| There were over 12,000 individuals from all over | | | | depends on your audience and how you can |
| the place pre-registered for the conference. The | | | | reach them the easiest."What impressed me, |
| hotel was packed like I haven't seen it since | | | | representing Main Street, was that he was not a |
| 1999.On the first floor of the Hilton on 6th | | | | zealot for a certain solution, especially requiring a |
| Avenue there is a bar with a huge seating area of | | | | huge budget. His comments focused rather on the |
| tables and curved couches. It doesn't open until | | | | importance of having a big idea.Those of us who |
| 5-6 in the evening, during the day people use it as | | | | are not particularly creative must rely on those |
| a place to sit while they are waiting for something | | | | who are for help with the insights that flesh out |
| or just killing time. There are always 2-3 tables in | | | | the importance of the big idea and then craft the |
| use.During Ad:Tech every seat was taken - | | | | solution that will, hopefully, make it a household |
| attendees comparing notes and connecting with | | | | name.But we're skeptics - since most of these |
| their contemporaries to discuss ideas they'd just | | | | experts see theirs as the solution of choice, and |
| picked up in one session or another or from a | | | | are willing to massage our big picture until it |
| vendor in the exhibit hall. You could feel the buzz, | | | | becomes a big picture that their service is |
| the energy!The press/speaker/blogs room had | | | | uniquely suited to provide. (I'll be telling you about |
| been relocated to a room three times larger than | | | | my experiences along this line, when I spent two |
| before - a dead giveaway that this was going to | | | | days in the exhibit hall. But that's another |
| be special.The event's opening keynote featured | | | | story)According to David, "When you have the |
| the head of the organization Drew Ianni, | | | | big idea and an open minded team to consider |
| Chairman, Programming, ad:tech expositions, laying | | | | how to make that idea relevant, the method you |
| out their blueprint for the future of Ad:Tech as it | | | | use to get that message to the right people will |
| expands its presence worldwide.As he illustrated | | | | just feel logical."Once example of the big idea |
| their growth strategy he alluded to the "bad old | | | | being promoted in the right way was so obvious I |
| days" of just a few years ago. I remember | | | | almost laughed out loud. You see I had witnessed |
| attending one of those events - when it had been | | | | it first hand - like so many others, but because it |
| moved from a gigantic space the previous year | | | | seemed so natural I dismissed the creativity |
| and combined with another organization in a much | | | | associated with it.Last weekend we had friends |
| smaller location and the luncheon could still have | | | | visiting us from Arizona. We met them at their |
| been held in a Manhattan apartment.That was on | | | | Times Square hotel and took them to dinner at |
| the back-end of the dot com bust and | | | | one of our favorite Italian restaurants, |
| conventional wisdom seemed to give Ad:Tech one | | | | Mezzogiorno, at the corner of Spring and Sullivan |
| more year before it would become a small part | | | | Streets in SOHO, one of the cool neighborhoods |
| of another industry organization. To see the slides | | | | in NYC everyone has heard about.The streets are |
| describing the strides they've taken and the plans | | | | narrow and always bumper to bumper as the |
| they have in place demonstrates that the original | | | | cars creep between Broadway and 6th. Ave. The |
| "big idea" has come full circle. That with Ad:Tech | | | | occasional doubledecker bus makes the journey |
| as with business and life in general it all comes | | | | as well, just barely fitting between the cars |
| down to execution of the mission.The keynote | | | | parked on both sides of the streets.And there are |
| was to be delivered by David Lubars, Chairman | | | | always lots of people strolling along the sidewalks. |
| and Chief Creative Officer, BBDO North America.I | | | | It's a combination thriving little mini neighborhood, |
| had not taken the time to read any of the | | | | landmarked historic district, and tourist destination |
| pre-conference materials or promotion so I had | | | | all rolled into one.One merchant, it's pretty |
| no idea who the keynote speaker would be.When | | | | expensive to have your store there, came up |
| I got to my seat in the second row and saw the | | | | with a novel idea for promoting their business |
| name and title on the huge screen I remembered | | | | during the 12-14 hours a day they are not open - |
| why I always sit up front. It's to keep me from | | | | but when people are still going by their front |
| leaving early. Sitting up front means you can't | | | | door.So when David mentioned this advertising |
| sneak out. Common courtesy keeps me in my | | | | strategy as an example of the big idea (for that |
| place. Invariably I pick up something so I continue | | | | merchant), one that did not require a Fortune 500 |
| the practice.While Drew was telling us about David | | | | budget, being delivered in a way that just made |
| - that he had come from Fallon, Minneapolis | | | | sense - ah ha. I had just witnessed it. An idea |
| "where he was responsible for some of most | | | | was so simple, so cheap and yet so effective.You |
| memorable and out-of-the-box advertising | | | | see in most if not all neighborhoods in the City |
| campaigns including Citibank's 'Identity Theft' series | | | | when the stores and restaurants close the last |
| and BMW Films" - I was looking along the row in | | | | person out pulls down these horribly ugly gray |
| front of me trying to figure out which one of the | | | | metal grates over the entire front of the |
| blue suited businessmen has was.I was familiar | | | | place.Over time people tape pieces of paper with |
| with these campaigns, as a TV viewer, so I was | | | | their message on them, about a lost cat or an |
| interested to see the guy who came up with | | | | opportunity to lose weight, or attend an event of |
| them but not sure how this would translate to | | | | some sort - which, when removed, leave the |
| regular people like us.Drew said that David had | | | | corners of the papers under the tape, or |
