Marketing Week AMI Blog

Final Day

Michael Ewer — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 01:06:17 +0000

Jenny Williams never ceases to impress me, is digital marketing recession proof? that’s something that we would all love to be. Jenny drew the comparison on the dinosaurs and that their failure to evolve was a contribution to their demise. The facts are that digital is often such a small percentage of overall ad spend and that the traceability of the media result in many in business not taking it with the seriousness that it deserves. How often is the website or email campaign given to the marketer or even the office junior as an extra duty? this results in it not having the focus that it deserves.

So….. Is digital marketing recession proof? No, but it IS recession resistant. To know why, you should have been here.

Malcolm Auld fills the room

Michael Ewer — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 06:25:23 +0000

For the first time in Marketing week history we have had over 200 delegates to a non-lunch event. Malcolm Auld reminded us of why this was the case, with his witty and insightful thoughts on the new media landscape. Asking the questions of how many of us are journalists or copywriters but are left to twitter, blog, run the social network site or write newsletters to our most important listener, our customer.

All of these ‘new media’ tools still rely on the basic principals of Direct Marketing, it may be that we do it in a new distribution channel but the core still remains the same.

Welcome back Auntie

Michael Ewer — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 06:20:28 +0000

Today’s lunch session on the innovations in the online area of the ABC showed how we have not just allowed the ABC back into our lives but welcomed her back with open arms. The range of ‘products’ now available to a wider audience show just how relevant this network is to us.

Day 3 so far

Michael Ewer — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:59:53 +0000

Usually by this stage at marketing Week I start thinking, STOP!! my brain is full, I cant take any more, but not yet at least. i think that would come from this mornings presentations.

Our breakfast session tracked the media landscape in Australia over the past few years, with Patrick Baume telling us that much of the noise eminatign from some media over declines, perhaps could be taken with a grain of salt as it is primarly driven from a drop in revinue as marketing and advertising budgets have dried up a little. Its not that the viewers or readers have gone south.

Peter Harris from Colmar Brunton’s session livened the room with a suggestion that we should take advice from Vanilla Ice, who can forget his 1989 hit where he tells us to… Stop, Collaborate and listen. Great advice for market researchers and even more so marketers.

Day 2 Continued

Michael Ewer — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:47:18 +0000

Not often does the media landscape change as much as it did this year, with the introduction of the new free to air channels to the Australian audience. Gus Seebeck from Network 10 had the enviable task of developing a new brand, only in some of our wildest dreams do we have such an opportunity to develop a whole new brand identity and see it thrive. Through research and listening to the potential markets, “One HD” was created, with 60 million capital expenditure and the statement of “Sport lives here” makes even an anti sport pwerson like me think of switching over, at least to see what all the fuss is about.

The Deloitte story over lunch was an amazing example of listening to the internal voice, not of yourself but of your staff and intermediaries. How they are happy to not only discuss the great things they do but also the dumb things they do.

The afternoon had some great examples of mobile advertising and how to drive traffic from various sources to your mobile media. A final wrap from Dr Tim Cooper, and I have always liked to end my day with a Coopers so hearing how they have been affected by the GFC (hereby known as Timmothy) as suggested by one of our speakers so that it looses its threat.

Anatomy of day 1

Michael Ewer — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:37:03 +0000

I am sure that the start of marketing week each year allows us to all breathe a little better and easier, at least for a little while.

The breakfast sessions are always an interesting indicator as to how well the whole week will go, everybody awake and keen to see what others have been experiencing in their worlds.

Peter Steidi from Mindshare reminded us of the quantity of purchases that are habitual, up to 85% but through tough times, consumers have a greater level of uncertainty.

Key lessons included
Research to find out how the consumers feel about your brand or product
Immerse yourself into the market
Trust, in your brand and your consumers

Our key note speaker, Catherine Eddy showed us the variations within nations, with a focus on South East Asia and what a diverse market that can be with its own set of challenges.

Kim Boehm drew quite a crowd, with stating what could almost appear to be the obvious “when in doubt, ask the customers” such a simple idea but what great results when you ask your market what they think or feel.

The awards lunch was another highlight of the day with a presentation from Justine Milne from Telstra. The lunch also included the South Australian Awards for Excellence, with a hotly contested batch of awards being handed out to some of South Australia’s hottest marketers.

Anybody that attended Brett Minchington’s session on employer branding may have been left with feelings of exhaustion. Bretts energy and enthusiasm for marketing staff becoming involved with Human Resources was astounding. Good thing there were energy drinks on tap after the session.

Wrapping the night up with a presentation from Graeme Hugo, blowing our minds with trends in population and demography, a delight for all the statistics buffs out there.

Day 2 at Marketing week

Michael Ewer — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:49:58 +0000

OK, so half way there. What a ride so far, which worked well for the first session in the morning with James Rickard from KWP! asking us to “hold on tight” such a great thought for current times, if only we had thought of that 12 months ago and that the powers that be had the same idea. The last 12 months has been quite an up and down ride, just think of the roller coaster and that at the top of the ride you see what is below you and worry about the drop, you don’t go and jump out now do you? there is only one thing that happens when you do that. the idea is that you hang on like hell and ride the ups and downs, and sure there is lots of screaming but the buzz you get when its over makes it all worth while.

more soon on day 2

Less than a month to go

Michael Ewer — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 02:04:56 +0000

Its nearly August and Marketing week 2009 is almost here. I think back to 12 months ago and the journey we have gone on to get to here. I am so pleased that we took on the challenge of the theme of a Marketing led recovery ~ we took the Charge on approach ourselves. The initial meetings of the organising committee had a few of us concerned as to how well our great conference would do in a financially challenging time. Will there be any marketing folks left? will they have budget to go to a conference? all those sorts of questions were raised, well we have made it, there are still plenty of hard working marketing folks out there and so far it looks as if budgets for high quality information are still on the priority list.

Each year I look at the program and wonder who it is that I want to see most of all, who are the ‘do not miss’ speakers? this year its getting pretty hard, I cant think of any that I can do without, none that I will just skip on back to work or go out and fire off some emails and not mind if I miss the session.

More and more, Marketing week is driven by the high quality speakers and this year is no different, August ~ Charge on!