By Kaitlin Villanova
The "post-Gore-buzz" at the Annual Conference seemed to omit a feeling of dissatisfaction from the audience. I overheard one attendee exclaim "he said nothing about the Nobel Peace Prize!" and his cohort proclaim they were hoping he would discuss environmental issues. At this point I wanted to kindly tap these people on the shoulder and remind them THIS IS A MARKETING CONFERENCE!
I think Mr. Gore (we're not on a first name basis just yet) did an excellent job of presenting Current TV and the role of consumer generated content to advertisers. Current TV is solely dependent on participation by consumers so there is no one better to share insights on this subject than the owner and creator Al Gore himself. If anything, I think the consumer created ads for Verizon, Toyota, and Sony might have shook up a few of the agency folks in the audience. Current TV reminds advertisers that all you need to create a 30-second spot is a creative mind, a hand-held camera, and Final Cut Pro!
Mr. Gore eloquently communicated to the audience using pithy anecdotes that shed a light on his sense of humor and some of the incredible life-experiences he has had. From these experiences he was guided to make an impact on society starting with the environment and then onto the most empowered audience: the youth!
I think the "recovering politician" did an exceptional job of reiterating the importance of consumer content to an audience of people who fit the category of "advertising ostriches" (a term dubbed by Lauren Rich Fine at a ANA Senior Marketer's Think Tank), those who stick their heads in the sand hoping when they come back up these new media platforms will disappear!
Thank you again to Al Gore for allowing the ANA Annual Conference be his first public appearance after being awarded the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize . The award was given "for [his] efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change."
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