As a recent college graduate, I’m always interested in career-related articles, like “the top-paying jobs for people in their 20s” or “the most popular majors for Generation Y.” So when I saw iMedia Connection’s list of the 5 hottest job opportunities in digital marketing, curiosity struck and I clicked.

Good news for SRDS.com users. Digital media planner made the list!

According to the article, “While the traditional media planner of yesteryear is somewhat of a one-person department (or even merely a name on a list of approved outsource vendors), the digital media planner and buyer might be part of a department in the making.”

But while digital media planner is a hot career, that doesn’t necessarily make the industry any easier to break into. Read on for 7 things you need to read to help you get the digital media planner job of your dreams.

1. What is Media Planning? – Walk before you run. Let us give you the basics on media planning. Simply put, it’s one of the four key disciplines within advertising, along with account management, brand planning and developing creative. Typically media planning is a role that falls to an outside agency, but some companies choose to keep it in-house. More >>
2. Digital Media Planning Guidelines – Last year, our friends at Milward Brown analyzed the evidence from several of their studies to create straightforward, evidenced-based guidelines for marketers who want to make the most effective use of digital media as part of an integrated campaign. It’s a must-read for any on in the online advertising space. More >>
3. 7 Best Practices for Digital Media Planning - There’s no reason to fear digital if you’ve done your homework, says Ginny Ewing, one of our in-house digital experts. Smart planning, smart targeting, as well as relevant and powerful creative are your best tools to fight the fear. More >>
4. Top 5 Marketable Skills for New Media Planners and Buyers – It’s nice to hear that digital media planner is one of the hottest jobs right now, but do you have the skills needed to land the role? We asked SRDS.com users, “What advice would you give to new graduates looking for a media job at an agency?” More >>
5. Our 40 Favorite Websites on Media, Advertising & More – When you’re in the business of loving media, staying up-to-date with industry news, tips and trends isn’t just optional, it’s a necessary obsession – and a fun one at that! Check out the favorite industry newsletters/sites of Kantar Media SRDS employees at the link.
6. Media Planning in 2013 – At the end of 2012, Jacki Premak shared her predictions for what the changing world of media planning would be like this year as well as recommendations and considerations to keep in mind. Her main takeaway: Media planning in 2013 will consist of innovations and opportunities mixed with the everyday challenges we’re all accustomed to. More >>
7. How To Find the Best Digital Advertising Opportunities - Ad pros know that time is money when you’re crafting a campaign. While Google can be great for basic information, it can be frustrating to use when you’re looking for advertising opportunities for your plan. Simply put, website ad rates are hard to find through a search engine. Find out how to easily get the right information on digital ad opportunities here.

Have a question about the role Kantar Media SRDS has in the digital advertising world? Let us know.

Our data team strives to provide users with the most updated media planning data within SRDS.com. In April, the team made a total of 8,501 updates to the SRDS.com databases with the largest chunk of updates coming from the business publication database. Here's the full breakdown:

• 1,921 newspaper updates
• 54 out-of-home updates
• 409 TV & cable updates
• 717 radio updates
• 1,207 digital updates
• 3,343 business publications updates
• 850 consumer magazine updates

We know that current data matters, so log in and check out some of the changes!

Did you know that srds.com helps agencies and marketers keep pace with all types of Latino-targeted multimedia? Our Hispanic Media and Market Source™ print service offers everything media planners and buyers need to develop an integrated marketing campaign to communicate with this market effectively.

That’s why when we saw this just-released infographic from Scarborough, we had to share it. Based on a custom study commissioned by AHAA and AARP, the image identifies the different business opportunities within the generationally diverse Hispanic population. Specifically, it highlights how marketers and ad agencies can effectively reach Hispanic millennials, Generation Xers and Baby Boomers by recognizes cross-generational differences and cultural orientation.

Here are three interesting tidbits.

1. Hispanic consumers are more likely to travel abroad than non-Hispanics. Hispanic Baby Boomers are 22% more likely than Hispanic Millennials to travel outside the U.S.
2. Hispanic consumers are 77% more likely than non-Hispanics to plan to switch wireless providers in the next twelve months.
3. Hispanic Baby Boomers are 73% more likely than their Hispanic Millennial counterparts to have life insurance policies.

Download the full report here or take a look at top-level findings in the infographic below.

If the chart above is any indication, the digital music space is overflowing with options for anyone looking to stream some tunes. From music video site Vevo, to free music streaming service Songza, to the interactive Internet radio service Slacker, the digital music options are truly unlimited.

But according to Kantar Media SRDS employees, there’s a clear favorite among the pack.

Pandora is the most used Internet music service among our employees with iTunes trailing as a far second. Pandora is a top automated music recommendation service that has been around and digital for more than a decade. Its top perk is that when you listen to your favorite song or band, the site mines through its Music Genome Project database to find songs with musical similarities to your choice. Pandora offers users two subscription plans: free/ad-supported and fee-based/no ads.

Even though the online radio business is crowded, that isn’t stopping social networks and other digital companies from trying to grab some market share. Last week, Twitter made an announcement that it’s launching an iPhone app that helps users find music that's trending on Twitter and songs based on the artists/bands you follow. Whether the app will make a big splash remains to be seen, but it doesn’t look like any online radio service will top Pandora anytime soon for those working at Kantar Media SRDS.

How do you listen to music digitally?

Our team understands the value of current media planning data and they work hard to update listings every single day. In March, the team updated 8,045 SRDS.com listings bringing the 2013 total to 32,581 updates.

Here’s how last month breaks down:

• 2,757 business publications updates
• 2,080 newspaper updates
• 927 TV & cable updates
• 918 consumer magazine updates
• 887 digital updates
• 381 radio updates
• 95 out-of-home updates

We know that current data matters, so take a moment to log in and check out some of the changes!

This week, I had the opportunity to host another Media Mixology event in NYC, bringing together the SRDS community of media buyers and sellers. We networked, enjoyed some hospitality and heard a few insights from industry professionals, Mary Poscik of G2, Kevin Moeller of Media Behavior Institute and Ki Mae Heussner of GigaOm.

This event was actually a make-good because we had to postpone it from November in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. But despite the rescheduling, more than 100 professionals showed.

The discussion centered on the challenges agencies face when integrating emerging media into our clients’ plans, and how agency professionals can be better partners for their clients.

In prepping for the discussion, I was struck by the number of big headlines that have occurred in our industry in the last three months since we postponed. It made me appreciate even more the challenge agencies and marketers face as they try to stay ahead of the consumer’s ever-changing habits.

Across the media research, advertising and technology landscape there have been a number of big headlines:

• In Media Research: Consolidation of audience media measurement firms continues, as Nielsen announced its plans to buy Arbitron and the industry weighs the benefits of single source providers.
• In Technology: The mobile wars continued to escalate with Apple introducing a new iPhone and a mini tablet, Microsoft releasing Surface Pro, Samsung gaining traction with Galaxy, and now RIM is seriously pursuing a comeback with its latest (and strongly reviewed) Blackberry.
• In Digital Media: Facebook has introduced a whole new media: social search. Now there is speculation that they will acquire Atlas ad server technology from Microsoft to help super-size their display ad business.
• And in TV: This time of year, the entire ad industry is watching new campaigns break on the big screen for major events like Golden Globes, the Super Bowl, the Grammys and the Oscars. But how many of us have already seen these ads on the smaller screen? That’s why we also have to watch social media, especially the Twitterverse for analysis and ROI insights. And so not surprisingly, Twitter announces the acquisition of Social TV researcher Blue Fin Labs.

And that’s just the big stuff.

Through all of this, marketers don’t just expect their agency partners to stay on top of news coverage and understand the changing players as well as their new line-up of offerings. No, what marketers really need is help in understanding how their audiences are adopting and using these new technologies and how their behavior is being measured. They are anxiously relying on us to advise them how to participate in this new environment, while still doing our day jobs.

It’s a major opportunity and a reason why we love being part of our dynamic media industry. It’s how each of us keeps learning – and pushing our clients to try new things. And it’s why we all want to come together at these events, share ideas on what’s working, or not, and blow off a little steam.

Thanks to our speakers, Mary, Kevin and Ki Mae. Thanks to our sponsors for making the event possible. Thanks for spending some time talking with me and the SRDS team about your new challenges. Thanks for giving me a reason to stop and reflect on what’s happening so quickly. It’s why we love media.

Once again, our friends at San Diego State University put together a helpful video on how to use SRDS.com, specifically the SRDS Business Publication Media database.

You might remember the video they created last year on SRDS Local Market Audience Analyst™ (LMAA). This new video is just as useful for both SRDS.com beginners and experts looking to brush up their skills.

