We're back & we're stoked: 4stars for the 4A's

The Ritz at Laguna Niguel isn't likely to disappoint. (It didn't.) And the AAAA Leadership Conference there sure didn't either. Not by a long shot.

I'll spare you the mental grumbling of walking to your first big dark ballroom at 7:30am, noticing the surfers already out on the breaks lining up their rides, reminding yourself that surfing all day long probably gets really old–right?–right–and you're here to learn great things. Right?

No doubt those surfers envied us.

The 3-day conference was all about how consumer behavior has changed because of technology, how advertising as we know(knew) it must/is/has changed, and how agencies who could change with it all – and accelerate it, lead it – were gonna be the lucky ones, indeed. (Cutting to the chase: on Day 2, Lee Clow said we are sitting at ground zero of a creative revolution, as essential and paradigm-shifting as the great Bill-Bernbach-60's. Enough for me. But if you want more, read on.)

SCRAPS, FRAGMENTS and NOTES
DAY ONE: for small to medium size agencies
TITLE: "Planning tools for tomorrow: Chaos to nirvana in six hours."

David Freedman, contributing editor Inc., Newsweek, etc etc.
- speaking all about 'relationship'; that consumers are seeking deeper informational relationships
- agencies must operate fractally: continually trying news things, opening to new possibilities, technologies, connecting the dots in untried (for us) ways
- BLOGS (oh gawd, here we go...): people are not using blogs as authorities (though they are a trusted source, above "marketing") but they are using them to TRIANGULATE on what is useful / relevant / right for them. (interesting p.o.v.)

Brian Brooker, Barkely, agency in KC
- speaking about recruitment and retention
- as a way to make sure your brands remain relevant: "I can't imagine my life without __________."
- Every idea has an expiration date. (great place to stand to always uncover new opportunities.)
- "Digital Ninja"– they've created this job function internally as a continuing source/curriculum that ensures their staff is fluent on what's new in technology (and potentially relevant to clients and projects.) Happens every Thursday.
- Chinese proverb: Change favors those in motion.
- Barkley is sponsoring a cycling team (Hincapie) to gain insight/learning about the fitness category they can leverage with new prospects, etc.

Bruce Carlisle, A-Team Advisors
- creative power resides with the group
- set expectations & contingencies for project's change in scope of contract
- the Big Idea is not the Ad Idea
- strategy is paramount when you work with a "networked ideas" approach vs. simply advertising ideas
- build proof points in early to strategy; establish measurement rules. OUT-ANALYZE YOUR CLIENTS. (I think they would be grateful to have us doing this for them.)
- agencies may have to develop their own software to do this; agencies become software developers
- participate to understand (love this phrase!); don't fear change--audition it, try it on, even if you don't embrace it yourself...

Mark Schnurman, Filament
(45 min wasn't nearly enough for the smarts this guy imparted; my notes are pathetic because I was too busy nodding)
For being such specialists in communications, agencies repeatedly make basic and fundamental mistakes when pitching new business:
1) Difficult to follow
- have an agenda; don't lose them at the beginning
- understand your all your proprietary processes and structures are interesting probably only to you
- have ONE primary takeaway from your presentation; what are you standing for? (so that your prospect can argue on your behalf.)
- one point per slide; two to three points per section
2) Too many small ideas
- have ONE pitch leader: a benevolent dictatorship
- this person facilitates the process, gets everyone's thinking onto the table in order to...
- FOCUS the message-- into a singleminded presentation
- put a stake in the ground; stop backing yourself up. If you don't you will lose anyway.
- review the pitch before you find out if you won or lost; what would you change either way?
3) Better vs Different
- differentiate; make it supportable. We are not the most creative; the best; the ____ -- and if you say that, what supports that?
- make supported statements
- talk about strategy, creative or media -- or how we can influence their brand (no idea what he meant here, but I starred it several times. Nice.)
4) One presentation style
- give presenters IDEAS to present, not words
- allow presenters to own their slides
- give junior staff opportunity to success-- enough time to practice-- let them look smart when presenting
- if they attend, they talk. Give them enough time to build up their momentum; 4 - 5 min.
5) Too much talk, not enough practice
PRACTICE
- work in pairs, not individually, not too many
- no going back into an office; stay in a conference room or away from work
- PRACTICE THE OPEN AND CLOSE more often than the middle
- know each slide's main takeaway
REHEARSAL
- don't stop after every slide
- limit amt of time discussion each section
- rehearse transitions-- go one slide into each section before stopping to discuss
- time each section
EDITING
- trim the fat
- do not defend slides
- bring the presentation into focus-- a good point may not be a relevant point
- remove words; economize on words
DRESS REHEARSAL
- no large changes 2 days before presentation
- no stopping, no commentary, no changes. Do it twice.
- BUILD MORALE; feel good about the presentation
6) QUESTION + ANSWER
- not easy to win in Q/A; easy to lose in Q/A
- let the client finish asking the question; pause before beginning your response
- it is about the team
- be brief; 60-sec or less
- be aware of time
- one answer to one question from one person; be careful not to erode credibility
- discuss answers and practice the answers; and team practices being quiet

DAY TWO: the big guns take the stage

Tom Carroll, Pres-CEO TBWA Worldwide, incoming chairman of AAAAs
- great speaker; a guy you want to have beers with
- "That was then. This is now." Get on with it. How much longer are you going to bemoan "the good ol days"?

Irwin Gotlieb, global CEO, Group M
- stop referring to traditional media and new/digital media-- new is not new anymore
- today's definition of new media is irrelevant anyway as devices blur lines and channels
- Three forms of media: LEAN FORWARD= computer; LEAN BACK= tv; MOBILE
- each form will have linear and non-linear consumer-driven consumption
- targeting will move from predicting behavior to reacting to intent
- reach/engagement: not one at the expense of the other
- technology improves relevance: people dont avoid commercials as much as they avoid what is not relevant to them
- "multiple chapter storytelling"-- print dift than tv dift than mobile dift than online... the messages intersect and share threads but are not identical lifts

Lee Clow
- we are in the business of Media Arts: that is the product and the passion of our company
- everything a brand does is media and a brand experience; find the idea that centers them, then express it as vividly and broadly as possible
- idea is liberated by how we tell the brand story
- Apple = computer company = technology-that-changes-your-life company
- put media out in culture so it is loved and celebrated
- BRANDS WILL BECOME MEDIA that you interact with
- EXPRESS THE BRAND; don't make ads



[ more to come ]