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