Marketers and advertisers use the SRDS Business Publication Media database when searching for media planning data on trade media, including websites, publications and direct marketing lists. Organized by vertical market, the Business Media database helps you easily find the right b-to-b media that meets your needs. It includes:

• 5,000+ trade publications
• 5,000+ b-to-b websites
• 25,000+ direct marketing lists
• 80+ media brands with iPad and tablet apps at the SRDS Tablet Media Library
• Over 190 market classifications

Watch the walkthrough at the university’s website if you need to refresh your SRDS.com searching skills. Our thanks to Brittany Cronin and the entire SDSU Tutorial Development Team!

For years, many businesses focused their marketing and advertising efforts at a national level. But with the rise of social media, search and mobile, the game has changed. It’s clear that the key to cost-effectively reaching your best prospects is to laser-target campaigns and go local. In fact, an updated BIA/Kelsey forecast expects advertising revenue for all local media to reach $147.1 billion by 2016, at a 2.1% annual growth rate.

On the surface it may seem difficult to adapt a national marketing plan for a local market, but the creative itself doesn't necessarily need to change too much. It's all about determining how to best make it resonate for that audience and more importantly, where to place it so it reaches your target audience. Many marketers use SRDS.com to get the data they need to make informed decisions about local advertising opportunities. Here's why:

1. Any Media Type: Access detailed information on every available media property that accepts advertising, including websites, newspapers, radio stations, TV & cable stations, magazines and out-of-home opportunities.
2. Every Market: Conduct a DMA drilldown with comprehensive local media data for all 210 DMAs across the U.S.
3. Background Check: Research new markets with consumer demographic data.
4. Due Diligence: Even if you work with an outside agency, guarantee that they are selecting the right ad opportunities for your brand in markets you may be unfamiliar with.
5. Actionable Data: Listings include all the data points you need to compile a plan, including rates, contact info, audience metrics and much more.
6. Smart Spending: Small businesses, retailers and restaurants all use SRDS.com to find innovative and affordable ad placements that go beyond the budget-breaking TV buy.
7. Ask Around: Don’t miss out on this unique service. Marketers from Kohls, Dr Pepper, Crate & Barrel, Shoe Carnival and possibly your direct competitors already rely on SRDS.

See SRDS in action and let us know how we can help with your local marketing needs.

Each and every day, our data team makes hundreds of updates to the media planning data on SRDS.com. They’ve already started 2013 on a high note.

Our data team made 7,686  updates to our SRDS databases. Here's the breakdown:

• 1,750  newspaper updates
• 332 out-of-home updates
• 275 TV & cable updates
• 1,227 radio updates
• 1,263 digital updates
• 1,673 business publications updates
• 1,166 consumer magazine updates

We know that current data matters, so take a moment to log in and check out some of the changes!

Media buyers/planners and media companies are increasingly promoting the efficiency of the video media kit. In the SRDS planning platform,  you may have noticed that we’ve added more video media kits in the past few months. Here’s why.

Media buyers are often too busy to meet face-to-face with media companies and don’t want to request and read through pages of media kits. A two-minute video media kit trumps a 25-page print media kit every time.

On the media side, companies are increasingly using videos to deliver a consistent, focused message in an engaging and dynamic medium. Brand portfolios are more complex now than ever. Most media brands have multiple formats. There’s a website, an app, a tablet publication and the list goes on and on. With a video media kit, publishers can give a quick topline overview of all their advertising and marketing opportunities. It’s like bringing an editor and publisher on every sales call.

SRDS Video Media Kits work by pulling a media brand’s existing video into a simple interface that appears in their SRDS listing and search results. A brand’s SRDS Video Media Kit can even be used on the brand’s own website and social media channels.

Here are five of our newest video media kits:

1. WNBC NYC
2. Campus Media Group
3. BH&G
4. CRN
5. RMI Direct

Media Companies: Do you have a good video aimed at media buyers you want in your SRDS listing?

If you’re interested in adding this service or other SRDS Marketing Services to your SRDS profile, contact Tara Clifford.

Marketers and agencies must drastically transform their mobile advertising strategy in 2013 if they want to succeed.

According to a new study from Forrester, seven out of ten mobile users say that automatically served in-app advertisements are disruptive. Two-thirds of respondents label these ads as annoying and 88% say they aren’t engaging.

