More often than not we talk about simple examples of bootstrapped companies doing the hard work of creating informative content week after week. But the truth is, content marketing is an evolving practice limited only by your team’s imagination and skills. In this article, we’re going to introduce you to some of 2021’s best examples of content marketing. 

It’s no coincidence that three of these examples come from big-name brands. They have the resources to put behind great campaigns, but we hope these examples will inspire you to find new ways you can provide great content to even the smallest audience.

Canva’s Design School

Canva’s Design School is like Masterclass for Canva’s tools and design concepts in general. “Graphic Design Basics” can help you get the lay of the design land. Take things a step further with “Personal Branding with Dr. Talaya Waller.”

What we love: At its best, content marketing is useful and informative, and courses/classes take that to the next level. By providing a space for users (or potential users) to learn, Canva creates a loyal following who can become evangelists in the future.

Starbuck’s “Every Name’s a Story”

Starbucks showed up to promote diversity and inclusion for trans people with “Every name’s a story” — a short video that tells the story of a young trans person’s struggle with their name… you kind of have to just watch this beautiful little vignette. 

What we love: While this short video incorporates elements of the Starbucks experience, it’s really about showing the company’s values — an increasingly important part of any marketing campaign.

My Heritage Deep Nostalgia

Bring Grandma’s photos to life with My Heritage Deep Nostalgia. Earlier this year you may have seen social media inundated with people posting old family photos brought to life. Chances are those photos came from My Heritage, an ancestry site that allows you to research your family tree or even have your DNA tested. 

What we love: There is a lot of competition in the space with big players like Ancestry.com dominating the conversation — but My Heritage hit it big with this fun and viral tool. 

IKEA Escape the Clutter

IKEA Escape the Clutter is a “first-of-its-kind, crazy-fun-but-also-fairly challenging augmented reality escape room on Snapchat.” There’s also a real-life Escape the Clutter room, and you can find out whether the team made it out on Buzzfeed.

What we love: IKEA already has a huge brand but it teamed up with Snapchat and Buzzfeed to help increase the reach of this fun advergaming campaign.

What was your favorite content marketing campaign from 2021? Tell us in the comments or on social media!