THE ANA’S

BEST OF 2017

While 2017 was a year of immense innovation, it was one of ups and downs for marketers. On the one hand, marketers have gotten better at using

technology and navigating channels that didn’t exist even a decade ago. On the other hand, issues with ad fraud, ad blocking, non-transparency, diversity, and talent continue to dog the industry. As the ANA and the marketing industry

at large set their 2018 sights on driving growth, we take a look back at the best 10 pieces of advice we heard at ANA events this year.

L E T ’ S G E T T O I T !

“If you keep doing everything you’ve already done, things are going to pass you by.”

— Dan Keats, director of sponsorship marketing at Allstate, during the 2017 ANA Brand Masters Conference

There is no better way to kill a brand than to operate under the mantra of “That’s how we’ve always done things.” It’s time to break old habits and find new ways to tell the brand story.

T H E TA K E A W AY

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“To say consumers are in charge is a huge understatement.”

— Lisa Brown, global chief strategy and chief business development officer at Active International, during the 2017 ANA Advertising Financial Management Conference

Somewhere along the way, the balance of power shifted. It is now consumers who are calling the shots. Figure out how to delight them, or 2018 could be a long year.

T H E TA K E A W AY

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“It’s high time for all of us to solve the problem of annoying ads.”

— Marc Pritchard, chief brand officer at P&G, during the 2017 ANA Masters of Marketing Conference

It’s unrealistic to expect consumers to stop using ad blockers. Instead, the onus is on marketers and advertisers to push for ads that people will actually want to see.

T H E TA K E A W AY

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“I’m not a believer in digital marketing. I’m a believer in marketing in a digital world.”

— Matt Preschern, CMO at HCL America, Inc., during the 2017 ANA Masters of B2B Marketing Conference

Make a New Year’s resolution to stop saying “digital marketing” next year. Going forward, it’s just marketing.

T H E TA K E A W AY

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When it comes to your media channels, one size does not fit all. Instead marketers must work harder to create content unique to every channel they use.

T H E TA K E A W AY

“Gone are the days of creating once and publishing everywhere. Each platform and each device should serve a unique purpose.”

— Jennifer Utz Ilecki, VP of influencer content and partnership marketing at Mariott International, during the 2017 ANA Digital & Social Media Conference

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Technology is simply a means of learning about and reaching people. It is on the marketer to ensure the message is exactly what those people need to be converted.

T H E TA K E A W AY

“The core of technology is people. Do you know the audience? Can you be relevant to the context they’re living in at the moment?”

— Ari Sheinkin, VP of marketing analytics at IBM, during the 2017 ANA Media Conference

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Because customers have all the control, it’s imperative to hear what people want and give it to them in spades.

T H E TA K E A W AY

“Listen to what customers are saying.”

— Alan Bethke, SVP of marketing at Subaru of America, during the 2017 ANA Brand Masters Conference

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People respond to emotion. If you can’t get a person to laugh or cry when appropriate, your content will get lost in the fold.

T H E TA K E A W AY

“Digital advertising needs a heart to be emotionally effective.”

— Jeff Goodby, co-chairman and partner as Goodby Silverstein & Partners, during the 2017 ANA Advertising Financial Management Conference

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Know the fastest way to lose a customer forever? Promise them something and then fail to provide it. The old adage still remains: under-promise and over-deliver.

T H E TA K E A W AY

“Before you tell your brand proposition to the world at large, you better damn well be ready to deliver it.”

— Lili Tomovich, chief experience and marketing officer at MGM Resorts International, during the 2017 ANA Masters of Marketing Conference

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As brands continue to humanize, it makes sense to hitch the wagon to an appropriate cause. However, that doesn’t give you a pass to mail it in on the messaging and creative.

T H E TA K E A W AY

“Sh*tty marketing is sh*tty marketing, whether you put a cause on top of it or not.”

— Aria Finger, CEO of DoSomething.org, during the 2017 ANA Masters of Marketing Conference

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And that’s a wrap for 2017! Want to get a jumpstart on the lessons of 2018?

We’ve got an event to help with that. Here’s our full calendar.

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