Great content takes work, and no one knows that better than HP’s Head of Corporate Brand, Angela Matusik. We recently sat down with Angela to get her perspective on how brands can create compelling and authentic stories, future content trends, and that epic iPhone snowball fight video. ‍

How do you judge“great content”?‍

When you're watching, reading or even listening to great content, you become fully immersed in it. You stop thinking about your day, your to-do list, your surroundings, and get swept away into the folds of the story. Even if it’s just for a few minutes, you are engrossed.‍

Have there been big shifts in the way you discover what stories to tell, and who should tell them? Where do you think the best stories come from?‍

I don't think there have been big shifts in how stories are discovered, at least not by me! I still find them through recommendations — either by friends via social media feeds, or through trusted tastemakers whom I have chosen to follow in some way. I am always looking for story ideas and they come from many places, but real life interactions are the best. The key to discovering them is to always be curious and ask a lot of questions.‍

What components are necessary for compelling and authentic brand storytelling?‍

The two most important things are 1) Think audience first. Are you creating something that is worthy of their precious time? And 2) Whose story is it? Having a clear idea of the voices/characters that will shine through is crucial.‍

What do you think the new content trends are going to be in the next few years?‍

Impact entertainment is on the rise. By that I mean the creation of stories and films that actually change the world for the better. There's no better content investment a brand can make. I also think you will see brands collaborating more, being an active producer, and finding common threads. That said, the field is getting crowded, and it will be harder and harder to stand out and have your brand be associated with a specific narrative. For example, it's important to be perceived as sustainable, but only a few leaders will truly emerge and set the gold standard.‍

What is a piece of content you wish you had created?‍

Almost everyday I see something I wish I had made: Today, it is the iPhone Snowball Fight video, but usually it’s anything that makes me cry, which happens often.‍

What is your favorite piece of content that you’ve created?‍

I am immensely proud of our History of Memory films, a series of short documentaries about the power of printed photographs.