Mapping a content ecosystem: General Motors
One of my projects for GM’s enterprise content strategy team was an effort to map all of the content in the web channel, from localized content to how individual content components were rendered. (Biggest surprise? You may not be looking at an actual vehicle but at images pulled from different sources to configure the car you want to see.)
The idea behind mapping all this complexity was to give our enterprise an idea of what was involved, its cost and the need for better coordination across departments.
As an example, I mapped where all the content came from on the Cadillac brand web site, demonstrating the complexity and interconnectedness of content. My work on the CarBravo site was a similar exercise, because while my agency, MRM, was responsible for pages like the home page, About, and How It Works, another agency did the ecommerce vehicle work. And it all had to coordinate and work together.
This was an incredibly valuable exercise for me as a content strategist; we can’t afford not to understand the more technical aspects of our field and how it all fits together.
“She is always looking for new ways to do things. She has an eye for clarity and understanding what people need from information and how to present it clearly. The backstage side (of content strategy) is understanding technology and processes. Cynthia excels in both these areas.”
— Jeff Greer, former Director of Content Strategy, MRM