Advertising Week: Celebrating The Profession And The People Who Help It Evolve And Grow

Thousands of advertising professionals have gathered in New York City to participate in the ‘Advertising Week’ a truly spectacular and mega advertising event. The Time Square where the mega-event is being held is pulsating with frenetic activity, where speeches are being made, debates and discussions taking place and a road map to where advertising should be headed being shaped.

Advertising is not only creative; it is an art as well as a science. It is an obsession with creating something that is striking, saying a lot in a few words, or creating an image that speaks volumes more the few brush streaks that created it.

Without advertising businesses would not be able to market their services or products. Hence it is even more vital that such events take place and creative professionals from across the world learn from one another making their work more global, more large-scale.

A survey revealed that what people are going to miss the most, once the Presidential elections are over are the contentious, humorous and satirical ads that have inundated the country and that become cause for debate in homes, in workplaces, in trains and airplanes. Whether we see Obama or Romney as our next President, the fact is that ads will have played a major role in putting him there – that is the power of ads.

It is in the fitness of things that the event is being held in New York and not in any idyllic seaside or hillside location but in the hustle and bustle of the greatest city in the world – its diverse and frenzied milieu making it the ideal medley for an industry focused on visual delights and social interaction.

There are some fundamental factors that could be redefined and have a new meaning to after the week is over. Many pertinent questions could find desperately sought answers. For example:

How have things changed for the advertising world? When does an advertisement style become redundant? How can marketers and agencies adapt to the changing concepts? How do they recognize when they need to modify and alter their methods?

Earlier the only technology required was a pencil, paper, some paints and a brush and a lot of creativity. The advent of technology has changed all that. Should advertisers embrace it? Should they shun it or should they fear it. How best should marketers and agencies use it?

The influx and 24×7 accesses to media and information at the finger tips has seen consumer’s attention span dipping alarmingly. What content can draw them back to the media?

There will be many more issues that will be deliberated upon and it will help provide valuable “introspection” about where advertising is headed.

On its website the organizers have written that the Advertising Week’s Mission is “to galvanize the industry by creating an entertaining, enlightening and engaging platform for disparate parts of the business.”

The Advertising Week will have something for everyone in the industry. It is expected to focus on the latest innovations and technology. There will be discussions on privacy issues, data mining, overstepping of rights, among other things. Ordinary folks will get a chance to rub their shoulders with the industry’s “who’s who” and there will be umpteen networking opportunities. Moreover, it is not going to be all work and no play as there will be parties, music, dinners and dances – the week promises to be a blast.