible warmth. The polyester
ripstop shell on this down jacket does
more than look sharp; it’s tear-resistant,
windproof, and made from 100%
polyester.”
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How do you slow down users?

1. Editorial style and structures

2. Discovery-oriented content types
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Empirical Courage in our
proof convictions
Deliberation Validation
 Engaging, Time & space
informative to interact
content with it
How do you slow down users?

1. Editorial style and structures

2. Discovery-oriented content types
3. Longform content—visual & verbal
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This isn’t mere content marketing.

It’s education that drives empowerment,
and empowerment that fosters trust.
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Slow experiences take the time to

empower users.
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• Slow down
• Act deliberately
• Focus
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But does it work?
 “
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The outdoor recreation economy

grew 5% annually 2005 through 2011—
during an economic recession when
many sectors contracted.
Outdoor Industry Association

Source: Outdoor Recreation Economy Report 2012;

http://www.outdoorindustry.org/pdf/OIA_OutdoorRecEconomyReport2012.pdf
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The outdoor recreation economy

grew 5% annually… while REI averaged
11% year-over-year growth
REI

industry
average

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Source: REI Financial Information reports 2005 – 2012; http://www.rei.com/about-rei/financial-information.html
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Store growth fuels content availability

Attention must be paid

© Viking
Attention must be paid

Can we offer our users

attention, respect, and
time?

© Viking
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Be here now
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Be here now
THANK YOU
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Margot Bloomstein
@mbloomstein
margot@appropriateinc.com

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Images of South of the Border © Edisto Images; All other images property of their owners or © Margot Bloomstein as noted. © 2020 Appropriate, Inc.