Overall
If you could change the industry in one notable way, what would it be?
Hespos: We’ve all heard the phrase "content is king" so many times that we don’t question it anymore, and we follow that notion blindly. If content was ever actually king, it’s been deposed in a silent coup and set up as a puppet government. Community and conversation are running things, and they’ve been running things to a certain degree since the advent of the internet. As an industry, we need to get away from worshipping the god-king content and realize that human interaction, facilitated by technology, is the real power behind the internet.
Gluck: Encourage greater innovation and looser copyright control. The two are inextricably linked. Push marketers to realize they must inevitably give up some control online. If consumers feel they’re not being treated fairly they will migrate. YouTube can’t let companies like CBS dictate their interface and architecture because they fear "political vitriol" (is there any other kind?) and "unconstructive" criticism. Don’t fear your customers.
Epstein: Perfecting the art of measuring engagement.
Guild: The finance world would begin to see value in something other than technology. That’s why community is going to be so big.
Hague: We would let the internet be its own medium rather than trying to make it an online version of television. Content and marketing messages could be so much more compelling without the wink and nod to legacy media.
Coffin: I’d let instinct re-emerge as a data point in decision making. Without the benefit of instinct advertising (and media) is lifeless.
Cummings: Increase the technical competency of sales staff, and have them be forced to take marketing and branding lessons on how to promote brands. As the site and agencies are often turning to publishers to do the work for them in ideation, it is increasingly important that the sales side of the publishers also be astute digital marketers. There is nothing worse than an agency that comes up with great ideas that none of the publishers will implement. Only the publisher side controls that variability. If site editorial flexibility was universal it would not be an issue, but IAB ad sizes do little to provide unique uniformity of opportunity.
Horan: I’d like us to be more diverse industry. We need to be more conscious about building an industry that represents all the communities we want to reach with the web.
Anything you'd like to add that we missed?
Gluck: Other big changes: The internet is global. Sounds obvious, but I think you’d be surprised by how many advertisers and agencies don’t seem to realize it. Suddenly they’re thrust into a thorny environment that necessitates greater cultural sensitivity on a far wider scale. Ads like this are suddenly thrust onto a global stage and held up to global scrutiny. I think we’ll likely see many more of these types of cultural snafus as advertising goes global. Also, net neutrality. The advertising industry tends to avoid political boondoggles but this directly affects them. The ad industry should take a proactive approach to policy, rather than sitting back and waiting to see how these issues play out.
Epstein: Perfecting the art of measuring engagement
Cummings: Yup. There is a lot that you’ve missed, but only because it hasn’t been created yet. The biggest innovation in 2007 will be just that, innovation.
