To simplify your Advertising Week experience and better navigate through the over 270 programming events throughout the week, attendees can choose from a series of topical, immersive thought leadership “tracks” which focus on specific industry trends. Each track has a specific topic that will be looked at, discussed and dissected from all angles by industry leaders and experts throughout the week.
Get to know the Official Tracks of AW New York 2017:
AI and Machine Learning:
Machine learning today looks vastly different than what was shown in movies all but ten years ago. Artificial intelligence has entered our daily lives and fundamentally changed the way we go about business. Unlike the robot take-overs we see depicted in Hollywood, machine learning in 2017 instead looks more like supplementing basic, mundane tasks people do – like customer service or financial trading. But machine learning and artificial intelligence continue to feel foreign and futuristic, meaning we’ve only just scratched the surface. The AI and Machine Learning Track will take a look at the technology with more clarity and at the many opportunities that lie ahead for the next wave of data driven intelligence.
Evolution of Video and Content:
Video is now the most consumed media by a long-shot, and people are soaking it up whenever and wherever they are, sometimes on multiple screens at once. Since there is a lot of money to be made on the video front, brands, agencies and more are all looking to cash in. But who is doing it right and who is doing it simply for the sake of putting something out there? The Evolution of Video Track takes a look video in its forms, getting the expert opinion from both sides of the camera.
Data:
Data exploded in the marketing and advertising world a few years back, bringing with it a new ability to target specific to the individual by asking the right questions to the right people at the right time. But now more than ever, collecting the data isn’t nearly enough. Marketers today are realizing the unrivalled potential data has to offer when you look beyond the numbers, and instead to what the numbers represent. In other words, it’s what you do with the numbers that matters. The Data Optimization Track will explore the power of data driven marketing, and how data can be used most effectively to target specific audiences, and do so with remarkable accuracy.
The Future of Media:
The future of media changes nearly every day. From a wide-scale perspective, many aspects of the media space are growing, while many others are shrinking and doing so at a rapid pace. Digital consumption is on the rise, digital video, print and mobile subscriptions are growing, and smart devices are continually getting smarter. Many consumers are moving away from desktop and instead moving toward mobile, and more often than not, innovation feels like less of a threat and more like an opportunity. The Future of Media Track will explore where the experts believe the future of the industry is likely headed.
Creative Storytellers:
Humans are hard wired to understand the world through stories. Give a lecture and people are tacitly engaged – tell a great story and they’re riveted. As brands, our storytelling has a distinct purpose, the raison d’etre is to ignite people to action or achieve a goal. We need our brand to be meaningful in order to reach and excite our audience. Our community should care about what we have to say. But have technology and data complicated the art of telling great stories that drive people to action? The Creative Storytellers Track explores all methods of storytelling, from the newsroom to the film studio, and how brands can monetize content and use social platforms to reach younger audiences.
The Millennial Minded:
The tech-wielding, social media-savvy millennial workforce has arrived in full force, and with it, new ideologies, new expectations, and new ways of doing business. Millennials are entering and molding workplaces all around the globe, and companies today must understand and adapt to the new talent pool – one that has eyes for entreprenuership, work-life balance and digital – to keep up and find success. The Millennial Minded Track will take a look at the generation of new ideas, ambitions, and aspirations, and what it means for business.
Media and Entertainment:
People are tuned into their main screens and second screens more than ever before, providing marketers with new ways to reach them while they stream and commute, stream and watch, stream and social, and stream from any other place they’re plugged in and absorbing their daily dosage of entertainment. With entertainers and celebrities crowned as the new kings of media, fans are connected like never before to celebrities and influencers alike. The Media and Entertainment Track will dive deep into where that fascination stems from, and how marketers can win big in the media, celebrity and entertainment worlds.
The Experience Economy:
Large groups of people have been gathering around passion points at live events for hundreds of years. Yet until recently, the fan experience hadn’t changed all that much. Enter new technology that takes advantage of mobile proliferation to bring the fan experience to another level. For your experiential marketing events, guests can now get fast access to tickets, parking, and amenities as well as upgraded personal access to video content, behind-the-scenes, and brand messaging. So, what does this mean for marketers? The Fans and Live Experience Track will explore how to enhance live experiences and integrate brands into the latest technology for experiential marketing.
Agency Models and Innovations:
The agency world keeps changing thanks to rapid shifts in technology, programmatic, a-la-carte services and the continuing reliance on data. The agency structure is evolving on a near daily basis, and modern agencies must decide if they are going to take the more corporate track by acquiring, or to stay boutique and independent. While some may say the agency world is dying, others would argue that it’s just hitting a new stride with the marriage of creative and media. The Agency Models and Innovations Track explores the evolution of the modern agency world and how it differs from what came before and what will come several years down the road.
Impact:
Marketers in the modern industry have the potential to sway more than just a consumer’s willingness to buy a product – they have the potential to influence cultural conversations, ideologies, and opinions. Because of that, consumers and their wallets are calling for an industry shift, one that aligns a company’s purpose with its profit. The Impact Track will explore how marketers and consumers alike are looking to celebrate the ideas that inspire more than a dollar amount – they transform, impact, and ultimately, contribute towards a better, fairer and more sustainable future for all.
Brand Innovation:
What will tomorrow bring? Are brands today truly innovative? Many would argue that with the evolution of technology in the industry and the fusing of creative and data, it is easier to be innovative today than ever before. A willingness to embrace new possibilities – such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence and other new frontiers – means innovative marketers finding unmatched success. The Brand Innovation Track will explore the importance of taking risks in business, and how innovative thinking is the do-or-die for staying ahead of the curve.
Virtual and Augmented Reality:
Technology has a stronghold on the future of business. It’s no secret new, innovative technologies, like virtual reality and augmented reality, are forcing their way into the industry. The Virtual and Augmented Reality Track dives deeper into the virtual world by exploring the technology behind it, the marketing potential it allows for, and how these innovative technologies will likely change the consumer experience and the future of marketing entirely as we know it.
Leadership and Diversity:
What is effective leadership today? Is it anything that brings monetary value to a company, or is it about creating a culture where people thrive and have a sense of pride in belonging to the organization? The most successful companies have a vision that inspires employees to want to be a part of something with a purpose, and that mentality begins at the top. The Leadership and Empowering Women Track explores changing leadership styles, the power of diversity within an organization, and how modern leaders can drive their business to the top.