This study is one of many I’ve seen this year confirming that mobile ads aren’t resonating with consumers. Most of these reports call out mobile ads for not being relevant, interesting or valuable to the user. For example, in November, we posted about an Adobe survey, which found that 45% of respondents prefer to see an ad in their favorite print magazine versus the 0% that prefers to see an ad in a mobile app.

For agencies and marketers, effectively using mobile advertising is both a major challenge and an opportunity in 2013. Mobile cannot be overlooked. Each brand needs a unique approach on this channel for many reasons, but for starters because it’s here to stay.

Here’s what you need to know to convince execs that a mobile strategy is no longer optional: 

Mobile has quickly become the media platform of choice for Millennials. Smartphones allow us to stay in constant contact with friends and family, have ready access to data and information and be able to be productive or relax at any given moment. If you’re looking to reach Millennials, mobile is the way to do it.

Consumers now use mobile phones to purchase products more than ever. This Cyber Monday, mobile transactions accounted for 22% of online sales, an increase of 100% over last year. Retailers cannot overlook this trend.

The good news is that at the very least, most companies are considering a mobile marketing strategy. Some have actually done a phenomenal job using apps, mobile-optimized websites and smartphone deals to reach consumers. But there’s still a long way to go.

According to the TNS Mobile Life study for 2012, many Chief Marketing Officers say it’s no longer OK for companies and marketers to just watch and wait. Experimentation is central to the mobile approach for many brands, with an emphasis on ‘learning by doing’ across marketing and business operations. Urgency is the keyword here.

In order to stay relevant and reach consumers, marketers and agencies must research, plan, develop and execute on their mobile strategies. And after it’s all said and done, they must find a way to serve users ads that aren’t annoying, obtrusive or irrelevant. It may be tough, but it’s necessary.

Another key point from the Forrester study for marketers/agencies to know is that:

“A significant portion of mobile users were open to mobile ad targeting based upon their personal interests (49%) and current location (43%).”

Consumers tolerate ads that have some sort of tie-in to where they live or what interests them. But with the rise of “Do Not Track” and Ad Choices, which allow users to opt out of behavioral targeting, it might be time for marketers to go back to the drawing board.

One idea, which is already being used at Google (no surprise!), is to treat consumer data as a currency and offer incentives for it. The company Enliken is trying to give users the ability to edit, control and prioritize the data they want advertisers to see, making the data richer and more valuable. If an ad is more relevant to the consumer, it’s not as annoying and can supply the user with information he/she is actually interested in.

But targeted ads still need to look good! Ten years ago, banner ads faced a similar dilemma. They had to back out of the scam-like ads offering free trips to the Bahamas, and start incorporating strong creative, interactive visuals and unique storytelling. Advertisers and marketers should take note.

Those three features, coupled with targeted content, can help elevate mobile to a new level of advertising in the coming years.

How will your mobile strategy evolve in 2013?

We’ve been keeping busy here at Kantar Media SRDS, and 2013 won’t be any different. I’m happy to report that our data operations team made hundreds of updates to close out the year to ensure that you have the most current data available as you craft your media plans.

Through December, our team made 1,449 updates to our b-to-b, consumer, newspaper, TV and radio databases.

Until next month!

Here at Kantar Media SRDS, we are wrapping up and putting a bow on another strong and successful year for our business.

This is the 94^th year that SRDS has served the media industry and I am very proud of how much our team has accomplished in 2012. Our data and research offerings continue to evolve to meet the digital and multimedia needs of the buyers and sellers of advertising.

A few weeks ago, I spoke at our company's holiday lunch and focused on why our business has managed to stay strong in an industry that is in continuous disruption from the forces of digital media innovation and consumer adoption redefining the way marketers must deliver messages to their target audience.

In very simple terms, I described the SRDS approach to managing through these changes by way of a four-step process which I coined 4-D:

1. Disruption: Understand what is happening and where things are headed. Think about the present and its impact on the future.
2. Dealing: Put organizational plans in place at strategic and tactical levels which will allow the business to manage through the disruption over the short term and enable it to grow strongly over the long term.
3. Doing: Commit to working the plan (executing), on all levels, all the time.
4. Delivering: Measure the results. Stay accountable and make changes to continuously improve.

For me personally, as a full-time resident of a New York coastal community that was impacted by Hurricane Sandy, I couldn't help but draw a 4-D parallel to what my family and neighbors are experiencing as we manage through the impact of a different but very real disruptive force.

