This conference aptly displays how much marketers just don’t understand the changes that they need to adapt to, nor have thought through the response. 

October 5-8 The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, Florida

“Reinvention and Innovation” is the overall theme for this year’s conference. Come and hear how the foremost marketers are meeting the challenges–presented by a rapidly evolving marketplace–and improving their marketing communications processes. We will embrace and embellish the four core ANA strategic platforms:

• Brand Building
• Marketing & Media Communications
• Marketing Accountability
• Marketing Organization

Source: ANA Annual Conference – Masters of Marketing

When all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail. That seems to be the case for the ANA.

Below are key talking points of ANA CEO Bob Liodice’s opening keynote speech at the ANA Masters of Marketing conference. The gist? The picture says it all, but it seems to contradict the overwhelming time spent playing montages of 30-second commercial spots to the audience in the main session. However, his focus on technology and corresponding four pillars for marketing reinvention makes sense.

Source: AttentionMax

I suspected this conference was in trouble, when I noted Steve Rubel post Live blogging from ANA.  There was no technorati tag, so I searched technorati and nothing showed.  hmmm

So I tried Google Blog search, and finally success.  This is where I found AttentionMax above.  But this just confirmed for the that the conference is missing something.  Sure the customer has control of the remote, but throwing more traditional marketing at them won’t solve it!

Anyhow, this post started to redeem the speakers at least.

AG Lafley on how to deal with the fact that the consumer is in control of media and advertising consumption: “We’ve learned a paradox that the more in control we are, the more out of touch we are with our customers.”

Linda Kaplan Thaler on why “being nice” is the next wave of consumer marketing: “Being mean is so last millenium. It only takes one person to take a company down.”

But then this post, that with great pride as an ex P&G’r spoke of the speech from Lafley, P&G President.  He spoke of media fragmentation, and technology explosion, then went on to list the consumer touch point examples:

TV – most powerful, highest reach medium; best vehicle to visualize and dramatize your brand’s distinguishing characteristic

• AG showed the new Pampers commercial that focuses on emotional vs. functional benefits. It shows the empowerment that a little boy feels when he knows when he has “gone”. This enables the relationship between Mom and child and Mom and Pampers to be closer

Print – this medium is all about the power of the big idea.

• Examples illustrating this point were Ariel and Vicks print ads.

In-store – this is where most purchase decisions are made

• P&G is placing Prilosec in the snack aisle because that is the “first moment of truth” (where they are making their decisions)

Packaging – primary communication and equity vehicle. It has arguably the highest reach, highest GRP and is almost free.

Hmmm … no technology there!

Finally, this one, who clearly wants to get it, but hasn’t yet.

Marketers have problems.  Why didn’t they invite Tara, to speak on her passion.

Anyhow, will watch for more posts over next couple of days.  And ANA people … learn tagging, and Technorati so I can find you!