This year’s nextMEDIA conference took place December 5 & 6 at the Carlu in downtown Toronto.
The conference brings together producers, broadcasters, advertisers and digital media experts to talk shop and create business opportunities. CWC was invited to observe this year’s line-up of speakers and panels.
Some highlights from the two days included:
- Hearing from @radical.media’s Robert Friedman on the “Entertainment Marketplace,” integrating brands into consumer stories seamlessly and that “brand content is best when its organic.”
- Participating on the interactive polls during “Every Move You Make – Analytics” panel with Andrew Muroff moderating. (www.pollev.com is a great resource for creating dynamic presentations.)
- Enjoyed (and wasn’t expecting to) the UFC panel on their digital, social and mobile strategies. Three key take-aways to their worldwide success:
- #1: Implement a cross-platform strategy and manage the content.
- #2: Program to reward athletes for social media presence and strategy (rather than penalize like other sports.)
- #3: Localize the brand.
- Learned a new term, cord-cutting, during the “Broadcasters Talk Digital” panel. It references consumers choosing not to subscribe to cable, online/mobile viewing and using over the air devices like digital antennas.
- There may be opportunities for CWC members in the publishing sector, apparently they are having a hard time attracting digital talent to this “traditional” media. (According to Wayne Parrish of Postmedia Network.)
- Getting to see my literary idol, Margaret Atwood, in person. And her amazing drawings. You can see part of her interview here.
- Voted for the Digital Launch Pad winner Natalie McNeil (2011 TIAW World of Difference Award Winner) and her “hot” digital platform www.shetakesontheworld.com – a blog for career-minded women and women entrepreneurs.
- Learned that www.Hootsuite.com is a made in Canada venture.
- Introduced to the term Lovemark by Kevin Roberts, CEO Worldwide, Saatchi & Saatchi. I could try to explain how a Lovemark transcends the brand into passion, where consumers would feel the brand’s loss, but I don’t think I would be doing it justice.(For example my Lovemark would be Windex, it never lets me down.) I think their website probably describes this process a little better.
- Nodded in agreement with Vivian Shiller, Chief Digital Officer of NBC News when she said that “the next generation of journalists digital tools will be second nature.”
- Learning that publishers and broadcasters shared many of the same goals for the future of their medium:
- Creating new revenue models for mobile devices that’s compelling to advertisers.
- Developing custom experiences for consumers with advertisers and brands.
- Utilization of technology that learns consumer/viewer/reader behaviour, preferences and interests.
- CWC Member Rochelle Grayson talking about her new venture @bookriff www.bookriff.com & other Canadian social start-ups: www.socialgift.com, www.shopify.com and www.pinpointsocial.com
- Hearing this again (and again, every conference): “If you don’t have a good email strategy, you shouldn’t be looking at Facebook (or Twitter etc.)”
- Personalization, personalization, personalization – sorry, you didn’t get that? Personalization.
- Something I (and @rajakhanna) already knew: that media companies need to play catch-up to their consumers.
There was some great live-tweeting during the event, you can view most at #nextmedia.
Thanks to Achilles and nextMEDIA for another great conference – can’t wait until next year!
