After experiencing my first year at ad:tech in San Francisco, I already can’t wait to go back. There’s just no other place quite like the annual conference where all of the best and brightest in the digital advertising and marketing world (many appearing on or near their home field in Northern California)  come together to discuss trends, topics and predictions for the year. You can’t help but sit back and do your best sponge impression to try and soak up all of the knowledge in the many different conference rooms.

The most lasting impressions I had were from the time I spent listening to the representatives from Google in the “Google Room” discuss, what else, Google+. While they couldn’t get into specifics, they did mention that 2012 will be a big year for Google+ as they revamp and improve upon their platform. I, for one, can’t wait to see what they have up their sleeves and if they can rise to expectations. They certainly have plenty of doubters.

The other highlight for me was seeing Guy Kawasaki: noted author, Apple alum and resident Advertising/Marketing Rock Star of the conference debate and discuss topics with Robert Scoble: noted blogger, author and Microsoft alum.

Though a whirlwind of information, I did manage to capture some great bits of information that I’ll share with you here.

Direct from the “Google Room” at ad:tech 

“2012 is the year of mobile, we’ve all been saying that the past 2-3 years…but this is the year.”

“8 of 10 companies still don’t have a mobile site, but they’re going to need one.”

“Automate more and let technology do the heavy lifting.” (on Google Analytics)

“We’re looking to provide the advertising that catches users at a commercial moment of intent or moment of purchase. We’re not the big digital ad in a stadium during a ball game.” (Rikard Steibler, Google+ and Google Ads discussion)

Guy Kawasaki and Robert Scoble open discussion     

“One great hallmark of new entrepreneurs is they understand market windows and have a seemingly perfect timing for a product.” (Robert Scoble)

“If ever there’s proof of a God, the success of the Apple Macintosh is it. There should’ve been all sorts of reasons why it didn’t succeed, yet it did.” (Guy Kawasaki)

“Don’t try and please everyone in your company, instead just try and please 4 people. Everyone is always so worried about crossing this imaginary line, what they don’t realize is that there is no line…it’s more of a membrane that can be pushed.” (Robert Scoble)

“I know we all like to make jokes about Google+ and give them a hard time, but I personally love it. I think it’s great.” (Guy Kawasaki)

Did you attend ad:tech this year or have you attended in years past? Share some of your favorite memories and moments in our comments section!

Attending any digital marketing conference in today’s dynamic marketplace is a bit of taking in a tidal wave of information. After attending Ad:Tech the last 4 years, this year I found one-liners jumping out at me from the keynotes, sessions and tradeshow floor that stuck in my head and later come up quickly in conversation, debate or discussion. So in my summary of last week’s Ad:Tech San Francisco, here are the top sound bites that got me and the ICMC team thinking, talking and rethinking… which one will you be thinking about into next week? Which one do you think is the most relevant in today’s media/technology market? Share in the conversation below.

• Social. Local. Mobile. AKA – So.Lo.Mo – It’s not about one platform but the integration / combination of them. – Mark Silva, Anthem Worldwide

• Any digital campaign – especially social needs to be simple, natural and provide real value. – Adam Kmiec, Director Social Media, Walgreens

• People that want to work with companies that want to be amazing. No one wants to work for a company that is risk adverse… it shouldn’t just be about ROI,  it is a formula of ROA + ROI – ROA = Return on Amazing. – Adam Kmiec, Director Social Media, Walgreens

• When you think about it, branding is only a 150 year old concept. – Paul Adams, Facebook

• The idea of one person being an influencer of thousands in most cases is a myth. The reality is we are all influencers in our own, small groups.  – Paul Adams, Facebook

• NFC – near field communication – will change and shift mobile to a whole new level of engagement and interaction.  – Mentioned in every session covering mobile marketing.

• I’m not smarter than anyone. The secret to my success is that I’m willing to grind it out and work harder. – Guy Kawasaki

• When you compare Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Google – Facebook is most vulnerable because it is the only one that is truly optional.  – Molly Brown, CNET

• VIRAL – the worse word in the marketing world.  – Repeated in every session and keynote.

So, which one resonates with you or with your brand? Which one is the most relevant for today and which one is more likely to be still resonating in the future? Which of these will you talk about the most in your next marketing meeting, agency summit, client pitch, and at the next Ad:Tech conference? Until then, keep the conversation going.

With the advent of the 5th season premiere of ICMC’s beloved Mad Men, we have been pondering what would be Don Draper’s approach to social media.

As an “ad man” it is easy to think Don would be focused on creating sophisticated campaigns to bridge print and digital strategies. But, here’s the thing, what makes Don a great “ad man”,  is that he does not view himself as one.

