The Strategy is the New Creative roadshow continued on at the recent IAB MIXX 2011 Conference and Expo this past week on October 4, 2011.CPX Interactive hosted another SNC panel which revisited the discussion of online advertising and the issues facing current industry practices.David Shay, EVP of Marketing at CPX Interactive, moderated the panel discussion and opened up a conversation about the opportunities, challenges and dangers of the technology-heavy ad placement tactics currently being used.
Strategy is the New Creative has always been a conversation about, “The Promise of Digital” and reaching its full potential in the world of online advertising. Unfortunately, rewiring traditional methods, especially in the campaign development process, still poses somewhat of a challenge.We believe that understanding what’s possible in the world of digital is the first step.To get there, we need to establish a little team work…with the WHOLE TEAM.Communication between media partners and advertisers needs to start early on in the campaign development process in order to truly understand the possibilities that are out there and how they can be used to create a successful campaign strategy.
We’d like to open up a new chapter and revisit the discussion about the Strategy is the New Creative initiative at this year’s IAB MIXX Conference and Expo 2011.CPX Interactive will be hosting a workshop on Tuesday, October 4th, 2011 at the Crown Plaza Times Square in NYC.
We will be exploring how the pendulum counter-swing that has seen the industry rapidly move towards a pure technology-based vision of ad serving, combined with an acceptance of a poor online attribution model, now runs the risk of marginalizing the value of the human element that makes up the ‘art’ of ad placement.
As we delve into these new topics for discussion, we’ll hear from these industry execs as they share their advertiser, agency and Ad Network/Publisher views about current issues facing online advertising. To learn more about the Strategy is the New Creative initiative, visit www.strategyisthenewcreative.com.To get involved in the conversation, use the Twitter #strategyascreative.
CPX Interactive recently sponsored the event, Strategy is the New Creative: An Evening of Cocktails and Conversation, which was held this past Thursday, May 12, 2011. The event was held to emphasize the ongoing workshop/ conversation/ forum/road show that is starting the conversations that will bring about a new understanding of what is possible in digital advertising. CPX Interactive also dedicated the web site, http://www.strategyisthenewcreative.com to showcase information behind the initiative.
Prominent members and executives from all corners of the digital advertising industry gathered for the highly anticipated panel-focused event. Industry leaders were prepared to address why digital advertising (online, mobile, tablet) has not yet reached its tipping point and what it will take to get all parties truly leaning into digital so it can finally live up to its promise as a game-changer.
A beautifully renovated 17th floor Penthouse, situated on the corner of 5th Ave and 14thStreet was the scene for the night’s event. As guests exited the elevator, breathtaking views of Manhattan were highlighted through the transparent walls made of wide, arch-shaped windows. As it began to get dark, the Empire State Building became a brightly lit centerpiece against the city’s dark backdrop.
(From Left to Right) Donna Lieberman, Attorney, Halperin Law; Adrian Smith, Owner, Smith DIgital Healthcare Strategy and Business; Helen Wong, SVP, The Falk Group; Matt Maland, Account Manager, Quad Graphics
The initial meet and greet cocktail hour was a great opportunity for attendees to wind down as they mingled and socialized with CPXers. Panelists were also available for a little colloquial dialogue prior to the main event.
Following cocktails and appetizers, the panel took their respective seats on stage. Speakers included: Robert F. Hussey (President and CEO, Digital Lightwave, Inc.), Chris Kindt (VP Group Media Director, Digitas), Sherrill Mane (Sr. VP Industry Services, IAB), and Michael Seiman (CEO and Chairman, CPX Interactive). The moderator of the panel discussion was our own, President and COO, Rob Rasko.
