IAB Innovation Days 2012

Summary
This report describes the changes in marketing made by Four Seasons Hotels in response to the rise of digital and, particularly, social media. It is based on the presentation of Elizabeth Pizzinato, the company's SVP/marketing and communications, at the IAB Innovation Days conference. She talks about the emergence of critical postings by guests on Twitter as the start of the company's realisation that it had to change strategy, and also the challenge the firm faced as a luxury brand during the financial crisis and recession in 2009. Its response was to put more budget into digital and seek to engage customers across a range of social platforms, with the web at the heart. This has included a special focus on consumer review websites, as well as Twitter-driven events and a bridal promotion on Pinterest.

Summary
Consumers are multi-tasking to such a degree that the average 'day' has been stretched from 24 hours to nearly 30 in terms of the amount they accomplish. This report from the IAB Innovation Days 2012 conference covers how brands are managing social content on a large-scale basis. One solution big-name brands are adopting is to have a small, core team at the centre able to build social media expertise. This has been demonstrated by Johnson & Johnson, which has learnt lessons from emerging markets, and Four Seasons hotel chain, which has taken a global product and made it local in 35 countries across 80 media streams.

Summary
According to Kim Kadlec, Worldwide VP/Chief Media Officer in Johnson and Johnson's global marketing group, the company's brand-related marketing is the product of a very deliberate, collaborative process. Speaking at the IAB Innovation Days conference in New York, Kadlec explained the need for distinctive voices for different brands, which in J&J develop its own marketing programmes. The absence of a centralised global vision can lead to miscommunication and this is avoided with deliberate advanced planning, focusing on four areas: consumers, data, talent and the future.

Summary
A conference report focusing on how two brands, Listerine and Virgin Mobile, are creating digital content that is specifically designed to "go viral" and be shared among online social networks. Listerine partnered with CollegeHumor.com, a comedy website, to create bespoke video content promoting the brand's breath strips. This activity was successful in generating sales as well as boosting brand metrics. Meanwhile, Virgin Mobile entered a content partnership with Buzzfeed, a popular (and link-heavy) website whose articles often go viral. Virgin Mobile worked with BuzzFeed to create a "newsroom" team that could create stories around mobile that would be viewed, enjoyed and shared.