MEC @ Advertising Week 2014
INTRODUCTION
Advertising Week, the ultimate gathering of the world’s marketing and communications leaders, features over 250 events showcasing the industry’s best and brightest talent.The 2014 edition (AWXI) brought together the ultimate in thought leadership, turning New York City into an immersive forum of inspiring and insightful content from brands, marketers and media influencers shaping the direction of the industry today and in the future.
OVERALL, ONE THEME STOOD OUT THIS YEAR…
It’s a digital world. Advertising just lives in it. Digital is the dominant component of advertising today.
Much of this year’s conversation focused on how digital is permanently altering the advertising and marketing landscape, overtaking even some of the most credible forms of marketing, such as word of mouth. Thanks to an expanding ecosystem of devices and technologies, almost everything is becoming connected to the Internet, putting pressuring on brands to be accessible anytime, anywhere across a growing number of platforms to truly build a following and genuine relationship with consumers.
While the ever-evolving landscape may sometimes be intimidating, we must recognize and embrace reality. It has never been a more exciting and inspiring time be a marketer, with an abundance of tools available to reach and engage audiences. Brands that will thrive are those focused on delivering the right experience to the right person at the right time across the many touch points of the consumer purchase journey.
DEFINING (& REDEFINING) STORYTELLING IN A DIGITALLY-ENABLED WORLD
With the competition for audience attention tougher than ever, storytelling is among marketers’ most powerful tools. After all, the storytelling experience is fueled by emotion, engagement and social resonance.
Any brand has the ability to start a story; however, it is the element of co-creation with high-value audiences that drive deeper brandconnections and affinity. Ultimately, this level of collaboration means more to consumers than a product or service alone, and it can effectively encourage long-term loyalty and advocacy behaviors. Of course, developing compelling narratives that align with your target's interests is essential, but weaving in real-time data and insights can amplify both cultural relevance and creativity tohelp take a brand's story to another level.
Many AWXI lessons focused not on what consumers want, but what marketers need to do –be fearless. Taking risks pays off, both in lessons learned and potential successes. Marketers need to be confident, take calculated risks, make informed decisions, and not be afraid of telling real stories they believe in. The stories may not always be relatable to everyone, but then again, content meant for the masses often misses the ability to deliver true meaning.
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MEC @ Advertising Week 2014 (pdf, 1.27 Mb)