Brands getting in the thick of it
Why are events on media always defunct of brand advertisers? Over the years, I’ve been to a number of seminars, summits, conferences or whatever you wish to call them. They’re full of the great and good from the media industry preaching to the converted. We all sit there nodding vigorous at comments supporting what we already know or how we think. It almost feels like, we’re all there to provide comfort for each other for having “the knowledge”.
These events are put on in the hope that enough delegates from corporates will turn up. There is danger that they might actually learn something. The biggest talking point at the moment is about brands listening to conversations on social media, however the first step is for them to attend events providing thought leadership and invaluable insight, then be brave enough to engage in conversation with media people (and I don’t mean agency execs either). There seems to be a fear of conversation between brands and media owners, and creative agencies and media owners. Yes, media owner representatives can be a little bit over eager to sell sell sell but that’s because the opportunity to speak brand advertisers and creative agencies is so few and far between.
Event organisers are so desperate to get brand advertisers on the attendee list that they will either offer reduced price or free places to them. There is little point in media people just having a conversation with each other or industries merely finding comfort in their own company. This is why so many brand categories are so far behind the curve with online, for them it’s something others do. It is appreciated that brand personnel are busy but aren’t we all. Afterall they have the most to gain from these events.
For brands to gain the most from using media as a marcomms tool, there needs to be multiple conversations occuring between brands, creative and media agencies and media owners (sales and content creators).
