ad:tech New York: Education and So Much More

Monday morning started the way it usually does for the Affiliate Team. Each member already hard at work by 8:30 AM, trips to the break-room for the requisite coffee fix, and our daily Morning 9 meeting commencing in one of the many creatively themed conference rooms. What was on the agenda? A team recap of the recent trip to New York made by Brian Blancho, Liz Harryman, Bailee Platt, and Megan Roth to attend ad:tech New York. This tradeshow is a great way for PlattForm to stay involved in the industry, develop new partnerships, and foster existing relationships. Ad:tech was a success with 295 exhibitors and large crowds flowing up and down the exhibition floor. There were so many great questions and topics discussed in this, otherwise typical, Monday meeting we thought it would be great to share some of the highlights!

What was the best part of being at ad:tech New York?

Liz: This was the first time that I attended ad:tech NY so it was interesting to see how different the culture was vs. ad:tech San Francisco. There were the same types of companies represented; however, the individuals exhibiting seemed to be much more unique.

Megan: I really enjoyed getting to see all of the different types of companies that were out there and the latest trends in online advertising. It’s always interesting to see what the next big thing is or what people are really talking about. It’s fun to be a representative of PlattForm and get to show what we can do! I also really enjoyed getting to meet some of our current partners face to face and to continue building on the relationships we currently have.

Bailee: I think the best part of attending ad:tech NY was getting to meet face to face with the partners we are currently working with. In-person interactions always seem to have a way of reinvigorating a working relationship. Representing PlattForm at ad:tech is always a great experience.

Blancho: My favorite part was getting out there; seeing what everyone is doing. Not just in the education space, but throughout all the different industries that are represented. It gives us a great chance to see new opportunities or trends emerging and stay ahead of the game!

What were some of the creative and unique concepts encountered at the show?

Liz: There were many unique concepts that I encountered while at the show, but I believe what truly caught my eye was the creativity and monetary value that businesses and companies put into their booths. You could most definitely tell you were walking into an advertisement show the minute you stepped into the convention hall. There were booths with mascots, booths giving away water bottles, head-scratchers, stress-relief frogs, and one booth was setup like a tree-house.

Bailee: A lot of the exhibitors were the standard crowd we usually see at ad:tech, but the attendees seemed a bit more varied this time around. One of the trends I noticed was not necessarily new concepts or ideas, but adaptations and improvements to existing marketing strategies. It goes to prove, people in the marketing industry are always fine tuning what we do.

What attracted attendees to PlattForm during the show?

Liz: Most exhibitors that I spoke with at our booth had heard about PlattForm by other individuals or by online advertisement. Others had worked with us in the past or are currently working with PlattForm.

Megan: It seemed like a lot of people were attracted to the fact we are in education because it’s such an established sector. Many people were excited about the amount of coverage we could provide and our diverse client base. I also heard several times from different people walking by that they had heard great things about us…which is always nice to hear!

Bailee: I had the chance to speak with a lot of people at this trade show. Our focus and dedication to service for both clients and partners was something that kept people asking questions. I think it is something we may take for granted here at PlattForm; we have always been dedicated to a high level of service and that is something that sets us apart in this industry.

Blancho: Our reputation definitely precedes us! Most people that I spoke with had marked us on their list ahead of time as a “must visit” booth.

When meeting with current partners, what were some of the topics they were most interested in discussing?

Liz: I was very excited to meet a couple of my partners for the first time face-to-face. It was nice to get to know them on a more personal level and I believe that will help to continue strengthening our relationships. A main point of conversation with my accounts seemed to be how else they can work toward growing our current relationship. My main suggestion included improving upon their quality by optimizing their campaigns based on the data that I provide to them throughout the month. Also, I stressed the importance of staying on top of campaign updates so that they are staying compliant.

Megan: A big topic was some of the regulatory issues and how it’s changing the nature of what we do. More transparency is going to be a must and advertisers are just going to have to get used to it. Another hot topic was call center leads – how to get more transparency into these leads and how to improve the overall conversions.

Bailee: Almost everyone I talked with wanted to discuss the current focus on regulatory issues and gainful employment. The exciting thing was conversations didn’t focus on the negative impact these changes could have. Our partners were more concerned about what steps they could take now to make sure they were doing everything correctly and be as compliant as possible in case any of the proposed changes are made.

Blancho: Most current partners were primarily interested in discussing opportunities to grow and optimize our relationship. Many also wanted to make arrangements to travel to KC in order to visit our offices and sit down with the team to discuss further expansion.

What opportunities did we find or start discussing when talking with attendees?

Liz: I found myself asking the attendees what it was that they were representing so that I could figure out how, and if, there was a true match for PlattForm. I found myself explaining and discussing what our team looks for when bringing on new partners including: lead generation processes, websites that fit our demographics, and the importance of having tools to optimize campaigns and performance.

Megan: There were several potential opportunities that I came across. There were several companies that generate education leads currently through their network of websites that we aren’t currently working with. Also, I discussed a couple opportunities with companies that worked in mobile marketing – sending updates via text and other applications through mobile phones. Also, just in general, I really focused on letting people know how different education is from most other lead generation offers. The expectations are much higher and it takes a lot of work to make things work effectively.

Bailee: I noticed that I had a lot of people approach me wanting to discuss the education vertical as a new opportunity for their traffic. There were multiple discussions about the unique aspects of the education vertical of interactive marketing. Companies out there have come to realize that education is an area that will always be around; people will always be looking to learn and grow. Another hot topic this year was mobile marketing. This can be a great strategy for putting a schools name and brand out there in the world!

All in all, ad:tech was once again a great trade show to attend and exhibit at. Now it is time to start returning those phone calls, researching those companies wanting to work with PlattForm, and continue growing those partnerships we’ve established over the years.