(From Left to Right) Rob Rasko, President & COO, CPX Interactive; Christopher Kindt, VP Group Media Director, Digitas; Robert F. Hussey, President & CEO, Digital Lightwave,Inc; Mike Seiman, CEO & Chairman, CPX Interactive; Sherrill Mane, SVP for Industry Services, IAB
The idea exchange that took place among the speakers served as delightful insight into the minds of some of the most forward thinking individuals in the digital advertising space. Each member of the panel shared their opinions and beliefs about the current state of the industry. How to reallocate brand dollars more towards online was a theme revisited more than once by the panel. A friendly debate even came about through the topic, further proving the underlying theme of: “starting the conversation early.”
It was a successful and enlightening evening overall for both the industry and CPX Interactive. Because there is much more to discuss when it comes to digital advertising, there will be much more to come from Strategy is the New Creative. Look for videos coming soon of the panel discussion, executive interviews and much more. For information about Strategy is the New Creative you may visit http://www.strategyisthenewcreative.com
This is a video we like to play before the presentation/panel begins. It is a high level introduction to the SNC concept that serves to simply set the table for the conversation:
"Digital is different." That was the promise. Advertisers would be able to use the new medium to contact, engage and win consumers in ways they never could have imagined in the realm of traditional media. One-to-one targeted marketing, cutting-edge creative executions and new mutli-tiered strategies to wrap your brand message were going to be the future. But, a little more than ten years into this new world of digital advertising, advertisers are still slow to fully commit to the digital landscape.Why?
Let Digital Be Digital!
If digital is simply a new canvas on which to paint with the same old tools, then it can never live up to its potential. Imagine I told you that I expected brand new results, but was unwilling to do anything different than what I had always done. You would say I was insane. But this is exactly what advertisers are doing to (and expecting from) the digital advertising world. The idea that digital would usher in something new is actually based on the fact that it is inherently different from the mediums that have preceded it. The scalability, the ability to target micro-audiences and tailor customized messages to them in real-time, and the level of insight into results based on any imaginable metric are all certainly unprecedented in Print, TV, Radio or Outdoor.
The problem arises when advertisers and agencies decide to enter the world of digital marketing as a mere supplement to their other (much larger) budget plans. What they do not seem to understand is that a digital execution that is crammed into a strategic plan originally developed for traditional media is a disappointment waiting to happen. In order to engage the power of the new medium, advertisers and agencies must first embrace it. But in order to embrace the new medium, they must first understand its true capabilities. And they must be willing to 'let digital be digital!'
Strategy is the New Creative
The campaign development process still operates under a mandate that creative and messaging run the show. The classic “MadMen-style” agency bulked up on creative resources, while 'strategy' meant choosing stations and deciding how much to spend. The 'message' that came out of the creative teams may have been tweaked by format, but the primary look, feel and call to action remained static across the entire campaign.
Today, digital advertising allows on-the-fly modification of messaging and user experience down to a granular level. Would you like to put one message out to people who have purchased your product in the past, another out to those who have never been to your site, and a third to those who have started the purchase process but then abandoned? No problem. How about testing which aspects of your product users say are most important to them and then showing them versions of your message that speak directly to their specific answer? Again, no problem.
If an advertiser enters the messaging process with a fully developed sense of what is possible and then asks, "How can I use these cutting-edge strategies to achieve my real goals?”, the truth is that almost anything is possible in the realm of digital advertising. When the difference of what can be achieved in a digital environment is fully embraced, strategy and creative become fused into one process. In a very real sense then, strategy is the new creative.
Join the Conversation
At CPX Interactive, we want to start a conversation. We know (from experience) that digital is still very much an after-thought. We hear it all the time. Agencies say "Sure WE understand what you are saying can be done, but our Client just wouldn't get it." Or an Advertiser says, "Well, if it's so good, then why isn't our Agency pitching it to us?"
We know that it takes some effort to change the way an industry thinks and we want to be the catalyst for that change. 'Strategy is the New Creative' is a workshop/conversation/forum/roadshow whereby we are starting the conversations that will bring about a new understanding of what is possible in digital advertising. We have run this workshop in numerous countries and formats and we are always pleased by the response we get and the willingness to listen.
CPX Interactive recently sponsored the event, 
