CONFERENCE RECAPS

The Industry is Evolving The Cision World Tour 2017 stopped in NYC this week at the Whitby hotel to talk to PR practitioners about the current trends of Communications in this digital era, and how we, ask PR pros, can do our part to keep up with the ever-changing media landscape. As we move forward, we can see DATA becoming a substantial part of the conversation when discussing media. The cold hard facts and the numbers to support claims is what PR"ist" must have and understanding of, in order to plan, and measure effectively. In PR, it is no longer enough to use the generic model, when you had one-one access to members of the press to share a message. Currently, we are basically required to depend on insights that are data-driven to support our campaigns, the data and the research are the building blocks to an effective campaign. This fact, in my opinion, is very interesting because as I grew closer to the PR field, developing my skills, I somewhat watched the c...

Telling the story is the most important part of effective communication: No matter what you are communicating, you have to be able to tell the story, in order for the information to be delivered and received effectively, and this seminar shared a variety of methods to choose from. Led by Chris Bacon, EVP of Research and Innovation at the ARF, this two-part program taught: The importance of storytelling The elements of a great story Useful methods to tell a compelling story All points that are very useful to me in my career. As a PR practitioner, I am required to be a natural born storyteller. I have to take whatever information I have, integrate in trend and relevant points, and make it impossible to be ignored. I have to make it interesting while sticking to the mantra of: Short. Simple. To The Point Understanding the importance of these factors, and being able to reference them in my day-to-day task has already improved my writ...

Todd Allen, VP Global Marketing at Stella Artois, shares the importance of ROE (return on experience) and how AB InBev wants to monetize experiential marketing to become an entertainment business. Interview with  Todd Allen ( VP Global Marketing, Stella Artois) Interviewer Lukas Derksen (Managing Partner,  Sid Lee) People’s perception and expectations have changed about a premium brand in last couple of years. Previously being expensive was enough, but now that's not good enough in terms of how consumers view premium. You need to have style and substance both. You can’t just be expensive, you have to be worth it. And the biggest shift we have seen over the past couple of years is that consumers value experiences more than material possessions “ providing unforgettable experiences — and capitalizing on the content that comes from it — will grow both brand equity and the bottom line.” What does experienced economy mean to you? The challenge f...

ARF Annual Conference Insights Changes Everything The ARF Annual Conference, (aka Re!Think) is the destination for the world’s insights, analytics, and marketing leaders providing unparalleled discovery, networking, and inspiration. 1.      Innovate or Get Out! How to stay relevant in business when your competition flies at start-up speed. Industry leaders share how they are implementing a startup discipline and best practices in their companies, and the payoffs. Speakers: -        Charles Buchwalter – President & CEO, Symphony Advanced Media -        Jeffrey Graham – Global Director, Sales Research, Twitter; Board Member, The ARF; -        Steven Rosenblatt – President, Foursquare; Board Member, The ARF -        Kristy Vance, Ph.D. – Global Director, Media Insights, Unilever -        Mo...

Ad Week 2016. 9.26- 9.30 Seth Godin | Getting In Touch With The Work That Matters Speaker: Seth Godin, Author, Entrepreneur, and Marketer Seth starts by explaining that to tell a story as a marketer, empathy is necessary. Clients own a factory and they require agencies to do more- sell more, create more awareness, achieve more impressions and likes, and share more. Clients want more so that they can achieve growth in the business. Reaching for “more” in the industry has led to average products for average people, also called mass advertising. Clients are spending millions of dollars in advertising and they are determined to solve consumer’s problems. Examples are cold medicine or water. How many different bottle water does a person need? How many “new” and average products can solve a customer’s need? Instead of focusing on the “average”, there should be a focus on developing new, and innovative products. In addition, Seth explained how an average customer’s memory is ...