Ruminations Over ad:tech Chicago, and ad:tech in General

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I was trying to think how I could adequately top off my ad:tech Chicago coverage but have been admittedly hard-pressed, mainly because one speaker in my last seminar, Actions Speak Louder Than Clicks: Exploring the New Laws of Relationship Marketing, reminded me of Dr. Strangelove, and that singular thought wouldn't go away.

This is the third ad:tech I've been to. One thing I noticed about each respective conference is the variation in social culture - yes, even marketing culture can be segmented.

I'm probably in no position to talk about San Francisco, because after all, those are my people. But Miami definitely had an exotic tango-in-the-night flare, and Chicago - "that toddlin' town," as Tony Bennett said - recalls an industrial Florence, except without the whole "city-is-sinking" aspect (thought it may well be).

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A great thing about hitting all the different ad:techs is you get to draw a sense of what marketers from different sides of the game are concerned about - often an invaluable lesson in how we, the hype-peddlers, are more susceptible than your average consumer to our own incendiary travaux.

In SF, a mere three months ago, everybody was twittering about viral and this whole "new media" thing. In Miami, there was a strong concern about hitting the Latin market - one I'd like to see reverberate across the whole of the marketing community.

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Guys, this isn't a demo we can afford to hit late - not when one in every four people in the US is of Latin descent. (In case you're curious, it's late already, so get to work!)

In Chicago there was a clear sense of ease with the New Media disease (or not?) that so ravaged San Francisco. People were more concerned with the particulars; namely, video and mobile. And I was surprised to find a newfound interest in the online marketing basics, like search engine marketing.

When in doubt, it's a good rule of thumb to go back to the basics and master them.

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As in SF and Miami, I spent most of my time sucking in the city and gawking at ads (I'm kind of obsessed). Steve gave me a fresh-printed box of Adrants business cards and, freshly armed with printed legitimacy, we ran amock.

If you followed Steve's posts you already know we did the bar-hopping scene, laughed about people who all wore the same variations on button-downs and distressed jeans, compared the scariest of the immaculate beards and laughed about the Spam King. And, of course, we all went to bed at an ungodly hour.

That aside, the city's gorgeous, and I've still got Tony Bennett in my ears. Catch you again in New York!

Written by Angela Natividad    Comments (6)     Aug- 5-07  
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Comments

Remind me to tell you my Tony Bennett story.

Posted by: Paul Drago on August 6, 2007 12:20 AM

you can almost smell the smoke in our latest major TV programs we are sponsoring this summer.
Mad Men on AMC is a huge success. Despite a product placed in virtually every scene not a single peep from Washington! Proof that we are now a strong part of the Fourth Branch of Govmint.

Our latest secret deal requires that a smoke, an ashtray, a cigarette pack or an actual scene showing the product being used by authoritative veryt successful people in every scene is part of our black bag ad campaign!

If there is even a single peep about our new ad campaign grave consequences may well result. mums the word...we need this TV show sponsorship thing...any questions? OK, stfu, we also spend huge $ on anti-smoker awareness just to keep us front of mind with the kids...so there we are, so under the radar. Muhahhahahaaa!

Posted by: Mo on August 6, 2007 12:13 PM

Mo, you is scary.

Posted by: Angela on August 6, 2007 01:01 PM

Please tell me you're kidding about "that toddlin' town" and Tony Bennett. If not, get thee hence to a Frank Sinatra album, preferably the Reprise collection.

Posted by: Matt K on August 6, 2007 02:42 PM

Way ahead of you - Sinatra led me to Tony!

Posted by: Angela on August 6, 2007 02:45 PM

I attended the same session and I appreciated the dr. strangelove reference. But for me, I felt like I kept hearing the Gecko from the Geicho commercials.

Posted by: Steve G on August 6, 2007 02:51 PM

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