OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2007
REVIEW

High-level presentations a conference highlight

The Australian Marketing Institute’s annual conference, with the theme ‘Marketing’s New Life’, produced an array of very high-level presentations with a particular focus on the intersections between marketing, value, profit, finance and growth.

The conference was held in Sydney at the Hilton Hotel on 18-19 October and also featured two sold-out pre-conference masterclasses with international keynote speakers and the biggest-ever gala dinner, where the winners in the AMI’s 2007 Awards for Marketing Excellence were announced.

The opening international speaker Raj Srivastava, Goizueta chair in marketing and ecommerce from the Emory Marketing Institute in the United States, examined the relationships between stockmarket price, intangible asset value and the impact of marketing investment over time.

International speaker Paul Alexander, CEO of Wigborough in the United Kingdom, looked at the ‘social web’ (data that can be gleaned from customers’ interactions with each other) and mechanisms such as loyalty cards, and how to get most value from the data they generate.


Raj Srivastava: expert on the dollar value of marketing		Paul Alexander: getting the most from marketing data gathered

The group chairman of Grey Group Australia, Paul Gardner, used the data from the latest ‘Eye on Australia’ research to discuss the seven deadly sins of marketing, which included wrath (incurring the wrath of nature), lust (succumbing to the lust of technology), pride (taking trust for granted), and greed (allowing shopping until the credit card drops).

A vice-president and regional director (Aust/NZ) of Brown-Forman Beverages Australia, Michael McShane, was a finance director put in charge of marketing on a standard executive rotation. He walked in ready to say no to everything, but within two years his marketing professionals had converted him into a brand advocate. His address weaved the strengths and attributes of great brands with building your own personal brand to set you apart from the competition.

Dr Colin McLeod, general manager marketing, communications and public affairs with the Australian Football League, addressed brands from an investment perspective, how their value to a company was still poorly understood, and how marketers could address the issues.


Michael McShane: converted into a brand advocate		Paul Gardner: beware the seven deadly sins

In the afternoon the conference broke into streams, the first two being climate change, corporate social responsibility and their impact on your business and marketing; and questioning traditions.

In the climate change stream, Richard Curtis, director corporate brands at Landor Associates, gave the business case for paying attention to climate change. Importantly, he said, the public believes in it, and it would change they way people consumed and behaved permanently. Curtis also presented a case study of News Ltd’s One Degree program, where Rupert Murdoch has committed his huge global company to becoming carbon neutral and then reducing its carbon footprint.

The next two streams were web business and online marketing. In the online marketing stream, Arthur Artinian, a lawyer with Blake Dawson Waldron, looked at the legal challenges of using YouTube in your marketing. Once you post a video to YouTube, you lose control of it. A close examination of YouTube’s terms of use is essential. (Go to Arthur Artinian’s article on using YouTube in this issue of Marketing Update.)

Speakers on day two included David Haigh, managing director of Brand Finance in the United Kingdom. Haigh spoke about the growth of intangibles in company valuations, marketing’s role in this, and using an entry-level trademark valuation to lever marketing on to the board room agenda. Even accountants, he said, realised that value was created by clever marketers; they just want greater clarity in how to measure it.

The executive director group marketing and communications with Nestle, Ian Alwill, shared the quiet revolution under way that is transforming the global food and beverage company into a nutrition, health and wellness company with an increasing focus on delivering health benefits and fighting disease through food. At the heart of the revolution are innovation and renovation and its B3 model of bigger (opportunities), bolder (initiatives) and better (execution).


Nick Rodd: McDonald's addressed its problems		Ian Alwill: quiet revolution at Nestle

Nick Rodd, director of menu management at McDonald’s Australia, told the story of how the company had finally addressed a range of real and pressing problems in itself and its marketplace that were threatening its future viability and lowering profitability. It led to changes such as greater choice and healthier options in its menu, openness with the media and with customers, improved staff pride and morale, addressing the obesity epidemic, and initiatives to increase relevance (McCafe, store reimaging, and teaming up with trusted brands such as Kelloggs and Ski).

The 2007 Awards for Marketing Excellence gala dinner

The gala dinner on the first night of the conference was a large, noisy and excited affair. It began with the colourful drumming, dancing and gymnastics of Latin Explosion, which set a happy and upbeat tone. ABC television and radio presenter James O’Loghlin was a humorous and capable master of ceremonies who kept the awards presentations moving along at a good pace.

The top prize, Marketing Program of the Year, was won by WorkSafe and the Victorian WorkCover Authority for their ‘Homecomings Campaign’, a social marketing campaign that focused on why workplace safety was so important. (Read about all the award winners)

The Sir Charles McGrath Award, which is presented in recognition of long-term service to marketing and marketing achievement, was awarded to Gail Kelly, chief executive and managing director of St George Bank and soon to be CEO of Westpac. (See more detailed article in this issue)

The Certified Practising Marketer of the Year Award was presented to Graeme Chipp, managing director and co-founder of Growth Solutions Group.

The happy tone of the evening continued when the Gary Johns Band came on to the stage once the presentations had finished to play many well-known, bouncy songs. The dance floor immediately filled and stayed that way for the rest of what was a very successful and enjoyable gala.

The exhibition

No conference is complete without the interesting and colourful exhibitors who brighten up the coffee and luncheon breaks and provide valuable information on the products and services they provide. This year’s exhibitors were: