Over the past four weeks, we’ve been talking within the IHAF community about all things digital. In connecting with members, I’m hearing that in-house teams are more focused than ever on content marketing. The evolution of digital is pointing to the need for increased sophistication not only in how our members are creating content but also in how they are measuring it across various platforms. The good news is that in-house agencies are ideally positioned to do both—developing content that’s meaningful to target audiences and integrating it in ways that have a measurable impact on the brand.

In a recent report issued by BrightEdge (2014 Search Marketer Survey), over 80% of respondents indicated that taking a page/content-based approach to SEO is more important in 2014 than it was last year, with 78% saying that connecting content with ROI is vital. What’s most important to your in-house team in 2014? Are you like the 80% who responded to the BrightEdge survey—or does your leading concern point elsewhere?

Whatever your focus, the 2014 IHAF Huddle on Branded Content is an event that I hope you consider attending. This facilitated discussion group series will be taking place in five major metros across the country from late May to early June. It’s the ideal opportunity for IHAF members and non-members to engage in what is surely the hottest topic in marketing communications today—Branded Content.

From ensuring the integrity of your brand across multiple forms of media to optimizing content for organic search and linking results to ROI, you won’t want to miss the IHAF Huddle on Branded Content. Join us along with industry expert AJ Gerritson of 451 Marketing as we put our heads together for an dynamic exchange of ideas and experiences—we’ll be in DC on 5/20, NYC on 5/22, Boston on 5/30, Chicago on 6/3, and San Francisco on 6/5.