Top 5 Takeaways

from ad:tech sf
 What Is Ad:Tech?

For more than ten years ad:tech

has attracted media, marketing and
technology professionals who seek to
learn about the newest trends and best-
in-class case studies to succeed in this
ever-evolving digital world. ad:tech’s
global network of 10 shows in 7 markets
positions the conference as one of the
leading destinations for digital marketers
worldwide.

This is BBDO San Francisco’s

observation of the top 5 takeaways from
ad:tech SF 2011.

2
 3

Photo credit: Michael Rubottom http://www.flickr.com/photos/

michaelrubottom/sets/72157626353775587/
 Top 5 Takeaways

1 Everything is Digital

2 Social Media Influences the Entire Purchase Funnel

3 Humanize and Localize Content to Create Relevant

Consumer Experiences

4 Mobile Strategies are No Longer a “Nice To Have,”

They are a “Need To Have”

5 Social Games are More Than a Fad

4
 1 Everything Is Digital

Digital has integrated into all aspects

of the brand experience.

Brands are moving 10–30% of their

budgets toward digital spending.
Visa dismantled its digital marketing
group and integrated offline and
online activity to focus on its core
business. The move punctuated the
company’s efforts to integrate digital
across the brand.

Brands are starting to require a lot

more from their digital partners to
produce work that is tightly co-
developed instead of outsourced.
We will begin to see more
partnerships between brands and
digital partners. And even begin to
see brands evolve as digital media
platforms in their own right. The
resulting work that will be produced
will be relevant to the entire scope of
the brand.

“[Success is] if you are able to

use your digital capability to
build the totality of the brand
to satisfy financial targets”

~Antonio Lucio, CMO of Visa

6 Photo by Laura Lea Nalle
7 7

Photo credit: Michael Rubottom

 2
Social Media
Influences The Entire
Purchase Funnel

Consumers are increasingly turning

towards the social Web to guide them
through their purchase decisions.

This has disrupted the traditional purchase

funnel and created opportunities for brands
to leverage social media to build advocacy.
Brands have begun to migrate from the
funnel of “yell and sell” to “an army of
advocates.”

Brands should engage with consumers

via social media to build brand loyalty with
three principles in mind:

1 Sharing is the new giving

2 Participation is the new engagement
3 Recommendation is the new
advertising

8
9
 3 Photo by Laura Lea Nalle
Humanize and Localize
Content to Create Relevant
Consumer Experiences
In a time where consumers have deep distrust in large corporations, the best
way for brands to communicate with consumers is to show that they care and
have compassion.
Arianna Huffington quoted Craig
Newmark, stating that “Trust is the
new black” for businesses. And
showing humanity is the key to this
approach.
Humanizing is critical right now
because it has evolved to be not just
good for society, but also good for
the bottom line. Starbucks’ “Love
Project” is an example of this.
10
Content is further humanized by
being local. Marketers must embrace
the importance of localized content
to remain relevant and create a
more a personalized experience
for consumers. This trend is
especially significant because of
the growing popularity of location-
based technologies that converge
online and offline experiences. The
emergence of locally-focused digital
communities, such as AOL’s hyper-
local news blog Patch, is a prime
example of how this movement is
coming to life.
11
 4
Mobile Strategies are No
Longer a “Nice To Have,”
They are A “Need To Have”

When considering the mobile space,

marketers are asking less about
specific tactics, like apps, and more
about overarching strategies.

Mobile can extend the shelf life of

traditional campaigns or be the platform for
entirely new content and experiences.
Marketers have to decide which platforms
best serve their needs. For instance, they
can use mobile ads for awareness and
reach, but also use applications for utility
and long-term engagement.

Elements of a successful mobile

experience:

1 Ease of access to content

2 Overall usability (game mechanics
or utility)
3 Free or freemium subscription
models

12
13

13

Photo credit: IntelFreePress

 5
Social Games
are More
Than a Fad
Gaming has evolved into a huge
market in the U.S., with top
social gaming apps earning the
reach of TV’s top rated shows:

• Cityville (Zynga) averages 20MM

daily users compared to Glee’s
(FOX) 13.7MM viewers
• “Experts believe that soap
viewers, particularly stay-at-home
moms, are increasingly finding
the connection inherent to social
games far more compelling than
the goings on in Pine Valley
(fabled town of soap opera All My
Children).” –Adweek

Globally, Asia is the fastest-growing

social gaming market, driven by a
culture that embraces gaming, an
established technical infrastructure
and consumers who are receptive
to the freemium content.

Though the U.S. social gaming

market is maturing with
Facebook (platform) and Zynga
(publisher) being the dominant
players, there is a significant
opportunity for monetization:

• Currently, only 1–5% of social

games monetize their users
through advertising.
14
Photo by Plantronics 15
 WRITTEN BY
ANAR JOSHI
MELANIE WONG
AMY GILMER
JONATHAN VU

EDITED BY
EDWIN PHILOGENE

WWW.BBDO.COM
WWW.PROXIMITYWORLD.COM
WWW.DIGITALLABBLOG.COM