How Editorial Influences Our Creative Work
We often describe our work at Cognoscenti Creative as “informed by editorial”—but what exactly does that mean? For us, it’s a combination of connecting with the most exciting leaders in Colorado food, hospitality and agriculture, as well as bringing the energy and style of the work we do for editorial outlets to our branding and creative services.
Perhaps some of you have heard the term “branded content” thrown around by marketers. It’s a concept that started when ad clicks on blogs and media sites began to fail to bring in sustainable revenue for companies. In turn, those companies began to pay media outlets to create content—featuring their brands—that looked more like editorial. (If you’ve ever opened a magazine and found yourself reading an ad you mistakenly thought was an article, that’s branded content.)
As branded content became more popular, a related movement started to happen on internal marketing teams. As unpaid PR placements in editorial outlets had become more sparse, more and more brands began to create their own high-quality content. In turn, these brands stopped relying on others to tell their stories, investing in new content campaigns through blogs, email marketing, social media and even their everyday website content.
While we’ve worked on both paid branded content campaigns and editorial-style content for our clients’ own marketing channels, the latter category of work is where we see the biggest opportunity. In short, when you take your brand story into your own hands, you control the plotline. That’s where working with a creative team who has previous editorial experience begins to pay off—the focus becomes less on “selling” and more on “storytelling.”
For this Cognoscenti Quarterly newsletter, we’ve decided to highlight the recent editorial projects that have helped us continue to grow as a writer-photographer team. Consider it a snapshot of our continuing education—and the bar we’ve set for how to approach all of our creative projects.
Wild, Wild Country | Edible Denver
Featuring: Ensō Farm + Forage, Wendy “Butter” Petty + Chef Kyle Mendenhall of Big Red F
“While many Coloradans are drawn to the mountains for hiking, skiing or simply spending more time outdoors, fewer of us are familiar with the dozens of wild foods that grow in the Rockies throughout the year. From mushrooms to herbs, nuts and fruits, many of these elusive edibles are prized for their bold or unique flavors, attracting foragers from across the state—and beyond.”
Grains That Sustain | Life & Thyme
Featuring: Mad Agriculture, A-Frame Farm + Vilicus Farms
“Grains have long been considered a staple of the human diet, but the process of growing and producing these everyday essentials—from flour, to pasta, bread, rice and corn—is anything but basic. Across the country, local grain cooperatives consisting of farmers, bakers, chefs, academics and activists are banding together in support of heritage, pre-industrial grains. However, simply championing the adoption of these biodiverse, nutrient-rich products is only the tip of the iceberg.”
Every Seed is a Story | Edible Denver
Featuring: Richard Pecoraro of MASA Seed Foundation
“When many of us think of farming, the first thing that comes to mind is orderly rows of peak-season produce. This iconic image is inherently one of production—of our food system, emphasis on system. Yet at MASA Seed Foundation in Boulder, Colorado, founder Richard Pecoraro is working to cultivate a deeper set of roots—one that reconnects the farmer and the consumer to the land.”
Rebuilding Our Local Grain Economy | Edible Denver
Featuring: Moxie Bread Co., Pastificio Boulder, Mad Agriculture, Nanna Meyer + PFZ Farms
“If you frequent local bakeries along the Front Range, it’s possible that you’ve heard the growing buzz about heritage, ancient or heirloom grains. From Turkey Red to Blue Emmer, White Sonora to Rouge de Bordeaux, a renaissance of pre-industrial wheats, in particular, has slowly spread across Colorado. At the epicenter is a group called the Colorado Grain Chain: a nonprofit organization of farmers, millers, bakers, brewers, artisans, distillers and chefs with a shared interest in growing, sourcing and promoting locally adapted heritage grains.”
