Yes, today’s marketing is not your father’s marketing from a generation ago. With emerging online and mobile platforms making a play for ever dwindling advertising dollars, the media landscape is getting very crowded these days—but also very exciting for many practitioners.

Such was the basic current of thought voiced at this year’s ad:tech conference, an interactive advertising and technology event, which ran from November 5-8 at New York City’s Hilton Hotel.

Attracting over 300 vendors in its exhibit hall, the conference drew throngs of attendees, which included marketing/advertising executives, brand managers, media directors, product managers and solution providers. Universal McCann CEO Nick O’Brien kicked things off with a keynote presentation on the “New Media Universe.” Social gadfly Arianna Huffington, co-founder and editor-in-chief of the popular political blog, Huffington Post, added some celebrity cachet with her appearance on a roundtable devoted to “The State of the Industry,” which encompassed talk on consumer-generated content, social networking, online video and activation.

An irreverent panel discussion entitled “Innovate or Die! Thriving in the Age of Disruption” provided a lot of food for thought—and laughter—for the packed audience inside the Hilton’s East Ballroom. Moderated by BusinessWeek media columnist Jon Fine, the dialogue, which engaged participants Jason Hirschhorn, president of Sling Media Entertainment Group, Paul Woolmington, founding partner of Naked Communications and former Macy’s exec Brad Jakeman, enjoyed several candid moments. For instance, after Hirschhorn, Woolmington and Jakeman talked about how necessary it is for the industry to develop reliable metrics, Fine asked the men to sound off on the general health of the industry vis-à-vis disruption.

“I think marketers are so under fire,” sighed Woolmington. “I think clients are feeling under siege. They’ve got the same money if not less now. Marketing is not viewed as important now as it was decades ago.”

Jakeman echoed the sentiment, adding that “so much money is going to TV because marketers don’t understand how these new technologies work.” Thinking for a second, he opined that “it’s much easier to be disruptive in the area of entertainment.”

Another session that offered illuminating insights was the one on “Brand Nation.” Here top marketers such as Hewlett Packard’s Daina Middleton who heads the firm’s global and interactive advertising and ANA director of communications and content, Mark Fogelberg, discussed how the contemporary consumer/marketer dynamic has radically changed beyond the purchase. According to them, marketers are now looking for consumers to be advocates of their brand, while consumers want to be more than just buyers: they want to be friends. Ultimately, it’s a symbiotic relationship that reaps benefits for both sides.

“If you can help marketers help sell their target, you become a trusted partner,” said Fogelberg.

But like other sessions at the conference, the talk reverted back to solving the measurements conundrum. “If you’re building assets,” noted Middleton, “you better know what your standardized metrics are.”

Iris Dorbian From: www.MinOnline.com

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