Rodney Southern Wins Ultimate Call For Content

"The rich could learn a thing or two from the poor." Capturing the economic anxiety of consumers everywhere, Rodney Southern won the $5,000 prize in Associated Content's Ultimate Call for Content™ contest, the company announced on Tuesday.

Southern's contest entry, "Survival Skills for the American Upper-Middle Class: Welcome to the Poor Club," beat out nearly 1,000 other submissions submitted Tuesday, June 3, and judged by Associated Content's editorial staff and, ultimately, a panel of experts.

"Southern created a terrific balance between his unique take and a topic with broad appeal," Dan Shanoff, Associated Content's Vice President of Content, said. "With one-part authenticity, one-part empathy and one-part information, he created content that can resonate with almost everyone."

The dominant theme among many of the submissions - based on the original assignment to forecast any topic of interest to people who search online over the coming year - was economic uncertainty.

From $10-a-gallon gas prices to "staycations," contributors to Associated Content - who come from every segment of the country, geographically and economically - zeroed in on the economic pinch that seems to be here to stay, at least for the next year.

"Welcome to the club, upper-middle class," Southern wrote. "The lower-middle class has adjusted well, and you will, too." Southern's content included tips for upper-middle and middle-class people to stretch their dollars.

One of the judges evaluated Southern's entry: "Sharp, voicey, smart, with a major ouch. Well-written and a touch biting yet with humor."

Southern is one month away from his first anniversary as a Content Producer with Associated Content, although nearly a quarter of all the contest entries were created by first-time contributors. Southern was also interviewed about his submission by a Content Producer.

Associated Content is an open content network that allows anyone to publish on any topic, then delivers a new audience and financial payments for that content.

Associated Content's Calls for Content™ program generates many new content-creating opportunities for Content Producers every day, across a huge range of topics. Only contributors who are registered with Associated Content have access to these opportunities, but registration is open to anyone.

"Thanks to everyone who entered the contest," Shanoff said. "No matter what the economic outlook for the country might be, Associated Content is committed to creating opportunities for anyone to participate in the content economy."