Key Learnings From AMIN Integrated Communications Conference

CVR is a member of the Advertising & Marketing Independent Network (AMIN), a network of independent agencies from around the world. The North American region met in Scottsdale, AZ recently (April 24-27, 2023) to review trends and best practices in integrated communications, which includes media, analytics, public relations, creative and social media. CVR hosted this conference last year in Indianapolis.

I always learn a lot from our agency partners, and this year was no exception. The rate of change in the marketing industry continues to accelerate with new digital platforms, the explosion of AI and ChatGPT for marketing, new privacy laws and increased demands from clients.

Here are top three takeaways from the conference this year:

1. Analytics is more crucial today than it ever has been, and the integration of paid media, social media and web analytics requires a systematic, agency-wide process so that every buyer, strategist and team member is utilizing the same data, dashboard and report structure. With the increased importance of first-party data, the need for your own data warehouse such as Funnel.IO or BitQuery.IO or Snowflake to store and combine data is also more critical.
2. Our AMIN partner in San Francisco (H&L) presented the top macro trends impacting customers in the U.S. First, there is an acknowledgement that consumers are fatigued (mentally and physically). This can be a result of an onslaught of information via social media and negative news, long-term impact of COVID and deep divisions on politics. People are more focused on themselves, looking for products and services that can provide relief, calm and self-improvement. Secondly, one of the biggest macro-trends they have identified is a rapid redefinition of work. From the great resignation to the latest versions of hybrid workplaces, the definition of work continues to change as employees and employers change their expectations of each other. This creates an opportunity for different messaging in recruitment advertising as well as how companies highlight their corporate culture.
3. Lastly, we learned about the power of creativity to affect people’s lives. Bob Carey, a commercial photographer from New York, started taking pictures of himself in a pink tutu. The images were often stark or funny, but all of them evoked an emotional response. His wife was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago, and she began to share Bob’s pictures with her fellow patients, and they quickly realized that the images brought joy and solace to them. So Bob continued to take more pictures in his pink tutu and then created a book called Ballerina with proceeds going to support patients battling breast cancer. It is a fascinating story, and I would encourage you to visit www.TheTuTuProject.com to learn more.

Many thanks go out to Riester, our AMIN partner in Phoenix, who hosted everyone and developed the very informative conference. The best part of being in a global agency network is learning from others to help you grow personally and professionally, and this conference was no exception. Katie Tillman, Art Director from CVR, learned how to line dance, and Adam Fisk, Account Director, learned how to ride a mechanical bull. You can’t learn that from a book!