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Serial Marketer #253: Imagining the Ad Week Unconference

Serial Marketer #253: Imagining the Ad Week Unconference

How could we make Advertising Week more interactive and inclusive?

David Berkowitz
October 20, 2023

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SERIAL MARKETER WEEKLY
Issue 253: Imagining the Ad Week Unconference
Brought to you by: Compete Week
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The Unconference Banner, created with DALL-E 3

Happy Advertising Week, everyone. And Happy Tech Week. And Happy Ad Tech Week.

The first two did take place in New York City this week. The third is made up. Ad Tech Week would be pretty dull anyway; they’d sell all your registration data to the highest bidders and then recommend panels for you that you either already went to or would never attend.

Did you attend any of Ad Week or Tech Week? How was it for you? For Ad Week, I have a few thoughts on how to make it better.

This year, the main Advertising Week hub was in the Manhattan Mall, whose anchor tenant used to be JCPenney; it was also one of the last places in America to experience KB Toys. The venue led to some surprising conversations, like with the guy who told me, “I kept getting distracted in the session by the Intimate Apparel sign hanging there.” That was probably from JCPenney, not KB Toys. Either that, or I really don’t remember what kinds of toys KB stocked.

Ad Week reminded me that no matter how brilliant and experienced and witty the speakers are – and there was no shortage of them – I have little patience sitting in a dark room for 40 minutes watching people 50 feet away cover topics that may not even be of interest to the moderator. While I did catch a few great speakers, I learn way more in the halls outside.

One problem with holding a conference in this former mall is that this mall was a great spot to get lost in and a terrible spot for seeing who was there. If this mall was once supposed to resemble a town square, it was a town square designed by Kafka.

Also, a point of irony: unlike last year’s Ad Week held at Essex Market, this year’s included nothing resembling a food court. Almost every booth that had any food was serving dessert. Thanks, Canva, for their juice bar as the lone spot bucking the trend.

The best part of Ad Week? (Beyond the juice?) It’s who I got to see in the halls, or the dressing rooms. If only it was easier to find people at the right time, especially scattered across four levels of the JCP-KB Industrial Complex.

Most of those run-ins happened outside of Ad Week proper, in large part because Ad Week is so top-down in how they organize it, and the real estate goes to the highest bidder. So as much as I appreciated the installations from Google, Snap, Netflix, Canva, Yahoo, Amazon, and others, and as much as I enjoyed quite a number of conversations I had with paying delegates, there was way more to take in all over town.

Also, I’m not here to snack-shame, but let’s just agree not to talk about that protein-packed Pop-Tart knockoff. “Red velvet” is what my tongue felt like for hours after eating it.

What would I love from Ad Week going forward? Beyond better culinary options?

They need to tap into the unconference spirit, a vibe that got lost along the way well before anyone started using the word “vibe” again.

What if there were times and places where marketers could meet each other by interest, whether it’s retail media, programmatic advertising, AI, or others?

What if there were impromptu workshops led by subject matter experts who weren’t on the speaker roster?

What if communities – yes, like Serial Marketers and AI Marketers Guild, but also Mosaic, Yorkseed, OldTimers, MadTech, and lots of others you may or may not know – were given space and time to have their members meet?

What if there was a networking-only pass for those who want to meet attendees and exhibitors but can forgo the sessions? It could even be a companion to the Digital Delegate pass ($125) for someone who wants to watch the sessions but prefers to do so remotely; it’d be priced well below the $699 Delegate pass.

Or what if a brand involved with Ad Week or wanting to reach a similar audience offered a community space ‘rental’ at a spot near the main hub? Request the space free for an hour or so to have a meetup in return for promoting the branded experience to your list. You know how many community organizers and industry influencers would jump at something like that? Even if there were typically high no-show rates for gatherings during such a crazy week like this, the hosting company would get all the signup info anyway.

After quite a week, I’m left wondering how to make this ad industry tent pole event more inclusive so that it can attract even more people to foster more education and collaboration.

If anyone’s up for coming up with plans to do this now in 2024, let’s talk.

Otherwise, I’ll still see you at next week’s conference — just as far away as humanly or inhumanly possible from any fake red velvet Pop-Tarts.

David

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BROUGHT TO YOU BY: COMPETE WEEK
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Learn from CMOs at CompeteWeek2023

Learn from top CMOs that are competing within saturated markets at Compete Week 2023 on Nov. 8-9 hosted by Klue (one of LinkedIn’s Top Startups).

Top GTM leaders from Apollo, Hubspot, and Salesforce sharing what they’re doing to make their teams more efficient, how they’re using competitive intel to generate demand, and help revenue teams close what’s in their existing pipeline. Including sessions and speakers like:

- Sydney Sloan on lessons from a career competing for mindshare leading teams at Adobe, Salesloft, and now Drata

- Meagen Eisenberg on where competitive intel fits into her portfolio as a CMO

- Jarod Greene on the programs he runs to keep the C-Suite on top of the competitive landscape

Save your seat!

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WHAT TO WATCH & READ:
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Recent content shared by Serial Marketers and friends:

Adobe created a symbol to encourage tagging AI-generated content by Emilia David
Retain BIPOC Talent With Support and Recognition by Argelia Martinez
Building in the long/short term as a small team by Kayla

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HOW TO SHARE
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Thanks to James Gardner, Cary Munk, Dan LaFontaine, Andre Archimbaud, Devin Brown, Justin Dank, Pauline Echols, Paul Robinson, James A. Gardner, Seth Girksy, and Michael Winter for spreading the word about the newsletter recently.

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EVENTS
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UPCOMING SERIAL MARKETERS EVENTS:
(times EST unless otherwise specified)

Weekly on Wednesdays at 12pm: AI Insiders -- join this event series from AI Marketers Guild to discuss new developments and trends with AI
10/26 (via Zoom): The 2024 Ad Industry Talent Outlook
11/1, 5-7pm (NYC): Join us at our next First Wednesday event in NY to meet fellow Serial Marketers in person in this fun, relaxed setting.
11/15-16 (partner event, virtual): Join the AI Marketers Summit this fall. Register by 8/24 for the best discounts.
12/6, 5-7pm (NYC): Join us at our next First Wednesday event in NY to meet fellow Serial Marketers in person in this fun, relaxed setting.

ASCENT CONFERENCE
October 30, New York
"The Ascent Conference is all about Elevating Ideas & Inspiring Innovation. Join 600 industry thought-leaders. Designed for CEOs, CMOs, CROs, VPs and Directors of $5M-to-$1BN companies looking to immerse themselves in a knowledge-rich experience. Supplement the information you gain from the sessions and take a deep-dive into the specific topics and challenges you’re facing today at work. Together, we will shape the future and ascend to new heights of success. By attending the only C-level, VP-level, and Director-level SaaS conference in the US, you’ll walk away with the actionable insights and strategies that you can immediately implement for sustainable growth."
Register

AI FOR MARKETERS SUMMIT
November 14-16, Virtual
"Why AI for Marketers Summit needs to be your conference of the year. Here's what you'll experience at our marketing AI event. Hear from senior executives from cross-industry brands share how they’re investing in AI and how it’s transforming their marketing strategies. Gain practical knowledge and skills immediately applicable to your work, and get expert feedback to help refine your strategies. Determine how and when to capitalize on AI through hands-on workshops that identify real problems and potential use cases for AI in your work... etc"
Register

GENERATIVE AI FOR MARKETING SUMMIT 2023
February 27-28 2024, London UK
"The Generative AI for Marketing Summit 2024 is set to take place on February 27th-28th, 2024, at a venue to be confirmed in London. This pioneering event marks a significant milestone as the first gathering of strategic marketing leaders, creatives, and technology enthusiasts to explore the transformative power of Generative AI. Generative AI has ignited unprecedented levels of excitement and curiosity within the marketing and creative industries. Its potential to revolutionize marketing workflows is undeniable, and this summit aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how Generative AI can shape the future of marketing."
Register

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JOBS
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Keep checking out the #jobs channel in Serial Marketers for more. Also, check out the AI Marketers Guild job board. For other job resources for marketing jobs, see a long and regularly updated list here.

HORIZON HEALTHCARE STAFFING
Marketing Director
Hicksville, NY
"Horizon Healthcare Staffing is searching for a Marketing Manager / Marketing. Director for our corporate office in Hicksville, NY. Horizon Healthcare Staffing is a leading healthcare staffing agency serving the New York and New Jersey Metropolitan area. With a staffing history spanning over 30 years, we take pride in providing exceptional staffing solutions for healthcare clients, while also assisting job seekers in finding rewarding employment opportunities. Our commitment to both the clients we serve and the healthcare professionals we support sets us apart as a trusted partner in the industry."
Apply

OVERDRIVE
Senior Marketing Manager
Cleveland, Ohio/Hybrid
"The Senior Marketing Manager is responsible for OverDrive's Emerging Brands and Business Units. This seasoned B2B demand generation specialist is well-versed in leading emerging businesses and is proficient with CRM platforms such as Hubspot and Salesforce Marketing Cloud. The ideal candidate's role is to drive lead generation and boost sales across various channels, including email, social media, and Google ad campaigns. With a deep understanding of our customers' journeys, they provide incremental value to engage and convert both existing and new customers effectively."
Apply

