ANA: Notes and Observations - Dan Hodges

1) Technology is playing an increasing role for the marketing function. Top marketers are using real time consumer insights and performance dashboards to monitor marketing impact.

2) RTB (Real Time Bidding) is gaining traction due to efficiency (low cost of media) and because the process of buying is easy to execute. The RTB companies are providing performance dashboards, which the brands love.

3) RTB's growth has been accelerated by the economic downturn.

4) Advertisers are taking their brand teams to Facebook, Google, Yahoo and Microsoft (nothing new) and are increasingly going to start-ups to learn and help with knowledge transfer (this is new).

5) The good news: this year's ANA was the first time that the CMOs put mobile front and center as part of the marketing and media mix.

6) Real Time Messaging: Advertisers are changing their messaging multiple times during the day, based on consumer feedback from internal systems, Facebook and Twitter. Advertisers are embracing real time messaging to reach consumers.

7) Real Time Analytics: The brands are using real time analytics to measure the impact of their paid, owned and earned media.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. - Stephen Quinn, CMO
"Mobility is going to be a massive game changer and it will change the entire retail industry. If you don't change, you will like irrelevance less." Stephen Quinn, CMO, Wal-Mart Stores. He suggested reading the recent Forbes article, "The CMO is Dead."

CMOs are buying more technology than the CTOs, to help them do their jobs.

Ford Motor Company - Jim Farley, Global CMO
Ford Sync is a $200 option that enables people's mobile phones in their cars. It is driving sales and is important for millennial consumers.

Ford is innovating with Facebook, You Tube. LinkedIn & Pinterest,

Mobile's best practices are coming from India.

They are investing heavily in pre-launch activities used by movie studios and gaming companies. The Ford Fiesta was an example of using social media to launch a car.

20% of all marketing budgets are pre-launch.

Mobile is a big deal at Ford and location based advertising is very important. Mobile will be transactional for Ford.

Ford dealers are using social media at the dealer level. They are teaching their dealers to listen better.

"We want to be the brand that the average person connects with"

"We want to innovate where other people have gone on autopilot."

McDonald's – Neil Golden, SVP & CMO
Improving brand perception

1) Menu innovation

2) Becoming a company that you can trust

a. The use of storytelling to help improve brand perception. Providing nutrition, value and fun in their 14,000 US restaurant. 80% of the meals at McDonald's are 400 calories or less.

3) Leadership in the well-being of kids

4) Innovation

Important to reach people in ways other than TV and print.

Using instructive vs. disruptive communication

Neil said, "We want to go where the consumer wants to get engaged."

Johnson & Johnson - Kim Kadiec, CMO
Kim said that J&J has four principals that they use for marketing

1) Purpose

2) Proximity

3) Presence

4) Partnership

Measurement and data collection are key drivers of success

1) What are consumers buying?

2) What are the outcomes that we can expect with our marketing investment?

They believe in testing and investing

Procter & Gamble - Marc Pritchard, CMO
Marc suggests reading the ZMOT – Zero Moment of Truth from Google

Winning the ZMOT is critical for P&G.

People are in control of the brand

Each day P&G has a big opportunity to connect with brands and the consumers are voting each day.

P&G reached newly empowered consumers with

1) Deep Insights (what does it mean to them, what do they need?)

2) Noticeably superior products

3) Communication that demonstrates performance

4) Don't be afraid to show your human side (P&G developed a tribute to moms around the world for the Olympics, based on these insights).

P&G invests $2 billion each year in research and development P&G believes that insights spur creativity and uses the following process:

1) Start with the truth

2) Is the consumer stupid

a. World's largest supporter of social media

b. 1 to 1 consumer conversation

c. Talking to consumers about what interests them

The 175 years of P&G have been filled with innovation.

The Tide news desk takes advantage of what is going on in the daily lives of consumers. Tide advertising reflects the way consumers live their lives.

Dan Hodges is Chief Revenue Officer of Verve Wireless, Dan works directly with agencies and brands providing solutions and partnerships across Verve’s national footprint of premium local media properties. Dan can be reached at daniel@vervewireless.com.

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