In Don’s words “I don’t sell advertising. I sell products”.  As such, we think Don’s approach to social would go beyond Facebook ads. Don would be focused on developing social strategies that not only build brand equity but also spur a desire to consume/buy.

He would be all about using social to turn the tide of consumer resistance to a brand.  Don would be the “ad man” looking at corporate objectives and aligning social campaigns to those.

In essence, Don would be that person in the agency asking what good are all those followers or fans if they are not engaged with the brand? He would be forcing us to think of campaigns that go beyond building numbers but get those we reach to understand the value in the brand we are representing.

As we have suspended disbelief and thought ourselves working with a contemporary version of Don Draper, we have found that in many ways his approach is ours.

We may have swapped scotch and whiskey for Diet Coke and Starbucks, rib eye steak for salads and cigarettes  for gum but the basics of successful marketing continue to be the same…
“achieving a sustainable balance in what should be a mutually beneficial relationship between a brand and its consumers”.

Like Don, at ICMC we are always focused on communicating how a relationship with our client’s brand adds value to its consumers. In doing so, we never loose sight that our client must be able to see value as well.

As we return from this year’s HSMAI Adrian Awards with a Gold Award for Travel Faceoff, we reminisce about how this successful campaign was brought to life. Strategically developed to capitalize on American’s love of “bracketology” and the attention surrounding 2011′s March Madness, Travel Faceoff aimed to generate excitement and passion around travelers’ favorite destinations and take advantage of Best Western’s perception as a hotel brand committed to advocating the love of travel.

As we brainstormed ideas our goal was clear– grow Best Western’s number of Facebook fans and increase levels of fan engagement.

In order to tie Travel Faceoff to March Madness, the ideas*Collide team developed a tournament bracket system was and 36 of the most popular travel destinations worldwide were divided into two brackets. Over the course of 16 days Best Western Facebook fans had the opportunity to vote on a photo matchup between two destination cities (New York, London, Rome etc.), one from each bracket, posted on Best Western’s Facebook wall.

Because we wanted to encourage current Facebook fans to share the contest with their friends, with each “like” fans would earn an entry in a daily drawing for 5,000 Best Western Rewards points. In addition, all had the opportunity to win the campaign’s grand prize — a trip to the final, winning destination.

By the end of Travel Faceoff’s final match-up, which coincided with the last game of the NCAA basketball tournament, Best Western had seen its fan count grow by 24% from 30,240 to 37,406. Going from an average of 1,000 new fans a month to over 7,100 fans in 16 days was well above what Best Western had expected.

Most notably, this campaign helped build a targeted and engaged audience. Engagement levels grew by 15% to an industry-topping 85%. Remarkably, Best Western’s fan engagement levels have never gone down to the levels seen before Travel Faceoff. Over the last year, the brand has continued to see the same level of active user participation in their social media efforts.  Today, those active rates continue to average 80 percent a month, making this a true example of a social media campaign that helped build the brand.

A quick weekend getaway to a beachside town in Mexico is a great way to relax and recharge the creative energy.

I drew a lot of creative inspiration this past weekend, while enjoying the FRESH air, relaxing at the beach and also eating the authentic FRESH Mexican seafood.

The FRESH fish market has a lot energy, and a lot of vendors trying to get you to buy their fish.

What made me stop and pick this one was the color of this fish. It really stood out and really caught my eye among the other fish.

It inspired me to keep my designs FRESH and create collateral that has that “Pop” and makes a clients work stand out from the cutler that is out there.

Have you ever been at a dinner party and begged the host for the recipe of that great “sauce” only to try it at home and be underwhelmed?

That’s the thing with recipes… they are highly susceptible to interpretation and hard to give and use exactly as prescribed. This peculiarity can help explain why I don’t think there is a fool-proof approach to media relations. Sure, there are some do’s and don’ts that may apply to most, but even breaking some of those have yielded me results. So, instead of an ingredient list, I have come up with a list of principles (much like…boil water before throwing in the pasta) to set you on your way to media relations success.

Leave the Cookie-Cutters in the Kitchen

By-pass the cookie cutters and grab a healthy scoop of relentless determination instead. Like a seasoned chef with any recipe, feel your way around your story/news/message and understand what makes your audience, in this case the journalists, tick.

Is it Fresh and in Season?

Sure a chef may have a great idea for a lovely pumpkin soup, but in the heat of summer finding a fresh pumpkin, let alone an ample sampling of customers to have it, may be hard. By the same token, if you look at what is being written and covered and try to see if your story fits that message in some way, you will be more likely to find “willing customers” for your message.

