August 26, 2025

Hi there,

When I started working on the State of Content Teams 2025 report, I had a sneaking suspicion that “quality content” might mean something different depending on who you ask. It’s something we were trying to pin down internally for our clients, but once we pulled that thread, it was like opening Pandora’s box. 

After speaking with 13 senior marketers and reading through 150 survey responses, my hypothesis was proven further: content quality is in the eye of the stakeholder.

After 13 interviews and 150 survey responses, one thing became clear: “quality” depends on who's asking.

Some insights:

• One VP said quality means speed: publishing fast enough to stay relevant.
• Another said it’s about depth: content that sales can quote in meetings.
• And one marketer summed it up with brutal honesty: “Good content is whatever makes my boss happy.”

My point is, quality is subjective, meaning we’re out here trying to deliver “quality” for everyone: the CMO, the sales team, the CEO, and your audience. No wonder teams feel stretched. 

But it’s not all bad. It means “quality” can flex to fit different goals. You just need a shared language and process to avoid spinning your wheels.

How to make quality less subjective

1. Define quality with your stakeholders.
   Check with your CEO, your sales lead, and your CMO. Get their definitions. Write them down.
2. Create a “minimum viable quality” checklist.
   One team we spoke with shared a simple system: every asset must pass five checks (accurate, clear, consistent, useful, on-brand). That’s it. Everything else is a bonus.
3. Separate creative work from review work.
   As one respondent told us: “AI handles the monkey work — so we can focus on thinking.” Use AI or freelancers to draft, but protect your own time for the higher-value judgment calls.
4. Treat quality as a process, not an output.
   You won’t get it right every time. But you can design a workflow that consistently raises the floor. That means clear briefs, fewer approval layers, and space for reflection after each campaign.

Coming up

This report is just the beginning. Over the next few weeks, I’ll share:

• Full interview write-ups with the voices behind the data
• A webinar unpacking key findings
• Practical templates and playbooks you can use to protect quality in your own workflow

PS. Curious where your team stands against the report? Take our quick quiz: Is your team thriving or burning out?

Catch you next time,
Penny

Penny Warnock

Senior Content Marketer

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