Warc's new Content Marketing report takes centre stage of this update, joined by an Admap special on brand-building in the digital age and a round-up of our event reports from around the world. Elsewhere, we take a look ahead to the hottest trends of the coming year, have a last-chance reminder to enter the Warc Prize for Social Strategy and bring news of our first conference of 2014.

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New Warc Trends report: The Content Revolution

The rise of content is one of the big stories of 2013 – and it’s a story that’s here to stay, reflecting long-term changes within marketing and media.

The Content Revolution is a new report from Warc to guide brands in the development of a content marketing strategy. It reveals the importance of content, how to drive a content-led strategy, the importance of social, real-time and video, the role of brands as entertainers, how to curate content and connect it online and offline.

Not a subscriber? Download a sample version including an executive summary of the full report.

How brands are built in a digital age

The lead focus of December's Admap is designed to inspire you to enter the Admap Prize 2014, which is seeking essays by 31 January on the topic: How brands are built in the digital age.

So we are offering non-subscribers the opportunity to read three free articles from the latest issue, in which leading industry figures explore the new brand building opportunities offered by digital.

The opt-in age of brands (open access) by JWT’s Guy Murphy argues that brands must move away from the ‘push’ of mass media advertising to a new ‘pull’ approach based around product quality.

Invert the accepted (open access) sees Toby Southgate of The Brand Union call for brands to build businesses with consumer needs at their centre, rather than the classic process of driving strategy outwards.

The perpetual experience engine (open access) by Omaid Hiwaizi of Geometry Global continues the theme, explaining why brands must now be built through product experience and social culture.

These are joined by a case study of McDonald’s long-term digital strategy and advice from Millward Brown on tracking the right digital metrics.

Admap also features 10 trends in holiday shopping, brand ecosystems, breakout brands from emerging markets and China’s silver surfers.

Browse the full issue at warc.com/admap.

Event round-up

Our recent event coverage includes reports from the US, Europe and Asia.

From ad:tech New York we reported on the digital strategies of MasterCard, Nestlé and Pfizer.

At ANA Multicultural Marketing we shared insights from Pepsi, Coca-Cola and McDonald’s.

At Ad Revenue Europe we summarised the latest trends in programmatic buying.

At MMA Forum Europe we heard mobile tips from Unilever and AXA.

From Qualitative 360 Asia we reported on research from Ericsson, Heinz and P&G.

And at Understanding India we heard what global brands need to know about entering the Indian market.

Browse all of the latest coverage in our Event Reports section.

What’s hot in 2014?

2014’s hottest trends summarises Future Foundation’s prediction of the top trends in the UK and beyond for the coming 12 months – including ‘recovery blues’, ‘narrative data’ and ‘catwalk computing’.

Balancing trust and dynamism

The sweet spot between trust and dynamism is the latest instalment from Havas International’s series of Prosumer reports. It shows how the best brands drive growth through a tricky balance of trust and dynamism.

Warc Prize for Social Strategy

Hurry! Entries to the Warc Prize for Social Strategy close on 19 December.

This is your chance to showcase to an international judging panel chaired by Nestlé’s Pete Blackshaw how a social idea has driven business results – and stake your claim to the $10,000 prize pot.

Next Generation Research 2014

Warc's annual Next Generation Research conference returns to London on 16 January, with speakers from Reckitt Benckiser, CBS Outdoor, Avery Dennison and many more.

Warc subscribers: book now for a 20% discount.