Find the Prime Cut

The same way meat can be cut or sliced at different points to yield different textures and flavors, a message can be dissected or cut with precision to yield a “juicy” story. Say, the small hometown paper where your client’s business is based already wrote a feature about you and is not returning your calls. Try selling your story from a customers perspective. Maybe a hometown hero eats the same breakfast at your restaurant every Saturday before the home game. One approach could be… Is Amanda Deli’s Omelet the Food of Champs? Two-time Valley High football champ thinks so.

The key is to ask questions and listen beyond the story your client is telling you. Talk to your client’s customers and employees for invaluable insights. The more you ask and learn about your client the larger the piece of meat you will have to cut from.

Do you have other media relations principles you have learned along the way?

Each year in America, over 17 million households don’t have the means to buy their own food.  The downturn in the economy has made things even worse by decreasing donations for those who desperately need it. In an effort to help those in need this holiday season, our client Macayo’s has partnered with the Association of Arizona Food Banks to bolster the pantries of 5 local food banks. Their goal is to donate 10,000 cans of non-perishable food. To make this possible they are making it easy for anyone to help.

Here’s how you can make a difference:

-          Go to Macayo’s Facebook page and “Like” them to have one can donated on your behalf. If you show your server that you are a fan, you get 20% off your chimi as well!

-          Bring a can of non-perishable food to a Macayo’s location near you between December 2-7 and receive 20% off any chimi.

It’s a season to give and Macayo’s believes it should be as easy as possible to help those who don’t have enough. We invite you to Give with everyone at ICMC so that those in need may receive this holiday season.

All work and no play makes for boring creativity.

When I’m starting to feel stale or uninspired I  set out for adventures. I’ve made it a habit to travel at least twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. I love to travel and when I set out on a journey it’s not just any journey. I take the road less traveled and I take it alone.

It’s on these journeys I can get lost, find myself, discover new colors, patterns, textures and most of all, meet new inspiring people. I’ve met an architect from Switzerland, a travel writer from Denmark and a photographer from Ireland. Sharing our travel experiences together recharges my creative energy. Getting out of the country and the same old routine keeps me open minded. Open to new things, new art, architecture, trying new foods and immersing myself into the different cultures.

Recently I visited Istanbul, Turkey and Athens, Greece. Istanbul has an amazing mix of people, architecture and religion. The people of Turkey are smart, ambitious and very friendly. The food is a culinary delight. Athens has a history of democracy that is unmatched. Magnificent Temples built 2,000 years ago are a true accomplishment in architecture. The people of Athens have great pride in their city and its history; a very joyful group of people despite current woes in their economy.

Doing what I love inspires me to be more creative. What inspires you?

In brainstorming, as in sports, a team gets better the more it trains. At ICMC, our commitment to brainstorming as a means of finding solutions to problems as well as developing clever and unique ideas for clients, has made practicing a weekly occurrence.  As we have honed our brainstorming skills, we have learned that sticking to one conversation at a time and building on the ideas of others, is only the first step in getting the team engaged.

Over time, it has become evident, that at the genesis of some of our most memorable and impactful ideas, is a brainstorm when we were willing to suspend disbelief and embrace absurdity.  By contemplating ideas independent of whether the budget or timeline allows for it, we have been able to truly create synergies and come up with solutions, campaigns, slogans etc. that are everything but ordinary.

So, at the risk of sharing our secret ingredient with the world, suspend disbelief during your next brainstorm.  You will be surprised where it may take you and your team.

Surrounding ourselves with things that inspires us most is a key ingredient to our day-to-day operations here at Ideas Collide. The minute you walk through our front door, you’ll quickly learn that we have endless amounts of inspirational treasures peppered throughout our office, from personal tokens to powerful brand icons, the Ideas Collide work environment represents a little piece of everyone on our team and is what continues to inspire the creation of all the incredible work we are so lucky to produce every day.

Join me as I take you on an inspirational tour through the walls of Ideas Collide Marketing Communications.

1. Candyland, Bite-size sugar infused treats at our fingertips, need I say more?

2. Innovative Wall Art: Little reminders that anything is possible!

3. Coca-Cola in Bottles and a Deep Supply of Diet Coke: A beverage our team just could NEVER live without.

4. Inspiration Wall: A place to display the things that grab our attention the most.

5. Wii: Play hard after working hard.

6. Zen Room: A quiet retreat to find your center or write great copy.

7. Invent Room: Toys, toys and more toys!

8. Glass Walls: Good Will Hunting marketing style.

Whether inventing new ideas, creating a new website, designing a logo or formulating a social media strategy, we are never short of inspiration behind the walls here at Ideas Collide Marketing Communications.

So tell us, what inspires you?