Ryan and I recently returned from ad:tech Chicago, and I thought I’d add my two cents to Ryan’s summation. As a warning, this post has two parts which, although related, could be completely separate posts. Accordingly, I’ll save you the pain of attempting to create a lame analogy in an effort to connect the two topics and just split it up.

Part 1) Clay Shirky Was Awesome.

Part 2) Case Studies.

Continue reading "“If It’s Being Discussed, It’s Marketing” & Case Studies from ad:tech"

With the Olympics in full swing, Nike has gone all out to promote their vast new lineup of products and the innovative technology behind them.

But rather than rely solely on classic Nike advertising with hardcore athletes doing their thing to a rocking soundtrack, they’ve rounded out their advertising strategy with an impressive, in-depth collection of conversations with the people behind the Nike magic - product designers, engineers and scientists in the Nike Lab.

Continue reading "Nike’s Branded Storytelling"

Nearly 60 percent of the respondents to a recent McKinsey global survey reported satisfaction with Web 2.0 initiatives and see them as a driver of competitive advantage. The McKinsey Global Survey Results on Building the Web 2.0 Enterprise (free with registration) also reported that these same companies expect to increase their efforts inleveraging these tools.

The report also highlights that this is bigger than just PR or marketing - companies are adapting their organizational structure and process to better take advantage of social tools.

This isn’t always an easy task for traditional companies; but some are recognizing that increasing their use of collaborative tools both internally and externally is a valuable endeavor.  Peter Kim puts it well: "Social technologies are bigger than just marketing and PR campaigns.  They’re helping to reinvent the organization.  Companies satisfied with their experience with Web 2.0 technologies are applying them within change management practices and organizational structures. Companies are using new tools to reconnect with customers for co-creation and collaboration. ‘Reconnecting,’ you ask?  Yes, the way businesses started and survived long before advertising as we hate it existed."

Digital marketing is at an unprecedented stage today. Never before has such a rich and immersive set of tools spanned across media to allow companies and consumers to interact. And where marketing was once segregated to individual media - print, television, radio - digital marketing has smashed these silos to allow a new kind of persuasive digital storytelling to emerge. 

This transition is not without it’s struggles, and for two days in Chicago last week, digital marketers from across the country gathered for the latest AdTech conference to discuss what’s working and what still needs to improve.

Continue reading "Blending Creativity and Technology in Digital Marketing at AdTech"

Another great thing about working at Viget is that we each get a conference budget of $100k every year. Kidding, it’s not $100k--but old man humor lives on.

Anyhow, Ryan and I will be using said conference budget to attend this year’s ad:tech in Chicago. And when it comes to digital marketing, it’s the only place to be, when you think about it. The conference begins next Tuesday, August 5 and lasts all the way until August 6 at ye olde Navy Pier.  The list of speakers looks great, and I’m really looking forward to cramming as much into my head as possible.

ad:tech seems to be past the "What is social media?" stage and instead—judging from the talk titles—it looks like the discussion will require at least a "New Media 101" prerequisite. I’m sure we will learn a lot!

If you’re going, let us know--or email Josh when you’re there, or feel free to follow all the conference goodness on Ryan’s Twitter stream, which will be on overdrive during the event. We’re looking forward to letting you know how it goes!