1. Disruption: In my community, when the ocean waters flooded our streets and destroyed many of our homes, schools and places of worship, it was relatively simple, as we inspected the resulting carnage, to understand where things were headed if we didn’t fix our town.
2. Dealing: Through the tears, it was comforting for us to see that our local, state and federal authorities had a plan to help us recover.
3. Doing: Neighbors and volunteers from around the country "worked the plan." They cleared homes, removed debris and continue to make progress every day. Seven weeks later, the results are truly amazing.
4. Delivering: In two weeks, power, sewage and potable water were restored. Schools reopened in less than three weeks. While we're not entirely back in action yet, we are seeing very real and measurable results.

It’s that reflective time of year, and 2012 has truly provided me with plenty of moments that, disruptive or not, leave me deeply grateful for and proud of the accomplishments of many both at home and at work. Here’s to a wonderful new year.

It hasn’t been an easy year for ad agency professionals, but that doesn’t mean they’re pessimistic about 2013.

According to a survey from RSW/US, the majority of ad agencies surveyed (62%) believe that new business opportunities will increase next year compared to 2012. The survey polled 168 agency executives and more than 100 marketing professionals.

About 45% of agencies surveyed believe that opportunities to pick up new business in 2012 exceeded those in 2011. While that may not seem like a huge percentage, it more than doubles the 21% who believe that new business opportunities decreased. About 34% said that the opportunities were about the same. According to the RSW report:

“We suspect that as the economy continues to move ever so slightly forward, and as the elections finally come to a close, we'll experience a higher degree of certainty in the market, which should give marketers more confidence in how and where they spend their dollars.”

Similarly, data from our October Kantar Media SRDS Consumer Magazine Media Planner/Buyer Research showed promising signs from an ad spend perspective.

We surveyed 114 professionals from advertising and marketing agencies, media planning and buying companies and in-house agencies. They estimate 5% growth in what they will spend on consumer magazine media in the next twelve months. Their average budget in the last twelve months was $3.9 million and they expect it to be $4.1 million in the next twelve months.

More than half of the respondents (59%) said their ad spend will be the same, while 27% said they would increase spending and 14% said decrease.

One more piece of insight from? the RSW/US survey: Agencies believe digital (76%) and social (53%) to be the two biggest business drivers relative to other marketing/media platforms.

While we don’t know what the next year will bring, it’s good to know that there’s a positive feel coming from agency folks and that many of them will increase their spending as a result.

What do you think? Will 2013 will be a better year for the advertising industry?

Big news for out-of-home advertisers, agencies and media companies from the Traffic Audit Bureau for Media Measurement Inc. (TAB).

Beginning in January 2013, TAB will no longer produce or support its members’ use of DECs.

DEC stands for Daily Effective Circulation and is the average number of persons, in cars or other vehicles, passing and potentially exposed to an advertising display for either 12 hours (un-illuminated - 6:00am to 6:00pm), 18 hours (illuminated - 6:00am to 12:00 midnight) or 24 hours.

For 75 years, out-of-home media buyers and sellers have used DEC as the main metric when trying to measure audience.

But that’s changing.

As a useful and more relevant alternative, TAB Out of Home ratings measure impressions: the number of people that actually look at an out-of-home ad. DECs only measures audience or number of people who pass by the advertising structure. Above all, TAB Out of Home ratings give the industry an audience measurement system that is equivalent to metrics used by other media, including unit-by-unit demographics.

According to talking points provided by TAB, TAB is eliminating use of DECs because they caused confusion in the marketplace and slowed the industry-wide adoption of TAB Out of Home Ratings.

Joe Philport, President & CEO of TAB, published a letter in the Outdoor Advertising Association of America’s newsletter which he states:

“We know that legacy DECs have never been widely ac­cepted by the advertising community. That is why it is so critical that the entire industry embrace the standard use of TAB OOH Ratings. We have already seen these ratings used by hundreds of media plan­ners throughout the country. The sooner our entire industry transitions to the con­sistent use of these ratings, the sooner more advertisers will truly value OOH as an audience-driven medium.”

TAB Out of Home Ratings are now available for the following Out of Home media formats: bulletins, posters, junior posters, bus shelters, walls, kiosks, urban panels and digital billboards.