TEAM&TONIC
Marketing Manager
Remote
"Our client is a US company that is democratizing preventive health and making it accessible to everyone. This is an early-stage startup that is creating an all-inclusive experience to provide a 360° preventive health package to everyone. This company aspires to be the next leader in the preventive health space. You’ll contribute to changing people’s lives and help them live longer. The company's success will depend on you as you’ll be their first marketer. You are a thinker and doer who can set up the strategy, refine the value proposition, set up the campaigns, measure, refine, and repeat. Your expertise lies in setting up highly effective campaigns across various platforms such as LinkedIn, Google, and Facebook/Instagram. You will collaborate with a marketing advisor, the founders, web designers, and our team at team&tonic to shape and execute marketing strategies that drive results. "
Apply

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SERIAL MARKETER WEEKLY
Issue 252: Ditching My X
Brought to you by: Ramp (“spending made smarter”)
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The Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel upended the nation, region, and world in all kinds of devastating ways. While I stand with the victims of terrorist attacks, I have a hard enough time making sense of topics like marketing and AI, so the Middle East is above my pay grade. If you'd like to read more about that, I recommend more astute writers like Daniel Gordis, author of the Israel from the Inside newsletter.

We will cover an ancillary event to the attacks, one that is not so important -- but one that I at least am qualified to write about.

This week marked the first time in more than a decade, probably at least 15 years, that I didn't follow a major breaking news event on Twitter.

In large part, that's because Twitter has ceased to exist. It's hard to follow something somewhere that isn't real.

Granted, I'm confused that twitter.com as a domain continues to exist. And when I type x.com into my browser, it redirects to twitter.com. For a company trying to kill off its former brand, it's doing a terrible job.

It's only been the past week where I started to be comfortable calling the platform X. "It'll always be Twitter to me," thought I.

But then, I accepted that it isn't Twitter anymore. Twitter had to feel like an ex before I could call it X.

I didn't check X once last weekend as word of the massacre spread. Checking Threads and supplementing that with the NY Times live blog worked just as well, and I didn't come across any misinformation or disinformation.

Threads may finally prove to be enough of the not-Twitter version of Twitter that people need -- reliable, mainstream, a short learning curve, and ultimately run by someone who may not be a saint but keeps his own opinions out of the platform's daily discourse.

Over the past week, journalists and other influential voices have been joining seemingly en masse and have been reporting surges in follower counts. I was most surprised by this post by legendary tech reporter Wall Mossberg:

"The reason to quit Twitter (X) isn't that it's apparently collapsing financially, or killing important features. It's a moral and ethical issue. Not only are Nazis, racists, antisemites, misogynists, liars and conspiracy theorists being welcomed back, but the owner seems to be actively supporting this. I gave up a 16-year account with over 800,000 followers because I couldn't associate myself with this haven for hate and lies. You should too."

You can agree or disagree with Mossberg's characterization of X. Take that up with him, not me (you'll have to comment on Threads). The third sentence is what is most impactful. If someone so respected can give up an account that they nurtured for nearly two decades while amassing nearly a million followers, and then join a smaller, much less influential platform, so can you.

Maybe you don't want to. I'm not judging. Well, not too much.

But for those on the fence, and for those seeing more folks they follow abandon X, posts like this matter.

Such posts are easier and easier to find.

Consider Peter Shankman's bio on X now: "I'm not here anymore. Musk poisoned Twitter and it's useless now. Find me on Threads. https://threads.net/@petershankman."

Or, for good measure, there's my bio: "Find me on Threads or practically anywhere but here: dberkowitz."

That's not totally true. You won't find me active on any of the other Twitter also-rans. I tried them all, and I also ran.

I still sometimes check X to see what's bubbling up there. Most of my favorite accounts to follow are now on Threads, and a larger share of those accounts are actively using it. Often, when I’m X, I'm procrastinating or doomscrolling. And I do it less and less. I haven't engaged with anyone there in more than a month and will occasionally follow up with someone over DM, invariably telling them I'm no longer there much.

The biggest thing I miss about X is some of the people I used to enjoy following and engaging with there.

But I'm reminded of a line I heard on an AI panel recently hosted by Knotch, one of my favorite lines in part because the speaker spelled out such an obvious point. When we were talking about using AI for content generation, Jamie Roô, Head of Wealth Management Digital Content at Morgan Stanley, said something like, "Our customers don't need more content."

Most of us don't need more content, more people to follow, more news sources, or more connections. Most of us don't even need more of an audience; we just need to better engage with those we're reaching or provide more value to them.

