Brad Berens, editor-in-chief & chief content officer, iMedia Communications, began the ad:tech "New Media Universe, New Consumer Behavior" panel by picking on three words: consumer, engagement and attention, saying that the contemporary language of media is inadequate for discussing the new media world. Berens then introduced the panel, asking them to report on their own slice of the changing media marketplace.

Jack MacKenzie, executive vice president entertainment, Frank N. Magid Associates, summarized changing consumer behavior by saying that media was becoming less focused.

"Users are interacting with more than one content form at one time," he said. "But they have higher expectations, although that seems to contradict the unfocused nature of media."

According to MacKenzie, the new media universe means mistakes can be magnified but so can the rewards, especially with new users known as millennials, consumers age 10-29.

"Millennials see the world differently, they are not just a straight line through boomers to generation X," he said. "The adult millennials are only a hint of what's coming. They understand advertising; they get it. They understand you are selling them something and they are okay with that, as long as you do it in the right way."

Consultant Stacey Lynn Schulman, CEO, Hi Intelligence, spoke about engagement and attentiveness, citing a case study she worked on with Fox for season two of "American Idol."

Talking about an AT&T campaign that paid homage to "Legally Blonde," but promoting fan voting for "American Idol," Schulman said the ads actually had a negative effect.

"We found that people felt the ads were talking down to them," she said. "People had a negative perception of the brand because they felt AT&T was calling them stupid for watching reality TV."

According to Schulman, the lesson from the experiment is that engagement is something best measured on a case-by-case business.

"We found that engagement is specific and personal to the people you want to reach; it's not a currency," she said. "The real research you need to do is around the why. Why do they like the brand or the content? If you do it wrong, you disenfranchise them."

Anne Frisbie, vice president, Yahoo! spoke about identifying and working with the so-called brand advocate consumers or social influencers.

Working with comScore, Yahoo completed a study to identify the brand advocates, Frisbie said.

"I think of these people as trust and family," she said. "What defines this group is that they are passionate and connected. They make up about 25 percent of the population and they are two-three times more likely to convert their friends."
 
Frisbie explained that the challenge for marketers and advertisers is to find ways to enable this group and help them develop a passionate and emotional connection to a brand.

Before opening the panel to questions from the floor, Berens asked what big mistakes brands should avoid in courting consumers in the new paradigm.

Schulman stressed that failing to understand the reasons why people consume media could be a disaster, saying missing the reasons behind consumer behavior would stop any campaign in its tracks.

MacKenzie offered a more concrete warning.
 
"Don't interrupt the consumer," he said. "Interrupting without permission or a reason is a bad move."

Frisbie cautioned brands that failing to deliver in the interactive age is a major mistake.

"It's almost like dropping people off a cliff," she said. "You just lose them."