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