Relevant specifications include:

• Audiences for billboards, posters, junior posters, transit shelters and phone kiosks
• Geographically sensitive reach & frequency
• Granular detail, reporting individual out of home units in over 200 DMAs
• Detailed demographic data comparable to other media
• True commercial ratings based on people who see the advertising

Here at SRDS, we’re curious about how our out-of-home planners and buyers feel about this change. What’s your take?

After Hurricane Sandy, we have decided to postpone the SRDS Media Mixology event that was originally scheduled for next Tuesday, November 13 at 48 Lounge. We made the decision knowing that so many of our clients are focused on much more serious issues than a party. And since so much of the ad industry was out of commission last week, we know that you’ll be too busy in the office to come. Sorry for any inconvenience; we were looking forward to seeing you! So were our sponsors, SaleSpider and GigaOM.

We are looking to reschedule the event for early 2013, and plan to announce the new date this week.

In the meantime, our thoughts and prayers continue to be with our colleagues, clients, friends and family on the East Coast, as they deal with the aftermath of this devastating storm.

If you're not directly affected by Sandy, but would like to help those who are, please consider donating to the American Red Cross at http://www.redcross.org/.

Should you have any questions or concerns, send us an email or call our Service Center at 800.232.0772 x8019.

Best,
Your friends at SRDS

P.S. If you’re looking for a premium digital publisher that reaches b2b and b2c audience through advertising, social communities, and sponsorships, please contact SaleSpider.com, the largest small business social network.

Update: the next Media Mixology event will be held February 12, 2013.

Happy Election Day!

If you’re a media buyer who has decided to postpone your advertising decisions until after the presidential election, you’re not the only one.

According to a survey from Strata Marketing, a media buying and selling software company, almost half (47%) of non-political ad buyers are waiting until election season ends to buy ads for their clients. Why? They want to avoid competing with political ads.

“STRATA suggests this means that media buyers are becoming increasingly concerned about costs, yet lack of available inventory is another challenge.”

Other insights from the survey include stats on agency expectations for this year and next:

• Only 35% of agencies participating in the survey believe their business will be better in the second half of 2012, while 19% expect it to be worse.
• That’s a big difference as compared to Strata’s survey during the second quarter which found only 7% believing that the second half of the year to worse. 
• Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like they believe 2013 will be much better. Almost one-third of agencies don’t expect their businesses to return to a strong growth period until after 2013.

You may remember we tackled the subject of integrating local media plans with congested political environments in our April 2012 Media Mixology event (slides and audio here).

If you’ve been putting off your media buying until after the election, now’s the time to get back into SRDS.com and get back to business. Let us know if there’s anything we can do to help and, whatever you do, get out there and vote!

In only two days, ad:tech will take place in New York City. If you haven’t heard, ad:tech is one of the best digital marketing events around and it’s worldwide.

Our Kantar Media SRDS team will be there at Booth 1803 along with team members from Kantar Media Intelligence, Audiences and Compete. We’d love to see you, so if you’re at the show stop by to introduc yourself.

We love media and all things digital, so the ad:tech conference program looks full of excellent topics. Here are some of the sessions we’re most excited about:

1. Follow the Money: Investors Place Their Bets on the Future of Advertising - Will the digital advertising bubble pop? Depending on who you ask, we’re already seeing it happen. This session will include a discussion about the future of advertising from the perspective of the people that fund it. They’ll talk about the new products, services and technologies that they’re backing – the startups they think will change the ad business moving forward – as well as how the financial performance of industry darlings post-IPO has shifted their thinking.
2. Cross-Platform Media Strategy: Advanced Reach & Targeting - There are real challenges when it comes to buying different types of media and integrating them into a single plan – but when it’s done right, a cross-platform campaign can be one of the most effective tools in digital marketer’s toolbox. The session will include examples of how to bundle search and social with TV, radio and print for maximum reach and engagement, and they’ll also explain how to measure the effectiveness of each disparate medium.
3. Mobile Marketing: Best Practices for Cracking Today’s Most Intimate Channel - According to a recent study by Ericsson ConsumerLab, more than 1/3 of smartphone users get online before even getting out of bed. So how do marketers engage these mobile consumers on a meaningful level? Senior marketers will bring you up to speed on mobile, relate it to other topics like search and social, and explore ways to take advantage of today’s technologies to extend the platform and engage consumers.
4. New Marketing Platforms: Wearable Devices, Advanced TV & More! - Google and Apple are both working on wearable devices, nearly 40 percent of American households have at least one TV connected to the internet, and location-aware mobile apps can track shoppers and send precision-targeted ads when they’re within a certain radius of a store. The “future” of advertising is now. In this session, you’ll get a first look at the cutting-edge platforms marketers have begun adding to the mix – some at scale – as well as glimpses into the products and services coming down the pike in the next 12 months.
5. Publishers and Tablets: New Strategies for Monetizing and Creating Content - Is the love affair between publishers and tablets fading? No, but is because a more mature relationship. We’ve lost the breathless headlines about new tablet apps, and feverish pushes to buy tablet-specific ads. Now the focus is on creating sustainable tablet revenue streams, including figuring out subscription models that entice print subscribers, as well as developing unique tablet content in a cost-effective manner. This session will present some of the newest strategies for creating and monetizing tablet content and audiences.

