As the Ad Industry Envisions All That Is Bright and Shiny, Local TV Broadcasters Are Lighting the Way….A Reflection On Advertising Week - Abby Auerbach

Advertising Week was overflowing with energy and passion as thought leaders, and their followers, filled New York City venues with imagination and ingenuity. The sheer number of "shiny new things" and ideas were not only staggering, but simply remarkable…and sometimes overwhelming.

Sitting atop the AWE exhibit space, where nearly 40 companies were demonstrating emerging technologies designed to enhance, monitor and measure consumer connections, the "CEO Connectors" panelists discussed how to make sense of all the options. Which technologies were disruptive and which were "magic," and in a multi-screen environment (where few marketers had much real-life experience), how might advertisers create effective ads in a sea of potential content, messaging and technology overload?

The exchange among this group of "CEO Connectors" captured the spirit of so many of the conversations during Advertising Week. Their dialogue was energized around the enormous opportunity to dive in and explore the new technologies that promised to connect consumers to their individual worlds, their unique interests, and to each other. The panelists were enthusiastic and urged the audience to test ways of enabling consumers to engage with and participate in anywhere and anytime communication…and then to actively analyze the resulting data for unique and actionable insights to enhance advertising applications.

Everywhere at Advertising Week was a fascination with what's new, next, sexy…and shiny. But, there was also caution. Caution around the need, as "CEO Connector" Arianna Huffington, President & Editor-In-Chief, The Huffington Post Media Group, reminded the panel of the need to "disconnect to reconnect" to our actual lives. At Advertising Week, there was an app to do that, too.

It was all so exciting, and a maybe a bit daunting, especially to some in the "traditional" media advertising business.

TVB is the marketing association for Local Broadcast Television. Our members know a lot about the 'traditional' TV ad business andthey know about the Web, Mobile, Social, and Second Screen ad business, too – so we take a keen interest in ALL things advertising.

As we listened to the Advertising Week marketing and technology visionaries lay out their goals for the future, we put their wish list together for Local TV Broadcasters...you may be surprised to see how many "wishes" TV stations are already making come true:

· Wish #1: New technology will provide high quality video, it will "load" and "turn on" instantly on devices that are consistently reliable and powered up. – Guess what? Local TV Broadcasters' video content runs like magic on HD Television screens. It works! Check.

· Wish #2: Relevant content and ads will be directed into specific geographies; including directly into the hands of consumers. - Local TV Broadcasters air Television in 100% of Local Market TV households; they deliver Web content to hyper-local communities and Social Media to consumers' handheld devices. Check.

· Wish #3: Video messaging and ads will be mobile and interactive. – Local TV Broadcasters currently send free, over-the-air, mobile signals to +50% of the US with interactive mobile ad capabilities. Check.

· Wish #4: Second screen, complementary television content will extend viewing experiences and advertising opportunities. - Local TV Broadcasters have backed and are rolling out ConnecTV. Check.

· Wish #5: Technology will enable people to "disconnect to reconnect." - Local TV Broadcasters have over 90 of the top 100 TV shows each week. TV to "lean-back" and simply enjoy. Check.

· Wish #6: The winning, story-telling media will be ubiquitous and in front of consumers on multiple platforms every day. – Local TV Broadcasters are Americans' most trusted source of news and information on-air, on-line, via mobile and social media. Check.

· Wish #7: Agencies will be organized to effectively create and coordinate multi-screen campaigns under one roof. – Local TV Broadcasters create and run digital, multi-screen local media marketing campaigns, integrating effective, tightly coordinated cross-platform messaging for national and local advertisers. Check.

· Wish #8: Content will be original and culturally relevant, providing unique contextual advertising opportunities. – Local TV Broadcasters program their digital sub channels and hyper-local websites with content that matches the ethnic and demographic makeup of their communities. Check.

Our Advertising Week experience was both exhilarating and affirming. Like the many marketing and technology thought leaders at the podiums of Advertising Week, Broadcast TV's leaders are looking to the future of media with vigor and excitement. They are building on their powerful TV station platforms and commanding viewer relationships. They are expanding into new media, testing new technologies, partnering with new advertisers and delivering new consumers.

Local Broadcast Television isn't on a "wish list" of shiny new things, it is today's beacon into the future of media… and we're ready to work with progressive marketers.

Abby Auerbach is Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at TVB, where she has direct responsibility for Public Relations, Corporate Communications, Marketing Research and Creative Services and works with TVB’s CEO on strategic direction and overall management of the company. Abby can be reached at abby@tvb.org.

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