We/I/Adrants will be moderating a panel at BlogOn, called "Can Advertising Be Social?", October 18 in NYC. The panel will focus on "social media" but concentrate on weblogs as both a medium through which to advertise and as a standalone element that is part of a larger ad campaign - like the recently launched Vespa blogs or the long running Stonyfield Yogurt blogs. Even character blogs. Basically, it's a panel about how blogs fit into marketing and advertising programs. I'm looking to fill two panel slots with client-side marketers who have used blogs in their marketing mix. The agency side will be part of the panel too but that slot is filled. So if you are a marketer and want to share your insights and success at a big, two day blog conference in New York City, please express your interest in the Comments section.
The content and lineup of global advertising, media and marketing leaders have been confirmed for the initial round of keynote presentations and panels to be held during Advertising Week 2005, running September 26-30, 2005 in New York. Comedian Jon Stewart and PBS's Charlie Rose join Maurice Levy, Andrew Robertson, Marc Lefar, Lee Clow, Alex Bogusky, David Lubars and others as confirmed speakers. Additional speakers and program content will be announced shortly.
Infinity Broadcasting will podcast and stream audio content from select events.
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In an ironic twist, the industry that is currently attempting to regain cred among, well, everyone, the advertising industry recently launched an ad campaign to promote Advertising Week using the oldest trick in the book: sex. Created by DDB Worldwide, the ad, which promotes the industry's upcoming Advertising Week in September pictures a faceless woman with in a red bra and black top with her breasts bulging outward and the copy, "Advertising. We All Do It," positioned directly beneath the woman's cleavage.
Predictably, many are up in arms over the ad citing it as sexist, moronic and tired. All true but, then again, when has sex ever been in danger of not selling something. Whether it's to titalate guys or to piss of women, sex-laced campaigns featuring scantily clad women whose breasts are spilling forth, uncontrollably, from of their tops unquestionably draw attention and get the media to write about it, thereby, accomplishing a campaigns primary goal of awareness despite negative reaction.
Indicative of the spineless nature of industry, neither the client nor the agency are stepping up to the plate in reaction to this ad with both sides referring inquiries to the other as if the ad were a pair of skid-marked underwear.
Bring sanity back to the saga, Bartle Bogle Hegarty Global Chief Marketing Officer and Director of Advertising Week Cindy Gallop told Ad Age, "I see the campaign as funny and entertaining. Advertising is something we all do without thinking. The fact is a woman opening an extra button on her blouse for a date is a very regular occurrence." You go, Cindy!
As ad:tech Chicago wound down, exhibitors disassembled booths faster than a prima dona diva account director whisks in and out of a status meeting. While there were 2,500 attendees at this year's Chicago event, up from 2,000 in 2004, the exhibit hall never seemed crowded. Perhaps, we have dmg world media conference planners to thank for perfect crowd flow control.
In the end, the hotel bars, hallways and lobby were full of people making deals, swapping contact info and planning their next product or campaign launch. Chicago might be over but before we know it, we'll be in New York in November for the next ad:tech extravaganza.
Yesterday, the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) held their first Metrics conference, called "Measuring Word of Mouth," at the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago. The conference, which sold out in 20 days mostly due to word of mouth and followed the organization's founding conference several month ago, focused on the the measurement aspects of word of mouth marketing including the introduction of metrics terminology.
The genesis of the conference was the organizations acknowledgment that everyone in the industry was talking about word of mouth but had no common terminology. The groups three goals for the conference were to develop a common language of word of mouth related terms and definitions, figure out how to measure and track word of mouth and learn how to integrate word of mouth with other forms of marketing media. In developing these goals, WOMMA CEO Andy Sernovitz the measurement framework must "avoid pre-existing marketing terms, avoid bias towards online media and avoid bias towards active word of mouth campaigns versus organic, day-to-day word of mouth."
