A little over a week ago I had the pleasure to attend the very first Advertising Week Europe here in London. I learned a bunch about what is going on in the industry and did almost a little test of how relevant what I’m learning in my classes is to the current trends. Overall, I felt very confident in the Ithaca College integrated marketing communications program. My professors can proudly pat themselves on the back. It was also interesting to compare practices taking place in the US to the UK/Europe. In so many ways the US is more digitally developed in the sense that there is SO much more online content streaming with sites like Hulu, and Pandora, etc. But advertisers at AW Europe were certain that the UK was a leading country when it came to the big up-and-coming real time buying technology.
Over the 4 day event I sat in on 29 different session with a variety of different topics. Here are my top 7 take-aways.
7. “Traditional” Doesn’t Mean Bad or Ancient
During many of the session is sat in on professionals would speak about “traditional” media in such negative tones. Little was discussed about the current state of print or radio and what their futures looked like. What I then grasped from these talks not that traditional media is bad or old but rather unsubstantial in today’s market. Traditional ads must be supported by social, digital and mobile. It is not enough to have a traditional campaign. It must incorporate the digital and interactive space too.
6. Where are the Women?!
As a young woman entering the field of advertising in the next year or so, I’m so excited to launch a career in an industry that prides itself on its diversity. But never before had I seen a demonstration of the “glass ceiling” before me like I saw during AW Europe. Multiple panels showed odd the top executives of the leading advertising and media companies in the UK and Europe and there were few females to be found. It is great to know that 21% of UK’s top media companies have women in top management, a 7% jump from the previous year. Although this frightened and frustrated me, it also motivated me. I know what I have what it takes to make it to the top and no way is my gender gonna get in my way if I have any say.
5. Finding Ways to Incorporate the 2nd Screen
Close your eyes. Think of the last time you were watching tv. Where was your phone? You lap top? Tablet? I will bet anything that while you were watching tv, whether it was real time, DVR or online that your smartphone and/or tablet was in hand or nearby. Today we can’t keep ourselves busy with just one media platform but must stay entertained with multiple at one time. Great advertisers will understand their audience’s habits and create campaigns that interact with them in a way that will move from one platform to the next effortlessly. How? That is still unsure. Great examples of how companies are doing it now are apps like Viggle.
4. Human Needs Are Still the Key Drivers
No matter what media platform you’re advertising on understanding your audience’s human needs are will help build a message that will translate well and motivate them to take action. Advertisers must not get wrapped up in numbers and forget how to motivate their audience. Look back at Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Understanding these five basic needs (physiological need, safety, love and belonging, esteem, self-actualization) help build great campaigns, not numbers.
3. To Not Adapt to Technology is Failing to Innovate
Technology is happening. Clients need to know that investment must be made on many platforms to reach key audiences. Technology is ever changing and brands must do the same while maintain their brand image and tone.
2. Real Time Bidding is Happening Whether You Know What It Even Is
Real Time Bidding (RTB), also known as Programmatic Buying is happening now and will forever transform the industry of media buying. In short, RTB has computers isolate the audience that an advertiser wants to target on a digital platform. Once it’s identified the audience it purchases the media in real time on behalf of the advertiser. It targets the placement of the ad even further and gets the best price for the placement. This technology can and will replace media buyers in years to come.
1. It is about telling a story over multiple platforms
In the end the real message I heard over and over again throughout Advertising Week was about how advertising is about telling a genuine story about the brand and its consumers. Now the challenge is to present it on multiple platforms.
Great work I saw:
Channel 4 Super Human Campaign for the Paralympics:
http://newrisingmedia.com/all/2012/8/17/channel-4-redefines-the-super-human-in-paralympic-campaign.html
T-Mobile Flashmob
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ3d3KigPQM
1. Do You Use the F-Word?
2. Massive Roundtable
3. Creativity on Facebook
4. The Science of Desire & How to Creative It
5. London Olympic Legacy
Favorite quotes:
“24 year-old media buyer. Endangered species” – Jay Sears, Rubicomm
“Content is king. Distribution is queen. She runs the household”
“Don’t start with ads. Start with business solutions.” – Suzanne Powers, CP+B Group
“Set up, expand, twist and resolve” — Peter Souter, TBWA
“Give people what they want in a way they don’t expect” — Peter Souter, TBWA
“Keep it real while presenting something aspirational” — Cilla Snowball
“Clients just care about the value not how you do it” — Mark Creighton, Mindshare
“Failing to embrace technology is failing to innovate” — James Cann
“Everything we make is competing with everything we ever made” –Mark D’Arcy, Facebook
“Technology changes fast. People change slowly.” — Mark D’arcy, Facebook
“You’d be surprised how creative you can be when you have no money” — Mark D’arcy, Facebook
“How do you beat Beijing? Throw the Queen out of a helicopter” referring to the Olympic opening ceremony.
“Best way to predict the future is to create the future”
Marissa Osowsky 