| come to BBDO and had been charged with | | | | someone with a magic marker or can of spray |
| bringing a new, progressive way of thinking to an | | | | paint will leave their mark. The owners will typically |
| advertising agency once dubbed the "old guard". | | | | do nothing, unless it is an objectionable message, |
| More interesting.But still, how would it be possible | | | | assuming that this is the natural order of |
| that someone from this huge ad agency, with | | | | things.What we saw as we strolled through the |
| clients who spend more on a single campaign than | | | | neighborhood with our out of town friends was a |
| our readers on Main Street generate in annual | | | | merchant who, instead of accepting the way |
| revenues, have something relevant for people like | | | | things have always been, used the grate to |
| us?When Drew introduced David, instead of the | | | | create an effective "billboard" that cleverly |
| staid businessman in a dark blue suit and shiny | | | | introduces their store to everyone who passes |
| shoes I was looking for - an energetic guy | | | | by.Instead of an unbroken string of gray metal |
| wearing Dockers, a tee shirt with a long sleeve | | | | grates that make every store, dry cleaner, |
| shirt open down the front and Timberland shoes | | | | restaurant, and shoe repair shop look alike - now |
| (I think I recognized the soles) ran up the steps | | | | in the middle of the block one stands out. As we |
| to the stage. I thought he was a audio engineer | | | | walked along we saw people look and point to it, |
| there to attach the lapel mike to the staid | | | | one tourist took a digital photo for the folks back |
| businessman in the dark blue suit and shiny | | | | home. The point, everyone noticed and some will |
| shoes.Imagine my surprise. This was David | | | | remember it.David's message that it's about the |
| Lubars, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, | | | | idea - the delivery method will emerge based on |
| BBDO North America.The stage was set up like a | | | | that - not the |
| TV interview show. Instead of a speech this | | | | other way round - was perfectly |
| would be a conversation. What happened was | | | | illustrated.Whether you work for a company with |
| quite interesting and enlightening to, I'm sure, | | | | seemingly unlimited resources or are like the rest |
| everyone in the room. Each of David's comments | | | | of us, it's about performance - ROI. It's not about |
| were little ah ha's that just made sense. The only | | | | a particular branded solution.It's about delivering |
| thing that threw some people was when he | | | | the right message in the right way to the right |
| referred to himself as "not being a Darren | | | | audience at the right time. A message that |
| Stevens type of advertising man."BTW: For those | | | | makes people want to go out right now and get |
| too young to remember Darren Stevens was the | | | | one for themselves!David's responses to Drew's |
| character played by Dick Sargent in the early 70's | | | | well crafted questions - that seemed to have the |
| sitcom, "Bewitched" Darren and his boss Larry | | | | wide range of the audience in mind, set the stage |
| Tate were the prototypical gray flannel suited | | | | for the entire event. The question was, would |
| advertising executives of the time. There are still | | | | each subsequent session build on that keynote or |
| many just like them - their tried and true tactics | | | | not? Yep, the keynote was the tipping point for |
| still work. However, it's being able to see beyond | | | | the event.There were over two dozen break-out |
| what has worked in the past that make David | | | | sessions during the next 21/2 days and we did |
| successful and his ability to bring along their clients | | | | our best to cover them. The panels in each |
| into the new world of strategic brand planning in a | | | | session were made up of marque companies like |
| universe defined by short attention spans, | | | | CNN, AOL, and Frito Lay as well as one person |
| massive media proliferation and where the | | | | entrepreneurs and everything in between. As |
| consumer is increasingly in control.Drew, using the | | | | always there were actionable strategies from |
| Barbara Walter interview style, sat down with | | | | every quarter.We'll be offering observations from |
| David "to discuss the new media landscape, the | | | | those break out sessions we were able to sit in |
| continued power of the television commercial as | | | | on over the next week or so. Be sure to join the |
| well as the new opportunities and threats that are | | | | discussion. We'd love insights and observations |
| emerging thanks, in part, to new digital | | | | from you. The RSS feed link is in the Meta area |
| technologies, platforms and creative tools."David's | | | | of the nav bar.In addition we're going to do |
| comments were reveling. Instead of taking the | | | | something we've never attempted before.We're |
| advice of his friends, to move to LA and start his | | | | going to contact a select number of exhibitors |
| own interactive boutique agency he decided to | | | | whose products and services seem to have |
| join BBDO in NYC - providing us our first ah ha - | | | | relevant applications to regular companies, |
| that it's not about the medium. It's about the | | | | companies spending their own money and not |
| message and delivering it in the most logical | | | | shareholders money, when they develop |
| way.At BBDO he would be able to work with | | | | marketing and advertising strategies.It will be |
| clients to develop their big idea and with creative | | | | interesting to see who responds who doesn't - |
| people with experience in every medium to work | | | | whose services are for people like us and who |
| out the most logical way to get that message to | | | | are interested in telling us about them in a semi |
| their target audience. For him it's not about the | | | | non-commercial sort of way.Stay tuned, add your |
| technology or medium it's about the message. | | | | comments, subscribe to the blog feed - get your |
| The medium is just the vehicle.I his words, "Does | | | | trade association to do so as well. You won't |
| it matter whether you use email marketing, | | | | want to miss what's coming! I guarantee it.Wayne |
| forums, bulletin boards, blogs, focus groups, TV | | | | Messick reports on how Main St. |
| ads, online videos, etc.? No. Which method(s) | | | | |