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The Chicago ad:tech party scene Monday night was much more subdued than San Francisco and New York shows. The evening kicked off with the traditional Tribal Fusion post-exhibit cocktail and munchies party held at the back of the the Sheraton exhibit hall. Great tasting Tribal Fusion branded beer was served along with fried finger food. We spent some time speaking with United Virtualities' Director of Channel Partnerships Natalia Scalia who made the trip to ad:tech from Argentina and Miami-based Nearly Natural Business Development Manager Stephen Wechsler who, apparently, has had to make it habit, when handing out his business card, to clarify his company deals with flowers, not breast implants. After discussions regarding ooqa ooqa, shoshkeles and silk flowers, we headed upstairs to the ad:tech speakers reception held in one of the hotel's bars.
 At the speakers reception, we spent some time chatting with ad:tech Chair Susan Bratton, BlogAds Founder Henry Copeland, ad:tech Director of Marketing and Conferences Cindi Gallucci, DoubleClick Director of Research Rick Bruner and TechVenue.com Founder David Flint. The company was great, the river view pleasing and the libations relaxing.
After the speaker party, we headed to dinner with comScore Marketing Solutions Manager Graham Mudd and Rick Bruner. The name of the restaurant escapes the mind right now but the food was excellent. (It was Shaw's Restaurant) We discussed some weblog related research the two are working on which will be released in the hear future.
Finishing dinner, our group walked around the corner to the Chicago Interactive Marketing Association party held at the Rock Bottom Brewery which turned out the be the night's biggest party. We ran into United Virtualities' Scalia again who seemed to have attracted the attention of a guy dressed Hawaiian style. We left that one alone. Held on the rooftop, it was crowded, hot and humid but amusing enough to stick around for a bit if only to observe the length grown men and women will go to gain entry into what they, apparently, perceived to be the hippest spot in town.
Slithering out from between sweaty bodies, we cabbed it over to Chicago's First Lady, a river boat docked at Michigan and Wacker for the Tribal Fusion party. Sadly, there weren't too many people there so our stay was brief. Compared to the New York and San Francisco Bluelithium blowouts, Monday night's events were, for sure, quite subdued in comparison.
UPDATE: According Sean in comments, we didn't stay long enough at the Tribal Fusion party to experience the unplanned, two hour cruise the boat took late at night.
 Close to Mid-Chest On the gaspedal weblog, there's a few tips for ad:tech conference attendees to take to heart to improve the conference going experience. While the obvious tips like show your badge to how to meet people to travel tips are there, some less obvious but more helpful tips are listed as well. While we might not agree with this one because it takes the fun out of crowded exhibit hall floors, gaspedal suggests booth babes are for idiots calling the practice one which would appeal to 14 year old morons living in the un-PC 70's. Other gems include the "boob alert" which states a mid-chest placed conference name tag on a woman isn't an invitation for a full body visual exam and the "rude alert" which claims answering a cell phone in the middle of a conversation is very bad form.
Preconceived notions the session entitled "Kick Ass Creative" would be drenched in self-congratulatory praise for pet creative work and new age strategies were clearly confirmed. The session, led by Ad Age Publishing VP and Editorial Director David Klein, included panelists Carat Interactive EVP Creative Director Mike Yapp, Agency.com Creative Director Dorian Sweet, Avenue A/Razorfish ECD Brooke Nanberg and Organic Inc. ECD Colleen DeCourcy.
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Either, sadly, there's not much in the way of social events going on Monday night at ad:tech Chicago 2005 or we just haven't been informed of all events. We do know Tribal Fusion is hosting an invite-only networking event from 8P to midnight aboard Chicago's First Lady. The boat is docked near Michigan Avenue at Wacker Drive. The Chicago Interactive Marketing Association, along with Leapfrog Online, is hosting a party at the Rock Bottom Brewery Gold Room and Rooftop (One West Grand) from 6:30P to 1:30A. The first 300 guests will get open bar and a free buffet.
UPDATE: Commission Junction is hosting an early party at Sushi Samba's Rooftop Lounge at 504 North Wells Street beginning at 6PM. Open bar until 7:30P but it's invite only so stop by their booth for an invite. Be nice. They can't invite everyone.
Each conference requires the ubiquitous booth babe coverage if only to reinforce the notion that ad:tech is about advertising and, in advertising, it's well known sex does sell. As before, SEO Inc. hired several beautiful women to attract attendees to its booth so its search engine optimization services could be described. From the throngs of people swarming the booth, the strategy, once again, has paid off.
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