Magazine Day in New York, organized annually by The Advertising Club and the Magazine Publishers of America, drew more than 400 people last week. Although the media under discussion were magazines, almost everything I heard could have been applied equally to newspapers, TV or radio. Online content, consumer feedback and consumer-generated content were the 800-pound gorilla in the room throughout, and it crept into discussions throughout the conference.
I'll share my impressions of the conference.
The general session, titled "Now who's the boss," had Brandweek editor Karen Benezra as moderator, with a panel that included an advertiser, an agency and a publisher: Donna Campanella, executive director of global media at Avon; Jack Griffin, president of Meredith Publishing Group; and Steve Farella, CEO of inpendent media agency TargetCast tcm (and a client of my PR agency).
The premise: It's the consumer who decides where and when and how they access content. These consumers are now sometimes producers, creating their own content and sharing it with others, meaning the messages advertisers are spending big dollars to send out may not be making it through the clutter.
The challenge magazine publishers face is how to keep consumers on message -- reading magazines, visiting and reading their websites and paying attention to advertisers' messages both in print and online.
Avon's Campanella said this is an exciting time to be in marketing and media since, more than ever before, we know so much about what consumers are doing and what they want, in terms of products and in terms of media they choose to use.
Meredith's Griffin said media are seeing consumers participate actively thanks to technology, which is tapping into consumers' need to be heard.
TargetCast's Farella talked about media strategy from an advertising viewpoint, saying magazines do a good job of driving awareness, while the internet excels at driving peope to action.
Griffin echoed Farella's observation, citing an example from his company's flagship brand Better Homes & Gardens. An ad in print creates awareness and desire, using the richness of creative on the printed page. The ad, along with editorial content, lead the reader to online sites which have the content and power to let the consumer sample the product in various configurations, learn more about product features and specs, check pricing, find a local dealer and, in some cases, even make the purchase. It's the complete shopping to purchase transaction.
But before it can happen, the reader must be led to the website -- usually by an ad.
Avon, said Campanella, uses magazines to showcase great creative, which is supported by a full range of marketing tools -- 360-degree media, she calls it -- including online, social media and public relations.
All agreed that blogging is having an impact in terms of driving news and action, with Griffin citing the Imus scandal that had been breaking in the days leading up to the conference. Farella urged caution when considering social media, wondering if the numbers are really there yet to build a significant campaign and who is producing consumer-generated content. Many responses to major advertisers inviting consumers to contribute are coming from pros and semi-pros like small independents and film and marketing students, rather than from the "average" consumer.
Campanella addded her concerns regarding accuracy of consumer-generated content. Most bloggers and other consumer content creators are not journalists, and their fact-checking may not always be up to the highest standards.
All agreed that new technologies offer the opportunity for magazines (and their advertisers) to engage the consumer. The availability to get fast consumer feedback can help a brands stay true to its market. The challenge for magazine publishers (and I add here: newspaper publishers and broadcasters as well) is to take all the pieces -- the major media platform, online venues, and other elements such as special events -- and integrate them into a package that marketers and their agencies can grasp and utilize.
A few key takeaways:
Online is not the enemy, but a significant component of the basic media platform, be it magazine, newspaper, TV/cable, or radio.
Magazines (and newspapers and broadcast) must involve the consumers. Think of "letters to the editor" multiplied to the nth power. Media content should involve the consumer. How, exactly? That's the challenge each media outlet faces and it will be different for each.
Media need to integrate all the pieces that revolve around their basic platform, to offer advertisers a one-stop, easy-to-use, easy-to-buy marketing vehicle. To succeed, media must do the legwork for the advertiser.
Each of these takeaways can (and will) be topics for future discussions here at my 2 cents.