[Note: be sure to check out the SRDS Tablet Media Library to see some of the best apps from business, consumer and newspaper publishers.]

6. Next-Gen Ad Attribution: Make the Most of Effective Accountable Measurement - Click-through rates, post clicks, impressions, tracking mechanisms and site analytics all serve their purpose, but don’t always accurately account for the various influences along the purchasing path. Today’s marketers must analyze how various channels interact to determine where attribution makes sense. Much has been said about different ad attribution models. What is the best way to measure and should marketers restrict themselves to these pre-determined models? Leading brand and technology experts will share insight into today’s ad attribution and where marketers should look next.

Sensing a pattern here? All of these sessions involve some aspect of digital advertising or online marketing, two topics that we’re always trying stay at the forefront of.

What sessions look the most intriguing to you?

Click here to see the full ad:tech NY schedule.

Yesterday, two members of our marketing team were in for a real treat. We headed to downtown Chicago to hear leading author, speaker and strategist Joe Pulizzi talk about his bread and butter – content marketing. The event was hosted by the Business Marketing Association’s Chicago chapter and they did a fantastic job – with photos being posted as they were taken and a live storyboard (pictured above).

The storyboard was created by Ink Factory during the seminar. Ink Factory does live storyboarding, as well as graphic illustrative videos. Pretty neat!

The room was packed full of marketing professionals, including B-to-B marketers and advertisers, educators, students, publishers, creatives, web developers, trade show experts and agency folks.

Joe’s main message throughout his presentation was that as marketers, we need to provide our clients and customers with the content they want and, more importantly, need.

Specifically: what are our customers’ pain points? And how can we solve those problems with content?

It’s a fascinating idea, and Joe dove into some case studies of companies that have literally become their own media companies.

His top example of great content marketing was Red Bull. “Red Bull is a media company that happens to sell energy drinks,” he said. Did you know that Red Bull has a magazine, a radio station and other media channels? Check out the SRDS Red Bull video media kit here!

So the challenge *or* opportunity that we have as marketers is producing enough engaging content for our clients and customers.

Joe didn’t shy away from the fact that this is tough to do, but he did emphasize that it’s critical to success.

Here are some snippets from his seminar that every marketer should be doing–or at the very least, thinking about:

1. Watch “Content 2020″ from Coca-Cola! The video is what Joe calls, Coke’s “Jerry McGuire” mission statement on moving the organization from creative excellence to content excellence.
2. Every company NEEDS a content marketing mission statement. Instead of getting fixated on channels such as Facebook or Pinterest, you first need to focus on the underlying content strategy. So, the why must come before the what. It may seem obvious, but many marketers don’t have a fundamental strategy behind the content they develop. The mission statement should address your core audience target, what will be delivered to the audience and the outcome for the audience.
3. You can’t just have “so-so” content. It needs to be the best content to reach your very specific audience. Your goal should be to become the leading informational provider for your niche, customers and prospects can get their information from anywhere, so our goal should be that their info comes from us.
4. Leverage other employees in content creation. They have stories too, especially your partners in sales or training. They are the ones in constant contact with clients and prospects, so they may have a better sense of the kind of content your audience is looking for.
5. Build an influencer hit list. Who are the people that your clients are going to for advice or whose blogs are they reading? Once you have that list, follow those users on Twitter, read their blogs, share their content, comment on their posts, and then maybe even invite them to do a guest post on your blog. Having an eye and ear on what your audience is already reading can be extremely helpful for your own content development process.

We had a blast hearing Joe speak, and hope these key facts help all of you marketers out there as you start your 2013 plans. To find out more about Joe’s views, check out the Content Marketing Institute.

How have you seen companies using content marketing successfully?