CaLD™
Content as Linked Data
For too long, organizations have been drowning in content silos, where Marketing, Customer Service, and Product Development operate in isolation, often duplicating efforts and wasting resource. While Content-as-a-Service (Caas) helped deliver information across channels, it has reached its limits in addressing the growing complexity of data integration and semantic interoperability. We often treat our core product data with high precision, yet we often leave our content as “messy piles” of unstructured data that are unsuitable for the high-quality, reliable output required by modern technology.
Content as Linked Data™ (CaLD) represents a fundamental paradigm shift. It is the move from “strings” (keyword phrases) to “things” (real-world entities and concepts). By treating content as a strategic network of structured data points, we can enhance discoverability, accessibility, and interoperability across the entire business. This approach recognized that no asset is an island; every piece of content is an inherent part of the business and the digital experience.
This manifesto is a call to action for creators, marketers, and developers to look at the whole, which is far greater than the sum of its parts. It is about building networks of wisdom where content is semantically connected to other business domains like Products, Promotions, and Customers. By using a conceptual “spine” — the structured nature of page we’re so familiar with — as a vehicle for meaning, we can establish relationships between reusable components that both humans and machines can navigate.
Operationalizing CaLD through tools like ontologies and knowledge graphs does more than just organizing content as linked data; it provides the essential foundation for sustainable AI and personalized, context-aware digital experiences.
We invite you to read the following principles, which outline our unique holistic view on content as the “read thread” connecting people, technology, and business in a sustainable way.
-
We reject the era of content as isolated files, static pages, or “unstructured piles of data” hidden in disconnected silos. We declare that no asset exists in a vacuum; every piece of content is a vital part of the business as a strategic network of structured data points, not a mere collection of documents.
-
The future of content management lies in meaning, not just delivery. We shift our focus from “strings” (keyword phrases) to “things” (real-world entities and concepts). By prioritizing concepts over content, we transform our digital ecosystems into interconnected databases that both humans and machines can understand and navigate.
-
We embrace a unique holistic view where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We refuse to choose between the visual intuition of page-based creation and the scalability of component-based systems. Instead, we advocate for a conceptual “spine” — using structured page layouts as vehicles for meaning to establish relationships between reusable components.
-
Content is the “red thread” that connects every department, from Marketing to Customer Service. We demand the deconstruction of departmental silos to create a unified ecosystem where content is inherently linked to Products, Promotions, Campaigns, and Customers. Through semantic interoperability, we ensure that information retains its meaning across every system and touchpoint.
-
We believe that digital transformation must respect human dignity and environmental responsibility. By structuring content with ontologies and knowledge graphs, we provide the essential foundation for Generative AI, enabling it to produce high-quality output while reducing the energy waste caused by inefficient processing. Sustainable AI requires semantic structure.
-
We recognize that the design of digital experiences begins with language and structural-functional order, not with code or UX design. Content is the heart of the system; it is the codified connection between people. We commit to building networks of wisdom that leverage content as a strategic asset to deliver personalized, context-aware experiences at scale.