There's a lot I miss about Twitter. There's far less I miss about X. There's some opportunity cost for not being there, but there are also already too many places to be. I'm also someone who has a weird habit of starting communities and being active in several others I love.

What matters is cultivating deeper, more meaningful relationships. That's why I bristle at all of those LinkedIn requests that say, "I see we have ## connections in common. Let's connect here too!" By that logic, you'd connect with everyone, and then it means you provide value to and get value from no one.

And if you're still not convinced, there's always the example of Jesus. With 12 of the right followers, he changed the world.

Who needs 800,000?

Peace to you wherever you are. May perpetrators of terror worldwide meet the swiftest kind of justice, and may no more innocent, civilian lives be lost in Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and other war-torn areas.

Stay safe, and however deep or tenuous our relationship is, reach out if there's ever anything you need.

David

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WHAT TO WATCH & READ:
--------------------------------------------------
Recent content shared by Serial Marketers and friends:

Retain BIPOC Talent With Support and Recognition by Argelia Martinez
New LA Agency Candor Debuts With Human Sciences-Based Approach by Kyle O'Brien
Learn How Forever 21 Got 11x ROAS Using Zembula by Zembula

--------------------------------------------------------------
EVENTS
--------------------------------------------------------------

UPCOMING SERIAL MARKETERS EVENTS:
(times EST unless otherwise specified)

Weekly on Wednesdays at 12pm: AI Insiders -- join this event series from AI Marketers Guild to discuss new developments and trends with AI
10/12, 6-8pm (NYC): AIMG’s Stacked Startup Showcase featuring demos and conversation with leading AI & marketing practitioners
10/26 (via Zoom): The 2024 Ad Industry Talent Outlook
11/1, 5-7pm (NYC): Join us at our next First Wednesday event in NY to meet fellow Serial Marketers in person in this fun, relaxed setting.
11/15-16 (partner event, virtual): Join the AI Marketers Summit this fall. Register by 8/24 for the best discounts.
12/6, 5-7pm (NYC): Join us at our next First Wednesday event in NY to meet fellow Serial Marketers in person in this fun, relaxed setting.

HOW TO BECOME AN AI-NATIVE BRAND
October 19, New York, New York
"Join us for a night of cocktails, conversation, and enlightening education hosted by Sightline at Horizon Media’s Tribeca headquarters. We'll be joined by experts in the fields of AI, Venture Investing, and Marketing to discuss how Brands are implementing AI to drive business impact, plus the challenges of becoming an AI Native Brand. The evening will kick off with a panel featuring these experts and moderated by Sightline leadership. We’ll encourage interactivity throughout the panel Q&A, and all attendees should be ready to continue the lively conversation over drinks on Horizon’s stunning terrace space (complete with views of the NYC skyline)."
Register

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JOBS
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TEQUILA SUNRISE
Email Marketing Strategist
Remote
"Tequila Sunrise is a fast-growing marketing agency focused on growing eCommerce stores with Klaviyo email marketing and SMS. We are looking to hire an A-Player to grow our sales and marketing department. Hiring an email marketing strategist to help in the sales and marketing department of Tequila Sunrise. In this role, you won’t be drinking alone. You will have an SDR to help you with following up with your leads / managing your pipeline, a copywriter to create sales assets for you and a designer to create email mockups to help you close even more deals."
Apply

BILT REWARDS
Customer Experience Associate
In-Person - New York City, NY
"Bilt Rewards boasts one of the highest value rewards programs on the market today, including one-to-one point transfers to twelve loyalty programs allowing members to travel across more than 100 major airlines and hotel partners; fitness classes at the country’s top boutique studios; limited-edition and exclusive collections of art and home decor through the Bilt Collection, and the ability to use points for rent credits or towards a future downpayment. In this role you will: -Provide comprehensive payment and program support to our members within the Bilt Rewards platform. -Triage incoming tickets and identify emerging trends, forwarding them to relevant internal departments for resolution. -Collaborate closely with internal teams to address and resolve member issues effectively... The salary range for a Customer Experience Associate is 65 - 75K and will be eligible for equity and an annual performance based bonus."
Apply

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THE FOOTER YOU WON’T READ
-------------------------------------------------------------

SEND NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK
David Berkowitz, publisher
[email protected]

JOIN SERIAL MARKETERS
www.serialmarketers.net

The most important rights reserved. You can have the other ones.
(c) 2023 Serial Marketer

PS: Thank you so much for reading this.

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DID YOU GET THIS FROM A FRIEND? THANKS, FRIEND! SUBSCRIBE HERE!
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