THE EVOLVING LANDSCAPE OF MARTECH AND ADVERTISING

  Fueled by media convergence, consumption of information across multiple platforms and devices, increased viewer information and targeting capabilities, and rapid changes in the markets for advertising, the rules of media- buying and customer analytics continue to evolve and change. Tier 1 • How do brands manage in times of crisis? • Should brands take a stand? How does “purpose marketing” affect consumer decision making? • Can we find a better way to measure brand value and brand health using new data sources? How does brand value link to revenue? • How do you measure the value of social influencer impact? What should the firm’s strategy be vis-à-vis their relationships with influencers, are they “paid,” “owned,” or “earned”? • What is the value of sponsorships? What is optimal digital/social/traditional advertising spend? • What is the impact on the company of its position on sustainability, cause marketing and responsibility? • How important is top-of-the-funnel data? Do well-known brands need to invest in general brand advertising and TV? • How is the value of brand affected by the practice of micro-targeting and personalization? If the offer is entirely personalized, what is the meaning of the brand? • As products become more commoditized in mature markets, how can brand differentiation be achieved through customer experience? • What is the ideal creative in a digital world? Can we do research to find the “optimal” ad? • How should campaigns and messages (e.g., branding) be integrated across platforms and devices? Tier 2 • How can firms ensure brand safety (e.g., not advertising on controversial sites) amidst proliferating sites, automated buying, and advertising markets? • How should advertising design differ across formats (e.g., text and video)?